Flooding is not only dangerous for your building and health, but it can also damage your trees. This is especially true if the floodwater stagnates over the trees' bases for a long time. Here are some of the specific ways in which stagnant water can hurt your trees' health:

Oxygen Depletion

Floodwater reduces the level of oxygen available for trees in several ways. For example, the water will occupy the spaces that usually hold air in the soil, driving out the air. Secondly, the water will also compact the soil and lower its capacity to hold air. It is also possible for the floodwater to deposit sediments and debris at the base of the tree, which compacts the soil further and increases the rate of oxygen depletion.

 This is dangerous because plants need oxygen to burn the food they manufacture into useful energy for growing. Therefore, your trees' growth will be hampered if they can't get adequate air.

Nutrient Depletion

It is not just oxygen that floodwater will drive out of the soil; the level of nutrients in the soil will also be affected. This is especially true with applied nutrients such as those from fertilizers or organic manure; the water will drive them deeper into the soil where the trees' roots can't reach. The waterlogging also reduces the rate of decomposition of organic matter in the soil, and it is their decomposition that enriches the soil with nutrients.

Increased Production of Dangerous Gases

As explained above, flooding interferes with the decomposition of organic materials in the soil. The decomposition of organic matter in waterlogged soils produces different by-products such as methane, ethanol, hydrogen sulfide, and carbon dioxide, among others. Some of these gases affect tree roots and interfere with their ability to draw air and nutrients from the soil.

Physical Damage to Tree Parts

Serious floodwater can also cause physical damage to your trees. For example, they can expose tree roots, uproot trees and damage tree barks. Such damages make the trees more susceptible to further damage such as attacks by diseases or storm damages. For example, a tree that has its roots exposed can easily be felled by a moderate storm.

Luckily, stagnant or flood water doesn't automatically spell doom for your trees. There are measures you can take to save the trees and get them growing healthy again. Draining away the water and providing nutrients (that the water may have leached away) are some of the first steps to take. A company like The Tree Lady Company can easily help you save such trees.

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