I have started to upload the arboriculture related courses, that I was teaching at the Auroville Botanical Gardens, to Udemy to make them more accessible to people. It is part of the series to learn about different aspects of arboriculture for aspiring arborists.
There is currently a free course called “What is a tree?” and a paid one on urban tree planting (urban because I believe it to be the hardest place to plant trees). Please take a look, if it interests, and give me some feedback and ratings. Thank you
Follow the links below to enroll in the courses
What is a Tree?
A short course exploring what makes a tree a tree — ideal for beginners and tree professionals alike.
Tree transplanting is a delicate operation that, when executed properly, preserves valuable trees and integrates them into new landscapes as assets with increased value. This guide outlines the essential steps and considerations for successful tree transplanting, small or large. Large tree transplantations require competent and experienced professionals.
Pre-Transplant Assessment
Evaluate Tree Suitability:
Health & Structure: Assess the tree’s overall health, form, and structural integrity. Trees in poor condition may not survive the transplanting process.
Species Consideration: Some species are more amenable to transplanting than others. Research or consult experts to determine suitability. Some trees will simply never be able to be transplanted.
Size & Age: Larger and older trees present more challenges and may have lower survival rates.
Site Analysis:
Obstructions: Identify underground utilities, nearby structures, or other obstacles that may impede root ball preparation or relocation. Ensure there is sufficient access to the new site as this is most often the biggest constraint after a tree has been deemed transplantable.
Regulatory Compliance:
Application Requirements: Check if there are any legal requirements for removal or transplantation of trees in your area with your municipal corporation, forest department or council.
Planning & Preparation
Receptor Site (where the tree will be planted to)
Environmental Factors: Consider soil conditions, drainage, sunlight, and space availability at the new site.
Planting hole soil: Ensure the new location has similar soil to the original site. Amend if necessary.
Planting hole size: Make the hole wider than what the root ball will be by at least 20%, preferably 30%.
Root Ball Preparation:
Size Guidelines: Aim for a root ball diameter at least 8–10 times the trunk/stem diameter at breast height (DBH) (or 1.5 meters (5 feet) from ground level). For instance, a tree with a 10 cm (4 inches) DBH should have a root ball of 80–100 cm (~2.5 -3.2 feet) in diameter.
Depth Consideration: Ensure sufficient depth to encompass most of the root system. Generally, a maximum of 1 meter (3 feet) depth is sufficient.
Example tree root ball dimensions
Larger trees/more delicate trees: Instead of preparing the root ball in one go, they can be prepared over several months by cutting the roots in segments.
Preparing a larger or more delicate tree for transplant
Protection Measures:
Wrapping: Use jute cloth, hessian or geotextile fabric to wrap the root ball, to minimise soil loss and root desiccation when lifting.
Moisture Maintenance: Always keep the root ball moist to prevent drying out.
Timing:
Optimal: Transplant when your tree has a lot of stored energy (not when growing new leaves, as a deciduous tree, nor when fruiting or flowering).
Weather Conditions: Avoid transplanting during extreme weather conditions, such as heatwaves or heavy rains.
Transplanting Process
Excavation & Lifting:
Equipment Use: Employ appropriate machinery to lift the tree carefully, from the base (except for palms, some of which can be handled by the stem) ensuring the root ball remains intact. Protect the stem from damage from machinery.
Handling: Minimize handling of the tree to reduce stress and potential damage.
A crane lifting a tree in the correct manner (from the base and with protection on the stem in case of knocking)
Transportation:
Time Efficiency: Aim to relocate the tree to its new site in the shortest time possible to enhance survival chances.
Stability: Secure the tree during transport to prevent movement that could damage roots or branches.
Replanting:
Orientation: Position the tree in the same orientation as its original location to maintain growth patterns. For example, make a mark on the stem on the north side and ensure it is on the north side when planting.
Staking: Use sturdy supports, such as guy wires, to stabilize the tree until roots establish, if required.
Post-Transplant Care
Immediate Actions:
Watering: Water the tree thoroughly after planting and maintain consistent moisture levels. Put in a schedule to ensure it remains hydrated for at least 6 months but preferable, one year.
Mulching: Ground to be kept mulched with organic matter at least up to the rootball taken and as much out as possible. Mulch is to not come in contact with the stem. Layer to be approximately 10cms deep.
Ongoing Maintenance:
Monitoring: Regularly inspect the tree for signs of stress, disease, or pest infestations.
Ground conditions: Apply mulch regularly as it decomposes. Water during drought periods, at least for the first 3 years after transplant.
There are many things to consider when planting trees next to buildings and along roads or avenues. This is a non-exhaustive list of tree species that I recommend for our region (Auroville, India) in the typical laterite or black cotton soil. This is an evolving list.
General species selection criteria:
Not prone to structural failure
Drought resistant
No dangerous fruit (falling risk-wise and also poisonous plants taken into account)
Ideally with interesting features (bark, leaves, flowers, shape, fruit etc…)
No buttress or superficial roots (surface roots that would disturb pavement, hinder traffic)
Little mess in terms of fruits, flowers, foliage (apart from fruit trees)
Important for local ecology
Large evergreen trees to be used as shade for houses or avenues
Scholar tree, Alstonia scholaris: Fast growing tree with nice leaves and flowers
Bullet wood, Mimusops elengi: Medium growing tree with fragrant flowers. Very resistant to storms and droughts
Please add comments to this list directly or in the more exhaustive spreadsheet. I am especially looking for more recommendations as the more diversity, the better.
