Hi,
I've an oak tree about 25' tall growning at the side of my
garden. I want to raise the level of the garden about 18" on that side.
Will the oak survive if I cover the lower 18" of bark or do I need to
protect it ?


Iain

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It will probably survive but will not like this treatment. { Not that
you will hear it 'groaning' [sorry, but couldn't resist it]}
Far better to build a low wall of stones or turfs around the base at
about 1m clear so that the base of the trunk will be in a depression.
Over the years this will probably fill but will not be such a problem.
The natural soil level is always the best~ especially when
transplanting. [though I know this is not the present case]
Best Wishes.
"Iain Douglas" wrote in message
...
Hi,
I've an oak tree about 25' tall growning at the side of my
garden. I want to raise the level of the garden about 18" on that side.
Will the oak survive if I cover the lower 18" of bark or do I need to
protect it ?


Iain

News@ is a spam trap. All email to it is bounced.
Use iain... to reply.

The message
from Iain Douglas contains these words:

I've an oak tree about 25' tall growning at the side of my
garden. I want to raise the level of the garden about 18" on that side.
Will the oak survive if I cover the lower 18" of bark or do I need to
protect it ?

You shouldn't earth-up the bole of an oak tree or it will probably get
disease in. (Theoretically, you shouldn't earth-up any tree, but some
don't mind too much: willows especially.)

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

"Jaques d'Alltrades" wrote in message
...
The message
from Iain Douglas contains these words:

I've an oak tree about 25' tall growning at the side of my
garden. I want to raise the level of the garden about 18" on that side.
Will the oak survive if I cover the lower 18" of bark or do I need to
protect it ?

You shouldn't earth-up the bole of an oak tree or it will probably get
disease in. (Theoretically, you shouldn't earth-up any tree, but some
don't mind too much: willows especially.)
Rusty

There are several trees in a nearby park that have been earthed up and are dint
really well. I'm not sure what they are thought.

Jenny

"JennyC" wrote in message
...

"Jaques d'Alltrades" wrote in message
...
The message
from Iain Douglas contains these words:

I've an oak tree about 25' tall growning at the side of my
garden. I want to raise the level of the garden about 18" on that
side.
Will the oak survive if I cover the lower 18" of bark or do I need to
protect it ?

Neighbours have levelled their garden by building patios. They had two
chestnut trees in the middle of one. They used rubble topped by scalpings,
then a layer of soil and turf. 3 feet of the chestnut tree trunks were
buried.
This was done more than than ten years ago and the trees are still healthy.
Doesn't mean it would be the same with an oak, though.

The message
from "JennyC" contains these words:
"Jaques d'Alltrades" wrote in message
...
The message
from Iain Douglas contains these words:

I've an oak tree about 25' tall growning at the side of my
garden. I want to raise the level of the garden about 18" on that side.
Will the oak survive if I cover the lower 18" of bark or do I need to
protect it ?

You shouldn't earth-up the bole of an oak tree or it will probably get
disease in. (Theoretically, you shouldn't earth-up any tree, but some
don't mind too much: willows especially.)
Rusty

There are several trees in a nearby park that have been earthed up and
are dint
really well. I'm not sure what they are thought.

At the moment......

As a one-time partner in a tree-felling and surgery business (we all got
too old and gave it up eventually, having started it as Rover Scouts in
the '50s) I can confidently predict that unless they are willows, alder,
etc or something similar, they will have problems sooner or later.

A lot of the trees we were called to 'sort out' had become diseased
because of earthing-up.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

The message
from "Sue da Nimm" . contains these words:
"JennyC" wrote in message
...

"Jaques d'Alltrades" wrote in message
...
The message
from Iain Douglas contains these words:

I've an oak tree about 25' tall growning at the side of my
garden. I want to raise the level of the garden about 18" on that
side.
Will the oak survive if I cover the lower 18" of bark or do I need to
protect it ?

Neighbours have levelled their garden by building patios. They had two
chestnut trees in the middle of one. They used rubble topped by scalpings,
then a layer of soil and turf. 3 feet of the chestnut tree trunks were
buried.
This was done more than than ten years ago and the trees are still healthy.
Doesn't mean it would be the same with an oak, though.

Problems due to earthing-up don't happen overnight. If the turf drains
fery quickly and very thoroughly they *MAY* get away with it. As a
primarily woodland tree, sweet chestnuts can be temperamental at the
best of times in a garden environment.

I'm not saying tha if you earth a tree up, disease is inevitable: it
isn't. In the long term it's highly likely though.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

The message
from Jaques d'Alltrades contains
these words:

The message
from "Sue da Nimm" . contains these words:


Neighbours have levelled their garden by building patios. They had two
chestnut trees in the middle of one. They used rubble topped by scalpings,
then a layer of soil and turf. 3 feet of the chestnut tree trunks were
buried.
This was done more than than ten years ago and the trees are still
healthy.
Doesn't mean it would be the same with an oak, though.

Problems due to earthing-up don't happen overnight. If the turf drains
fery quickly and very thoroughly they *MAY* get away with it. As a
primarily woodland tree, sweet chestnuts can be temperamental at the
best of times in a garden environment.

I'm not saying tha if you earth a tree up, disease is inevitable: it
isn't. In the long term it's highly likely though.

Agreed. Horse chestnuts are particularly prone to suddenly dropping a
huge branch in healthy green leaf. The leaves are so large that they
offer a lot of windresistance, so if the tree has any lurking internal
weaknesses caused by rot it's particularly at risk in windy summer
storms. A tree I would never want to live close beside.

Janet.