WSU Extension

Hortsense

Common Cultural Problems
 
Air pollution 
Chlorosis 
Construction damage 
Desiccating wind 
Drought damage 
Fasciation 
Fertilizer burn 
Frost injury 
Hail damage 
Lime-induced chlorosis 
Marginal leaf necrosis 
Morphological changes 
Mosses and lichens 
Needle loss 
Needle tip necrosis 
Nutrient deficiency 
Oedema 
Overwatering or poor drainage 
Plant girdling and circling roots 
Poor pollination 
Salt damage 
Sunscald 
Transplant shock 
Winter desiccation 
Winter injury 



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Caption: Root damage and dieback resulting from construction
Photo by: R.S. Byther
  
Common Cultural : Construction damage
(revision date: 4/30/2013)


Use Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for successful plant problem management.

Biology
Disturbances in the root zone such as cutting roots, covering roots with sidewalks or pavement, adding a layer of topsoil, changing soil grade, or changing water drainage patterns can damage or kill trees. Symptoms may occur soon after the disturbance, but commonly are not evident until years later (even up to 10 years). Douglas-fir and madrone are native trees very sensitive to environmental changes.
Management Options


Non-Chemical Management
  • Do not mound soil and construction debris over the root zones of trees.
  • Do not trench through the root zones of large trees.
Select non-chemical management options as your first choice!

Chemical Management
IMPORTANT: Visit Home and Garden Fact Sheets for more information on using pesticides

None recommended

Images

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Caption: Root damage and dieback resulting from construction
Photo by: R.S. Byther
Caption: Root suffocation/dieback from mounding soil over roots
Photo by: R.S. Byther