Bartlett arborist gets to root of Macon State’s tree problem; Macon, GA

Arborist gets to root of Macon State’s tree problem - Local & State - Macon.com:
Workers from Bartlett Tree Experts in Tucker spent hours Wednesday using air guns to aerate the soil underneath oak trees planted in the late 1960s.
After losing much of their canopy to the tornado, the trees have lost the ability to feed themselves, said Tyler Baxter, an arborist and Bartlett employee.
Baxter said aerating the roots and replacing mulch with manure will give the trees a better growing environment.
The work is being funded by a $20,000 grant from the Georgia Forestry Commission’s Urban & Community Forestry Grant program, according to a news release.

Under the grant’s terms, the Macon State College Foundation is providing matching funds.
Derrick Catlett, a groundskeeper at the college, said the campus lost an estimated 95 percent of its tree canopy, including about 3,900 trees to the tornado.
Catlett said workers have given priority to many of the oldest trees on campus, many planted when the college was first established.