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What to do when trees are ill? Trees will use their body to tell you whether they are ill or not.
Last December, the pine tree at the entrance of Xinshe Day Care Center (Xinshe Senior Citizens' Activity Center) in Taichung, had several withered, yellow, and fallen needle leaves. Ching-Fen Liu, who works at the center, was alerted after the discovery so she went online for help. This is how she came across Mrs. Feng-Chun Chan, an arborist. The tree doctor judged that the physical limitations of the environment surrounding the pine tree were the main problem, which in turn, prevented the tree’s roots from extending. Additionally, the hardening of the soil, as well as poor substrate, made it harder for the tree to get enough nutrients.
After obtaining the approval for construction in January, Chan's team cracked the concrete base of the pine tree, adjusted the soil, and replaced it with an air-pot so the pine tree could grow its roots quickly. Unexpectedly, in just over two months, the tree came back to life and returned to its green and lush appearance. When opening the air-pot to look, the newly grown roots were already about 8 cm long and were in healthy condition. The next task was to build a bigger flowerbed to give the pine tree a wider home. Furthermore, pruning the stray branches of the pine and the adjacent laurel tree provided better sunlight and ventilation.
In retrospect, by January 2022, the concrete flowerbed had been knocked out and was replaced with an air-pot to facilitate root growth. By April, the new roots of the pine tree were already 8 cm, and mycorrhizal fungi were also growing.
Without the use of drugs or fertilizers, Chan’s team gave the pine tree an ideal growing environment: enough growing space, suitable soil, good ventilation, and sunshine. The tree would then naturally show its will to survive.
The arborist, Feng-Chun Chan studied in Japan. She holds a master's degree in agronomy and forest botany from the Faculty of Agriculture from the University of Tokyo and a doctorate in urban engineering environmental design from the Faculty of Engineering. In addition to obtaining the Japanese arborist license, she is also a natural restoration promoter and a diagnostic and improvement engineer. This license makes her a one of a kind arborist with vast knowledge in both agronomy and engineering. In recent years, she has conducted large-scale treatment programs in Alishan, Yangmingshan and Fo Guang Shan.
In this episode, Mrs.Chan described her work as an arborist through her treatment of the pine tree at Xinshe Day Care Center and taught us the importance of a suitable environment for life to blossom.