If one of your trees looks more like a telegraph pole than it does a tree, whoever planted it probably planted it too deep in the soil. This is bad for your tree, and you have limited time in which to take action. When planted properly, the base of a tree flares and mirrors the shape of the upper trunk, where the branches also grow away from the trunk.

However, if there is no flare at the base of your tree, you have a problem.

Most Tree Roots Grow Horizontally

When you first plant a tree, no matter how old it is, the planting hole should always be wider than it is deep. This gives the tree's transport roots, which grow horizontally, space to spread outwards. Once established, these roots will provide both stability and food in the form of water and nutrients.

Moreover, the smaller roots closest to the surface of the soil also take in air, essentially allowing the tree to breathe as animals and humans do. As you can probably guess, when these horizontal roots are covered with soil or mulch, the affected tree struggles to take in enough food and air to grow. As a result, the tree will either stop growing or grow more slowly than usual.

But in the end, if nothing is done, trees in this position will gradually wither and die. Though the process may take several years, you will begin to see the signs of deterioration quite quickly.

A Deeply Planted Tree Will Exhibit Many Symptoms

A study of 417 trees in the US found that 93%, or just over 387, of the trees were too deep in soil or mulch. This goes to show how easy it is to plant a tree too deeply when transplanting a tree into an area of your yard. As well as the obvious lack of a flare at the base of your tree, you should also see one or more of the following symptoms:

• Slow growth
• Girdling roots, or roots that encircle the trunk at its base
• Smaller and fewer leaves on the tree's branches
• Late spring bloom and early autumn colouring and leaf loss
• Bark problems such as splitting and peeling

Eventually, pests, such as carpenter ants and woodborers, will take advantage of your tree's weakened state and move in to finish it off.

However, if you act quickly, you can save your tree.

Hire an Arborist to Uncover the Tree's Root Flare

If you really want to save your tree, you need an arborist. An arborist has the years of learning and experience to uncover your tree's root flare without damaging it. The treatment doesn't end there, however. The arborist will then need to nurture the tree to full strength using fertilizer, which is something that takes time and patience.

Is your tree too deep in the soil? Act now. Call an arborist today to give your tree the best chance of survival.