About Tree Grates

Design and Material

• Your grate must let moisture and light into the root area below to allow normal soil evaporation to occur -- the grate's openings are typically 1/2-inch wide for this purpose. Although home grate installations are commonly circular and relatively small in circumference, you can conceivably install a grate with dimensions larger than 10-feet wide, if you have a large patio with busy foot traffic. Grates are constructed of heavy-duty materials, such as bronze, cast iron and aluminum. You can choose the material and grate design to complement your home's architecture while protecting your tree from root and trunk damage.

Grate Functionality

• One main grate function is reducing soil compaction. A busy patio or sidewalk with an open soil area for the tree is typically used as a thoroughfare -- compacted soil contributes to reduced ground air pockets and root suffocation. By surrounding your tree with a grate, the soil remains undisturbed and your roots have healthy access to soil moisture, air and nutrients. Using a large grate surrounding the tree also provides ample space for root spread. Your patio or sidewalk is not subject to cracking and lifting by spreading tree roots that often requires expensive replacement and repair.

Irrigation

• Protecting your tree roots with grates also makes irrigation easier, especially if it is a drip system. With a seeping water hose surrounding your tree's base, grates provide a barrier to foot traffic across your drip system -- you do not need to hide the hose under large mulch masses that may hinder soil moisture evaporation. Your watering is also exclusive to the tree. For example, using flowers or groundcover to surround and protect a tree takes critical nutrients and moisture away from the large, spreading roots. If you use a tree grate, you do not need to plant competing plants around the tree base. You effectively create a miniature ecosystem dedicated solely to the tree.

Tree Size Consideration

• Before installing any grate around your tree, verify that your tree's girth, or future diameter, will not outgrow the trunk opening. Trees that overgrow their existing grates are girdled, which contributes to widespread dieback from pathogen or pest infiltration. Allowing enough space between the grate opening and the trunk provides healthy room for vigorous growth.