What kind of fill dirt?

[NJBoy3]

And the new roots will not be able to go straight down if a tap root. They also will not be able to spread out as easily if tree planted in a spot where there was no tree.

Not to mention if the tree removed was diseased. Are the remnants of the dead tree's roots going to spoll the soil. For instance if the tree removed was an oak that died of anthracnose. Is the anthracnose in remnant roots and soil going to affect the next tree.

Nature is complex..

[writerwife]

Thanks all! You've brought up some good points to consider.

A new tree would most likely be about 10 ft away from where the maple currently is. It isn't disease that's causing the problem per se', it's 'bark inclusion'. Bark is growing in a seam into the tree and basically acting as a wedge and splitting it in half. It could stand for a few yrs or could come down with the next storm according to 2 dif arborists. Nutrients are also having difficulty getting to the upper center branches and they are baring out.
I will miss it, but I won't miss that root system and lack of grass under the tree.
Thank you!

[guidoLaMoto]

Originally Posted by writerwife

A new tree would most likely be about 10 ft away from where the maple currently is. !

That changes my answer. I was going to say leave the hole as long as you're going to replace the tree and save some excavating costs.


Consider this: the general rule is that a root system underground is as big as the tree above ground. A tree doesn't get very much nutrition from the top soil around it, nor does it get much from the root ball you pulled up. That part was just a central meeting place for all the vascular tissue bringing in nutrients absorbed by those distant, fine, hair cells of the roots.


If the new pool owners have enough soil above the bedrock to allow an inground pool, then whatever soil it is is probably good enough for fill. That root ball hole doesn't represent a very big part of your new tree's area of acquisition.

[Zoisite]

Originally Posted by writerwife

Thanks all! You've brought up some good points to consider.

A new tree would most likely be about 10 ft away from where the maple currently is. It isn't disease that's causing the problem per se', it's 'bark inclusion'. Bark is growing in a seam into the tree and basically acting as a wedge and splitting it in half. It could stand for a few yrs or could come down with the next storm according to 2 dif arborists. Nutrients are also having difficulty getting to the upper center branches and they are baring out.
I will miss it, but I won't miss that root system and lack of grass under the tree.
Thank you!

Writerwife, if you'd like to try one very last alternative to try to save the tree before resorting to cutting it down there is this. You could cut and dig all the bark out of the seam in the tree and the surrounding vicinity of the seam, then pack the split and the surrounding area fully with tree grafting wax. The tree wax won't hurt the tree and the new bark that gradually forms will grow over top of the wax instead of growing into the seam.


.

[NJBoy3]

It would be interesting to see a picture of this tree's aliment.

[writerwife]

Originally Posted by Zoisite

Writerwife, if you'd like to try one very last alternative to try to save the tree before resorting to cutting it down there is this. You could cut and dig all the bark out of the seam in the tree and the surrounding vicinity of the seam, then pack the split and the surrounding area fully with tree grafting wax. The tree wax won't hurt the tree and the new bark that gradually forms will grow over top of the wax instead of growing into the seam.


.

Thanks for the thought. There actually was talk about trying to save it, but it would also require a lot of cables and there's another undiscovered reason the upper center branches aren't receiving nutrients (bare spots) and it would be cost prohibitive. I truly did consider giving it a try but I've been quoted between 5-7k with no guarantee. As a fairly new widow, that's too pricey for me for a 'try'.