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Root Crown Inspection
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| 1. Do a visual inspection
of upper canopy first to help determine decline in vigor. |
| 2. Perform a visual inspection
of any open cavities. |
| 3. Do a visual inspection
looking for evidence of past closed over cavities or wounds. |
| 4. Determine the possibility
of past damage from equipment to the root system. |
| 5. If near a sidewalk,
was past root pruning performed? |
| 6. Pull away all debris
from around base of tree. |
| 7. Are any insects present?
Ants, termites, sowbugs, slugs. |
| 8. Is there any insect
frass from exit holes? Fresh or old? |
| 9. Carefully start pulling
dirt away without damaging roots or trunk |
| 10. Probe and pull rather
than impact for the soil and rock removal. |
| 11. Try and determine
the needed depth of excavation based on possible past fill. |
| 12. Look for evidence
of mushrooms or fungal strands in the soil and on the roots. |
| 13. Look for punky root
wood and compromised trunk. |
| 14. Determine the angle
of lean (if the tree leans) to analyze possible direction of fall |
| 15. Identify targets if
the tree were to fall. |
| 16. If the tree is hollow,
try (if possible) to determine the extent of the decay. |
| 17. Add up all the evidence
collected to come up with the best possible conclusion as to what
is needed to be done. Be careful with reasons of emotion and or
historical significance in making your determination of action.
Let the evidence tell the story. |
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