Expert: Jim Hyland - 10/19/2009

Question
Our hill-side house was built last year around June.  We live in a mature never touched maple forest with 100 ft trees.  This year we were told that 4 of these giants would die due to extra land fill dumped into the forest and that the damage done in one year would kill them.  I have just recently tried to clear away the the sand around the tree trunk and roots.  Is it too late to save these trees?   Thanks.

Answer
It will depend on how much was added. If you can still see a flare of the tree trunk then you may be able to remove the soil and stop the dieback of the limbs. But if you can not see the flare at the bottom of the trunk and it has been covered since June you will have some dieback of the limbs. You will not see trees until next spring when the trees leaf out. But I would try to get the fill dirt off the roots. Here is a web link to information on fill dirt and how to remove it.

http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/housingandclothing/DK6135.html