Last summer my wife and I were on vacation in St. Louis.
We stopped at the gateway arch to take pictures inside and out. While walking around the park under the arch, I noticed a clump of ash that could provide some welcome shade. What I found was a whole stand of zombie trees. The living dead.
The ash above is in a death grip. A death grip of circling roots girdling the tree.
Girdling roots are a common problem transplanted trees such as B&B or balled and burlap trees. Planting large trees like this means you are likely to get a damaged root system and a short life span. Planting small seedlings avoids this problem and grows a tree in place with a natural root structure and the potential for a long life.
The young oak below was planted as a seedling at Lincoln's Tomb in Springfield, IL. Notice the radial root supporting the oak. The folks managing Lincoln's Tomb want oaks and they want oaks that will live well over 100 years.
This oak tree was protected with a tree tube or tree shelter when planted. That is the secret - use a Plantra Tree Tube and plant small seedlings to produce a normal root system that will support your tree for 100 years or more.
If you want more information on trees and root systems in landscapes go to Ed Gilman's web page hosted by the University of Florida.
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