It was a slow and painful death. The victim couldn’t survive the vicious continued attacks, and gradually departed from this life. The murder happened in broad daylight, and no one stopped to help.
The weapons? A lawnmower and string trimmer. The victim? A laurel willow in the prime of its life, snuffed out in cold blood.
With lawn mowing season in full swing, trees must be nervous. Lawnmowers and string trimmers are very dangerous to tree survival. Rubbing next to the trunk with the mower can cause a small scar, even if it doesn’t noticeably rip a deep wound. String trimmers moved just a hair too close can easily nick a little bark.
These tiny damages might not seem like much, but they’re cumulative. Just a little injury here and there over an entire growing season or two adds up to big injury.
The life-supporting conductive system of a tree is just below a tree’s outer bark. Nicks, cuts and bruises to the outer bark can interfere with the tree’s ability to carry water and nutrients up and down within itself.
Injury to tree bark from mowers and trimmers can stress trees, making them more susceptible to invasion by insects, diseases and rots.
A good way to stop the inclination to trim too closely to a tree is by surrounding the trunk with wood mulch. Remember the 5-5-5- rule: Mulch 5 inches thick in a 5-foot diameter circle, kept 5 inches away from the tree trunk.
Let’s all be watchdogs in the fight against tree abuse.
Don, my brother used to call call that “Toro Blight.” I think you knew Steve.
Yes. If I remember right he had a landscaping/nursery business in Bismarck, S and B Landscaping. Thanks.
Don, I goofed on the recipe for the weed killer, I had it cut down for myself, but the full recipe is one gallon vinegar, two cups Epson salts(that is what I forgot) and a 1/4 cup Dawn dish soap. This is the real killer. I don’t know why I forgot the Epson salts, getting old I guess. Give this a try, you won’t be sorry. No water added.