Root Zone Inoculation
After the February 2021 freeze, the oak population struggled to recover. As a result, trees in our area experienced budding and leaf production much later than normal. Other native species did not have the same struggle as the oak species.
It was only after an overabundance of rain that we began to see significant improvement. This observation reveals that the shallow root system of the oak species is struggling to provide sufficient intake and uptake of water without an overabundance of surface water or rain. This deficiency has been affecting the oak species since the drought of 2011 which was so severe that it damaged the roots and they have not fully recovered.
The layman eye will not notice this but upon close examination, the top third of the canopy in most oaks has undeveloped branch growth and leaf population. The bottom line is that the damaged root systems are not taking in sufficient water and nutrients to supply to the top part of the canopy, where most of the new growth takes place.
The bottom line is that the lateral roots are not able to tap into the deeper ground water in what is the saturated zone area which results in the live oaks being primarily dependent on surface water that is annually in a drought shortage. This results in dehydration and drought stress on the oak species that is causing the trees to decline.
Our proprietary root inoculation is the only solution to dehydration and drought stress in that it creates a secondary root system that is able to tap into the deeper ground water when there’s a shortage of surface water during drought periods.
Another common problem is that in developed areas many times the root zone is partially covered with concrete, house placement and hardscaping that interferes with the penetration of surface water to the lateral root systems which in turn results in dehydration and drought stress. Our root inoculation creates a secondary root system that is able to tap into deeper ground water underneath the concrete an other variables that are interfering with the penetration of the surface water into the soil zone.
This deficiency is compounded by other variables, such as the complexity of the oak species root system being interconnected and the fact that the lateral roots only go 18-24" deep, whereas most other native species have a tap root system that goes deeper in search of water.
These different variables result in the water and nutrient intake and uptake from the root system being insufficient leading to drought stress, not because of a lack of rain, but because the root system is unable to reach water in the zone area with optimal results. This observation is why the oaks struggled to recover from the freeze to bud and leaf until the abundant rain came and saturated the root zone area.
Our Root Zone Inoculation Service is a long-term fix to this problem. We drill holes 12”-18” deep through the limestone and we pump microorganisms into the root zone area that percolate down onto the lateral roots. These microorganisms germinate and start growing on the lateral roots. They then colonize and grow within the root zone reaching water that the roots cannot. This process between the tree and the fungus is called mycorrhiza which is a mutual symbiotic association between the fungus and the tree. The term mycorrhiza refers to the role of the fungus in the trees rhizophere (root system). To further illustrate this process, see this informative video by PrimroseTV.
This practice is commonly used in nurseries. There have been studies done in California under severe drought conditions that show that this type of fungi grow and reach water in places that tree roots cannot reach. The fungi then supply the water back to the tree roots for intake and uptake. In return, the tree provides the photosynthesis that the fungus needs to grow and flourish.
The inoculation service provides a boost of efficiency to the root system that is a key component in relieving the trees of drought stress and dehydration.
On a personal level, we had 4 large oaks that were struggling to produce leaves in the upper part of the canopy. We provided two, 100-gallon root inoculations to the root system and within 45 days, we were seeing growth in areas that had not produced before.
Keeping our root systems free from drought stress is an important part of keeping our oak trees hydrated and healthy.
Root Zone Inoculation Service
The 100 gallon mix will cover a root zone area made up of 10-20 trees depending on size, variety and mix of trees in a soil zone up to 10,000 square feet in size. (water source is provided onsite) We drill 12" into the root zone area through limestone and we pump the microorganisms into the drilled holes and they percolate down on top of the lateral roots that are 18"-24" deep. Fertilizers and bio-feed formulas have to be repeated every year, sometimes twice a year whereas one inoculation is enough to dramatically improve the hydration level of the trees that will continue to improve through the growth and colonization of these microorganisms. (Watch the animated video).
When we perform a shape and balance cut and/or our natural habitat cut a 100 gallon root inoculation is included in the per zone cost of $3,250.00 which includes the specific cut, hauling off the cuttings and a 100 gallon root inoculation. If we do only the 100 gallon root inoculation the cost is $950.00 per 100 gallons.
Our goal is to provide a full service plan to our members that mitigates the threat of oak wilt and dehydration which are the two greatest threats to our oak species in this eco system.