Arbor Retore

Save 25%–75% Compared to Tree Removal!

Call 980-229-1421 today for a FREE, no-obligation tree audit with Tim Young, Your Certified Arborist. Indeed, Your Tree Doctor.

Keep your trees healthy and your wallet happy!

Is Your Tree’s “Hard Drive” Failing?

If your computer had a virus, you’d remove it before it crashed—right? Your tree’s root system is its “hard drive,” and compacted clay can strangle it with girdling roots, cutting off water, nitrogen and oxygen. Just like a virus can destroy a computer, this can kill your tree.Our soil specialist can “open” the soil, free the roots, and restore health with compost and proper mulching (no more than 2–3” deep!).

Too much mulch hardens clay, blocking water absorption.Signs of trouble: thinning canopy (10 to 2 o’clock position), dark “sooty” bark, girdling roots, or mulch over 3” – pine mulch is the worst. Pull heavy mulch back after heavy rain, and you’ll be shocked to find dry soil!

Call 980-229-1421 for a no-obligation, FREE tree audit today. Your trees will thank you!

Testimonials

I had Certified Arborist, Tim Young, come out to look at my trees. I noticed leaves turning yellow even though it was summer. He told me it’s called “scorching”, and is caused when the tree isn’t getting enough water! We had a huge poplar, plus medium sized oaks, dogwoods and redbuds that were all losing their canopies. Tim taught us that when a tree is losing its canopy between 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock, the tree is in danger of dying. And he taught us once a tree loses 25% of its leaves, it won’t live no matter the treatment. Luckily our trees had only lost about 15% of their canopies. Tim’s crew opened up the soil with a compressor and carefully cut the girdling roots. They amended the soil with compost, and put in Radial Trenching and Vertical Mulching to encourage small root growth to pull up more water. That was 2 years ago and the trees are amazing! It cost us $5,000 and was well worth it. Had all the trees died, it would have cost us at least $15,000 to remove them, not including the wonderful shade we’d lose. I highly recommend Arbor Restore to rescue your trees. Check out their website at arborrestore.com and I hope your results are as good as ours!

A neighbor recommended me to Tim Young. My massive oak tree was declining and I did not want to lose it. Tim pointed out to me that the girdling roots at the root collar and he told me I needed immediate action to remove them. He gave me a quote of $2,500 That was fair considering the shade I'd keep near the house, plus it would cost me $7500 to have it completely removed. Tim also pointed out that rain, lawn mowers and parking cars around the root zone caused the soil to compact. That's why he recommended 2-3" of mulch to keep foot traffic, mowers and cars off of the root zone. He told me it's much healthier to put the mulch out horizontally, not vertically. He said heavy mulch will cause the clay soil beneath not to be able to receive rain water! And that helps to harden the clay. This was February 2021. Now it is February 2024. The tree is in much better shape! The canopy is full. I'm so grateful that my neighbor recommended Tim Young and ArborRestore.com to save my irreplaceable oak tree! Regards,

I called Tim Young out because he's a Certified Arborist and I wanted to know why my 25-foot-tall Sycamore was declining. He showed me I had too much mulch on my root zone and that a girdling root was peeking out. He gave me a quote of $650 to rescue my tree. That was very fair considering it would cost at least twice that to have it removed. And I did NOT want to lose the beauty of this stately tree. His crew blew open the root zone with an air spade. They carefully cut the many girdling roots, they put in the root zone compost to accelerate healing and they did other things to make sure the roots would suck up water. They spread the mulch out to only 2-3", and wider, explaining the only reason for mulch was to keep traffic and lawnmowers off the root zone. That was a year ago and the tree is healthy again. Very pleased.

tim young

Tim Young is a Certified Arborist with nearly five decades of experience in the tree care industry.

Since 1976, Tim has dedicated his career to understanding and caring for trees, founding his own highly acclaimed tree service in 2002.

In recent years, Tim has focused his expertise on tree preservation, specializing in root zone management and soil technology. We offer unique services such as soil decompaction and removal of dangerous girdling roots, aiming to save mature trees from unnecessary removal. Our approach is rooted in the understanding that 80% of tree problems begin in the root zone, a fact often overlooked in the industry.

Nurturing Nature, One Tree at a Time

Is your mature tree showing signs of stress like yellow leaves or a thinning canopy, especially the 10 – 2 o’clock position? Before considering removal, let Arbor Restore come out and do a tree audit to see if the tree can be saved. Let us give all your trees a new lease on life.

Call Now at 980-229-1421

Our work

FAQ

Most frequent questions and answers

can girdling roots cause stress to a pine tree and attract pine beetles?

Yes, girdling roots can cause significant stress to a pine tree and make it more susceptible to pine beetle infestations. Here’s why:

Restricted Water and Nutrient Flow – Girdling roots can constrict the tree’s vascular system, reducing the movement of water and nutrients between the roots and canopy. This weakens the tree over time.
Increased Stress Response – A stressed pine tree releases higher levels of volatile compounds (like terpenes), which attract pine beetles. Stressed trees also struggle to produce enough resin to defend against beetle attacks.
Weakened Structural Integrity – Over time, the tree’s base may become unstable, and decay can set in, further lowering its defenses against pests and diseases.

If you suspect girdling roots on a pine tree, early intervention (such as root pruning and aeration) can help restore its health and reduce beetle attraction. Have you come across a tree showing these symptoms?

Knowing that girdling roots cause stress to a pine tree which releases higher levels of volatile compounds like terpenes, do hardwood trees have a similar reaction?

Yes, hardwood trees can also experience increased stress and release volatile compounds when affected by girdling roots, but their response differs somewhat from pines.

How Hardwood Trees React to Girdling Roots and Stress

Restricted Water and Nutrient Flow – Just like pines, hardwoods suffer from vascular constriction, leading to reduced vigor, canopy dieback, and overall decline.
Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Release – Many hardwoods also emit higher levels of VOCs (including terpenes, ethanol, and other stress-related compounds) when under stress. These can attract pests such as:
- Borers (e.g., emerald ash borer, ambrosia beetles)
- Sap-feeding insects (e.g., aphids, scale)
- Fungal pathogens that exploit weakened defenses
Reduced Defensive Response – Unlike pines, which rely heavily on resin production, hardwoods have different defense mechanisms. Many produce wound-closing chemicals (like tyloses in oaks) or secondary metabolites (like phenols in maples) to resist decay and pest attack. When stressed by girdling roots, these defenses weaken, making the tree more vulnerable.