This is one of the most costly actions we take to manage our landscapes, in terms of money and environmental damage, yet we continue to cut down and transport tree debris. I am. Even if it does not pose a danger to people or property.
Basil Kamm, founder of tree care company Leaf & Rim in Raleigh, North Carolina, wants us to rein in our obsessively organized, managerial mindset and leave what’s safe alone. I’m here. He is a strong believer in the role of trees, not just healthy trees, but stranded trees, wildlife trees, dead and dying trees, and are often the first targets for removal. As a result, he completely withdrew from the logging business.
Yes, he runs a tree service that doesn’t cut down even dead trees.
His unconventional approach is to “let it be.”
“Let’s participate and help the ecosystem,” Camus said. “When trees die, they enter a second life, and incredible new communities are built and flourishing around them.”
Think of it as reincarnation (even in the same body).
The power of dead and dying trees is one of the most important messages in Camus’ new book, From Wasteland to Wonder: Simple Ways to Heal the Earth in Suburban/Urban Landscapes.
Learning how to care for trees throughout their lifespan, as they evolve into their final resting place as felled logs and gradually return organic matter to the soil, will reduce workload and expenses while simultaneously improving the health of the planet. “It’s a simple method that can also help improve your condition. That’s essentially what this book is about,” he said.
Camus’ approach has earned praise from University of Delaware professor Douglas Tallamy, a leader in the movement to restore ecosystem function to our landscapes. “Basil’s logic will negate any lingering doubts you may have had about this approach to landscaping and provide the impetus many of us need to take action,” he writes in the book. In his recommendation letter, Mr. Camus said: Free digital download or hardcover for $10.75 (printing and shipping costs apply).
All the lessons in From Wasteland to Wonder aim to promote “outrageous diversity.” Camus borrowed the phrase from Michael Phillips, a New Hampshire integrative orchard grower and author of “Mycorrhizal Planet,” who passed away in 2022.
“I love it. I just had to use it,” Camus said. “I think dead trees are a great example of that. I mean, the numbers of birds, fungi, beetles, etc. support it all. It’s pretty wild.”
Admittedly, it’s pretty wild. Tree roots are where animals roost and build nests. This is thanks to the work of the main nesters, especially woodpeckers, who dig holes that also benefit other animals. Secondary nesters include flying squirrels and bats, as well as other birds such as bluebirds, tree swallows, various wrens and owls, and even Morris ducks.
Tree roots provide perches for hunting hawks, eagles, and owls, as well as for some male birds for mating and territorial purposes.
Eventually, if snagged, the tree will fall, providing protection for small animals like salamanders and larger animals like bears. Fallen trunks also act as “saplings” to support the next generation of seedlings, and the carcasses slowly decompose and become part of the soil in which they grew.
Decaying wood becomes a feast for insects and other arthropods, which themselves feed many other animals and provide fuel for the food chain. Fungi also use wood, and beetles eat the fungi, which are then eaten by amphibians, reptiles, and birds.
Camus thinks he understands the idea. An incredible amount of diversity can all be found in your backyard.
Read the leaves (and bark and roots) of trees
A large part of Camus’ work is supporting living trees, focusing on three key areas: soil health, structural pruning, and annual inspections.
He said pruning is ideally encouraged from a young age to promote “dominant, straight trunks and well-spaced branches” to increase wind resistance. Structural pruning avoids any problems, such as multiple V-shaped branches forming less than 45-degree angles to the trunk, creating vulnerabilities.
Building a trusting relationship with your arborist will also help you gauge the health of your trees. For example, you need to identify which trees are heading toward aging and have a safe and environmentally responsible transition plan.
He said most of the calls from customers are driven by fear and the belief that deleting it will solve the problem. The tree may be swaying in strong winds (this is normal) or appear to be leaning. Or it may be dangerously large or very old and concerning.
None of those are surefire signals to remove the tree. Further investigation is required. In response to such a call, Camus begins observing the farthest edges of the tree canopy, looking for signs of decline.
This is very different from seeing decline on the inner branches towards the bottom of the tree. “It’s normal for the inner lower branches to be shady,” he said. “And the distinction between inner and lower, outer and upper is very important and is the first big ‘aha’ moment for many people.”
Move under the trunk and check for large pieces of bark that have fallen off (assuming you don’t have a species that sheds bark). Can you spot any unusual things like oozing, fermentation smells, or black spots growing on the surface of the trunk?
“Don’t count the lichens and moss,” he said. “Those are normal.”
As he worked toward the ground, he noticed a mushroom that was bearing fruit directly from its roots and trunk. Certain species of fungi are a cause for concern.
But more common is a buried root color. The natural root spread at the base of a tree is often hidden under wood chips or other mulch piled too high close to the trunk (the dreaded volcanic mulch) or under too much soil.
“You know you have a buried root collar if you don’t see a noticeable flare at the base of the trunk, or if it looks like a telephone pole disappearing straight into the ground. It should be excavated and exposed as soon as possible. please.”
To roughly measure the soil conditions around the tree, his tool of choice is a long screwdriver. He calls it “an easy and quick way to understand soil health.” Generally, the deeper you can drive the screwdriver into the ground with minimal effort, the healthier the soil is likely to be. He hopes it will grow to 10 to 12 inches.
If the tree leans in one direction, check the ground on the other side. “If it’s light and spongy and there are roots coming out, it’s almost certainly a fallen tree,” he said. “If the ground is very solid and stable, and it’s just as compressed on this side as it is on the other side, it may be phototropic.” That means it bends toward the light. is.
Can we at least leave a tall stump?
If Camus’ observations indicate that the tree is beginning to migrate or that migration is necessary for safety, further evaluation will follow. Does anyone play or walk nearby? Is there an adjacent building or parking lot?
“Anything with relationships with people, how closely it’s happening, how often it’s happening,” he said. “You can plan from there.”
What if there’s little activity around? “Do nothing,” he said. “The tree will naturally decay and provide maximum benefit.”
On the other hand, if you need to lower the height of the tree or knock it down, there is one important thing to keep in mind. Try to wait until nesting season is over unless there is a danger that requires immediate intervention.
And Camus suggests considering alternatives to the traditional approach of erasing every part of the tree, such as uprooting or chipping away the stump. Instead, leave as much of it as possible, whether it’s a tall stump or a 20-foot-tall wildlife tree. Because they perform important ecosystem services.
Another possibility: could we leave most of the biomass in the ground and allow it to rot naturally where the tree once stood, collecting some of the branches into brush piles?These are wild animals. It is a landscape element that supports the
Mr. Camus defends the youngest tree as much as he believes in the oldest. In 2017, he founded Project Pando. The project is named for Utah’s colony of approximately 50,000 swinging poplar trees that are connected by a single root system. The group, now a nonprofit, propagates about 10,000 native seedlings a year from wild-collected seeds and distributes them, primarily to other nonprofits and ecosystem restoration efforts. We also guide organizations to set up similar outreach and distribution programs.
He knows there’s a lot of work ahead of Camus’ tree-centered ecological mission. But he preaches the importance of preserving trees that people think need to be erased and planting more native trees, and how he identifies moments of success in the process. Are you evaluating it?
“It’s about time more people took this step and really fell in love with garden life,” he says. “And they find beauty and they find meaning.”
He added that they will then become part of “this movement that aims to live alongside other life.”
Margaret Roach is the creator of the website and podcast path to gardeningand a book of the same name.
If you have any gardening questions, please email Margaret Roach at gardenqanda@nytimes.com. Maybe she’ll address it in a future column.
