There is precious little space to grow turf grass and flowers in a suburban lawn. When there is a large tree in the way that task can seem nearly impossible. The roots of the tree are often near or even above the surface, making it difficult to grow anything else.

There is a solution. No, you do not have to cut down the tree. The shallow roots are a result of the poor soil conditions at deeper levels in your lawn. Improving the soil quality in these deeper zones will allow your trees to have a deeper root structure. This, in turn, will make the top layer of soil able to support the root structure of turf grass or garden plants.

At Pro Arbor, our arborists have developed a soil remediation system that properly aerates the root zone of trees in urban and suburban lawns. With optimal oxygen levels and irrigation, suburban trees gain deeper root zones and make the top layer of soil available for grass and plants.

You do not have to choose between your lawn and your trees. An arborist can show you how to have both.

Recently a prestigious golf course in Northern Virginia reported that they were having difficulty with some Sugar Maples that were transplanted to the front of their clubhouse. The trees were visibly suffering, with drooping and pale colored leaves. This is not the image that they want flanking the entrance to a stately club.

Upon inspection of the trees, Pro Arbor's arborist noted that all six of the trees had tree irrigation bags surrounding their trunks. The bags were full, and the trees were mulched with a 3" layer of composted hardwood mulch. When the bags were lifted to inspect the root flare, the problem became immediately apparent. Under the bags was a tightly woven network of new feeder roots. The roots were growing in a circling mass, staying within the 12" of space under the bag.

The obvious problem here is that the roots were circling instead of progressing outward from the root flare. The not-so-obvious problem is that, every time the bags are filled, the weight of the water presses down to create an anaerobic condition upon the feeder roots. Roots cannot perform their function in the absence of oxygen, so they suffocate until the bags are empty or light enough to allow oxygen to squeak in.

There is a better way. Pro Arbor's soil remediation program (which is being applied to the above-mentioned trees) employs Rootwells, underground devices that promote oxygen exchange throughout the root zone. Along with proper mulching and periodic application of organic compost tea, this yields results far beyond the currently accepted procedures.