Site Assessment

Evaluating soil, drainage, light, and microclimate before you plant.

Construction Damage to Tree Roots: What You Cannot See Is What Kills the Tree
Site Assessment

Construction Damage to Tree Roots: What You Cannot See Is What Kills the Tree

Two years ago, your contractor promised you the big Douglas-fir would be fine. The tree had shaded your house for forty years, and the remodel was necessary. You watched them work around it. No major...

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Frost Cracks: Why Your Tree Split Open Overnight
Site Assessment

Frost Cracks: Why Your Tree Split Open Overnight

You step outside the morning after a cold snap in January and stop cold. A vertical crack runs down the trunk of your maple or cherry, splitting the bark from somewhere high up and descending several...

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Circling Roots: What Happens When You Plant a Pot-Bound Tree
Site Assessment

Circling Roots: What Happens When You Plant a Pot-Bound Tree

You walk into your local nursery in the Puget Sound region and find a 15-gallon Douglas-fir or Japanese maple. The tag reads "ready to plant." You load it into your truck, dig a hole in your yard,...

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Right Tree, Right Place
Site Assessment

Right Tree, Right Place

You can eliminate most tree problems before you plant a single sapling. Match the tree to the site, and you won't spend the next twenty years fighting with dead branches, structural failure, or roots...

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