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Unpopular take: I stopped air spading every root flare and trees are healthier
Been doing this for 12 years in Portland and I used to swear by air spading every single planting. Last spring I did a job where I left two oaks alone, just cleared the mulch manually and didn't touch the root flare. Turns out those oaks bounced back faster than the ones I air spaded, and the client paid me $150 less per tree. I found a 2019 study from Oregon State that said air spading can actually stress young roots if done too early, especially in clay soil. Now I only air spade when I see girdling roots or compacted layers deeper than 3 inches. Has anyone else seen this or am I the only one who's gone backwards on this?
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