Oak Wilt Trenching

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We install suppression trenches for oak wilt to help stop disease movement.

The first step in oak wilt trenching is to identify a disease border with plans of installing the trench a minimum of 100ft from the active disease. Cutting too close to disease will increase chances of trench failure so placement is key. When enclosure trenches are not possible due to infrastructure or property boundaries, doglegs and other measures should be put in place to help prevent future breakouts. Trees left on the "bad side" of the trench should be treated or cleared to help minimize the amount of time disease is present in the area and prevent delayed challenging of the trench path.

Oak wilt trenches should be cut at a minimum depth of 48" to help stop movement through root graft into new areas of a property. We cut at a depth of 52" to exceed the minimum standard and help increase the success rates of our trenches. Trenches are monitored for root depth issues and backfilled immediately. Topography and soil composition may create concerns for deep root issues and areas of a trench may be flagged for further excavation. Trenches should be reassessed at 4-5 years and may need to be refreshed if disease is still challenging sections of the path.