Better Tree Care Associates www.bettertreecare.com P.O. Box 1287, Apex NC  27502 (919) 387-7045 Email:  info@bettertreecare.com

CARY ACADEMY REPORT 051208

Tuesday and Wednesday December 6 and 7 Jimmie, Bob, Roy and I excavated the root crowns of 134 trees.  Most of the trees had a small number of roots to prune, but several had major problems, most of them that were resolved.  Some girdling roots had to stay because they were too large to prune.  The crew worked well together; seeing firsthand the benefit to the trees was highly motivating.

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Complete air excavation of trunk flares on remaining large trees.
    

2. Modify tractor bucket so it can load leaf mulch effectively.  Raise sides of gators to haul bigger loads if possible.
    

3. Apply 4” of leaf mulch above woody roots of all trees, extending the mulch beds 2’ in all directions.  Topdress with wood chips, or with pinestraw only where adjacent to shrub beds.
    

4. Unify mulched areas where they are close to each other.
    

5. Allow camellias, hollies and other shrubs to grow toward their natural height.  The current close clipping regimen reduces ornamental value and increases pests and maintenance costs.
    

6. On all future plantings, make sure that the trunk flare is visible before purchasing, and train all roots outward.
    

7. Train staff in the proper care of woody plants.
    

8. Apply growth regulator to plants that tend to get too large, such as Cryptomeria and leylands, and on declining mature trees.

WEST SIDE

 We pruned the defective roots of all of the trees we cleared except the big maples along Harrison.  They were the last ones we did Wednesday, and will need a lot of chisel work to disembed the girdling roots.  Once this is done, their prognosis should be good. The zelkovas along the exit road were matted with circling roots above the flare.  The cryptomeria along Harrison, and the leylands on the east end show fairly good root structure after small crossing roots are clipped, and the airspading provides another benefit. These trees are growing large and out of scale to the rest of the plantings, but this can be treated. After the tops of the buttress roots are exposed, a growth regulator can be applied to the trunks and buttresses.  See   http://www.rainbowscivance.com/Cambistat/index.asp 

SOUTH SIDE

We did not use the airspade on the younger trees on the slope over the south parking lot, even though many are planted too deep.  A few of the pines and tuliptrees that I cleared by hand also had many circling roots.  They all should grow much better if the roots are corrected and they are given a wider, more fertile mulch ring.  Circular mats made of recycled rubber can provide longterm weed suppression and minimize edging expense.  The oaks along the ridge had decent root structure and were planted at the right height.  Their poor performance has been due primarily to confined rooting area and competition with turfgrass. The cedars above the SEA building are all planted much too deeply and too close together.  Staggering the row would increase the value and health of these trees.

EAST SIDE

Two of the five pistache trees are several inches deep.  The grade was modified as much as possible.  The Leyland hedge had few root defects, but the flare should stay exposed to stay healthy and to allow for possible application of a growth regulator.  The pinestraw under them is a questionable expense, because the leaf mulch is free and much better for the plants.

**CRITICAL**  All these trees have lost roots and rooting area to this vital but potentially traumatic process.  They MUST now be surrounded by leaf compost, extending their planting beds two feet in all directions.  Roots must be trained to grow wider so the trees can grow larger and healthier and more stable.  Jimmie and Roy spread compost around the pistache trees back by the ballfields, using only one Gator (?) but this did not continue to the rest of the trees.  Loading by hand gets old fast. 

The black-colored compost contrasts nicely to the grass and the trees; the most tree-friendly cover layer would be wood chips, which are also on site.  The use of pinestraw should be limited to formal beds in highly visible areas.  The camellia blooms are beautiful but the plants are full of pests that are treated with expensive toxic chemicals.  Pests thrive where there is low air movement as a result of clipping.them into low rounded artificial shapes.  They should be thinned to lessen pests as they are allowed to grow to their natural height, which is only 10’ or so.  The cherries near the entrance should not be pruned at all any more until they regain some vigor.  Even then, removing the lower branches removes much of the ornamental appeal from the entrance.  If staff has physical problems that make kneeling difficult, they can use long loppers or rakes to work on the roots.

The woody plants at Cary Academy represent a large investment.  They have a great potential to strongly complement the architecture and the grounds.  Once they get established, their value will appreciate many times over, and be very much appreciated by students and staff.

This concludes my report.  I can clarify any portions of it upon request.

Sincerely Yours,

Guy Meilleur, BCMA #SO-0284B

Better Tree Care Associates

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8. This report and any values expressed herein represent the opinion of the consultant/appraiser, and the consultant's/ appraiser's fee is in no way contingent upon the reporting of a specified value, a stipulated result, the occurrence of a subsequent event, nor upon any finding to be reported.
    

9. Sketches, diagrams, graphs, and photographs in this report, being intended as visual aids, are not necessarily to scale and should not be construed as engineering or architectural reports or surveys.
    

10. Unless expressed otherwise: 1) information contained in this report covers only those items that were examined and reflects the condition of hose items at the time of inspection; and 2) the inspection is limited to visual examination of accessible items without dissection, excavation, probing, or coring.  There is no warranty or guarantee, expressed or implied, that problems or deficiencies of the plants or property in question may not arise in the future.