Yes, neem trees lose their leaves every year, sometimes multiple times but, if a tree ends up with dead leaves up in the canopy then there is a problem due to an external factor. Yes, neem dieback has been around for some time and some trees recover from it. All neem trees that I have inspected have been affected by this to some extent. Older trees, very young trees and trees in poor condition or environments will likely be the most affected.
In the image below is the tea mosquito (Helopeltis antonii)which is one way that the fungus (Phomopsis azadirachtae) is transimitted which then causes the specific neem dieback disease (scientific evidence below).
Why do I think this is an issue now?
Because we have had successive drought years and a very wet year both of which can be detrimental for neems. Some of the trees have been defoliated twice in two years and some even more. Repeated defoliation of trees can lead to tree death.
Generally, all trees can be vulnerable to drought, especially to prolonged drought. It depends on their condition and the extent of the drought. With regards to excessive rain, if the roots are submerged for an extended period, they will not get oxygen, so they won’t be able to sustain their system (they can’t burn sugars). This FAO document mentions drought and neems. It is how I eventually came to the conclusion that the neems will not be able to deal with this very well (but it is likely to be consisting of even more factors).
The succession of detrimental events is the usual course for the death of a tree. Unlike us, they are not programmed to die. So, if a tree is affected by a disease, it is then more susceptible to other diseases.
What we are doing is making neem trees more resistant to this disease and improving growing conditions in general for them and all surrounding vegetation.
Method and instructions of what we are doing (anyone can do it): Neem Treatment.
This is slightly old as the method has changed but may be useful: Video of Dr. Margarita Correa (MG Ecoduties) explaining treatment: https://youtu.be/aKFwzTVfmuo
From what I understand (or think I understand) the C4 compost acts a positive environment for germination for the bacillus which then will merge with/inoculate the absorbing roots (which will also be prompted to grow due to the new richer environment, hence the combination). Then the Bacillus will induce systemic acquired resistance (which should help with the Phomopsis) along with potentially helping with uptake of water and nutrients through synergies with mycorrhizal fungi.
To give an idea of what could be affected, when surveying about half of Auroville excluding the “Greenbelt” (~2.5 square kilometres) Geomatics have recorded over 3000 neem trees. So there are potentially over 20,000 neem trees in Auroville.
Here is what has been achieved in Auroville, regarding treatment, so far (I am only involved in some of this):
Contributing financially (it costs about RS55 per tree just for the materials and we are all doing this for free) by using the temporary Auroville FS account for this: 253042
Letting me know if you have other methods which work
Inspecting the trees, plotting them and then monitoring them to see how the treatment is acting
I am happy to come by (locally) and explain, show, teach (can be part of a school or research project).
Please let me know if you treat trees somewhere so we can record it (to later check if it works as intended and get statistics. If you want to be involved in this aspect, that is also possible).
This is the first step in setting up a response to a potentially huge loss of neem trees. All networking and collaboration could be improved and should be and if you want to coordinate efforts, please do so as I do not need, or necessarily want, to be involved.
If you have any other ideas, please suggest them (especially if you want to do the legwork).
Many people think neems are the toughest trees around and will manage “no worries” which begs the question of “why are they affected in the first place?”
A brief article to inform people of how to go about digging near trees and why it matters.
Digging occurs for many reasons but the most important (for the tree) usually occurs when a trench is being dug for foundations or utility, such as for cables or pipes (there are many ways tree roots can be damaged but I am concentrating on digging damage).
Tree roots, usually, do not go below a meter in depth in the ground as there is not enough oxygen below to sustain them (through respiration). This is why it is usually feasible to dig under tree roots (Figure 8.16) instead of through them to install cables and pipes. For trees with tap roots, one can dig under the roots but to the side of the stem rather than directly under it.
Construction work near trees should be properly evaluated as most root damage to trees often occurs during this time but the effects will only be seen several years later.
Here is an example of poor planning and devastating results:
A new construction was planned to go around this tree (image) as it was a central focal point. The tree was not considered sufficiently. The result was that many roots were destroyed during excavation and a main branch was to be removed. I was called in by the owners who could clearly see that the tree had become a hazard as the above ground parts stretched for over 15 meters each direction and the below ground parts were all cut off at 1.5 meters in each direction. The only outcome was removal of the tree as the stability and health of the tree was severely compromised.
Construction work near trees should be properly evaluated as most root damage to trees often occurs during this time but the effects will only be seen several years later. The UK minimum root protection area is 12 times the diameter of a tree measured at 1.5 meters from ground level (a 12 meter radius for a 1 meter diameter tree). Before digging within this area root presence or absence should be verified. Foundations within this area are most often of the pile variety rather than the typical trench foundation.
Please think next time you want to dig near trees, especially if you want to build as close as you can to that special tree, because that may just shorten its life time significantly and defeat your purpose.
If you want more info, clarifications or advice, you are welcome to contact me. [email protected] or 7598103616
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