ash tree growth – Xtremehorticulture

Modesto Ash Landscape Tree Usually Does Not Establish a Tap Root

Q. I have a Modesto ash tree in my front yard. I have had it for 12 years, so it is a big tree. I am having a problem with its roots. They are coming up through the grass. Are those top roots? They are ruining my yard. What can I do for this problem? I love the tree but not the roots. Surface roots of large tree. My picture, not the readers. A. This can be a problem with ash tree particularly if they are not watered deeply and were planted in a lawn. Lawns are typically watered with shallow irrigations because most lawn roots grow in the top 12 inches of soil. Since the tree is also growing in the lawn and receiving the same irrigation water as the lawn they will be in competition with each other for this water. Maybe you mean tap roots and not top roots? Tap roots by definition do not grow on the surface of the soil. Trees with tap roots in nature seldom develop true tap roots once they have been replanted or transplanted into landscapes. To develop tap roots trees need deep waterings or have deeper water available to them for their roots to grow into. In our desert environment most irrigations are shallow since water is expensive and we try to conserve as much as we can. In some cases you can remove a few surface roots without compromising the tree. You could explore this option. Trees use their roots for taking up water and nutrients as well as stabilizing itself in the soil to keep it from blowing over. Tree canopies act like sails. If too many roots are removed, obviously this could result in the tree blowing over in heavy winds. If you are removing more than one or two roots then you should consult with a certified arborist about the potential for blowover.

Desert Plants Dont Like Desert Soils

2 Comments / ash tree growth, desert landscapes, rock vs grass, stunted growth / xtremehorticulture

These ash trees were planted along Aliante Parkway in North Las Vegas just north of the Aliante Casino heading toward Horse Drive. When you are driving along here look at the sizes of the ash trees planted in grass vs those planted in rock. They were planted at the same time. Those in rock mulch are much smaller but all in good health. Q. I often enjoy your pieces in the NLV neighborhood View, and your suggestion of replacing rock mulch with wood chips caught my attention. I have an 18 year-old velvet ash in a small (20′ x 20′), red rock covered front yard. Does this tree do better with rock or wood chips around its trunk? A. This is where my comments can sometimes be misconstrued. What I am trying to tell people is that for the most part, plants that originate from nondesert or nonarid climates perform best growing in wood mulches in the landscape. They also do better with growing in soils that have been amended at the time of planting with organic materials like compost. Plants like Velvet ash (aka Arizona Ash) which is native to the desert and arid Southwest, TOLERATES desert soils and so can be grown more successfully under rock mulch than non-desert plants. Nearly all plants perform better with a higher organic content in the soil but desert plants, like Velvet ash, can TOLERATE rock mulch landscapes. This is true of many cacti and succulents as well. You will see them perform better if we amend the soil at the time of planting with some organic matter like compost. In the case of your Velvet ash, because it is native to the arid and desert Southwest, it can tolerate rock mulches better than say Japanese privet (native to Japan) which does not tolerate rock mulch very well at all but is frequently placed in rock landscapes here with, over time, very little success.

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