Taking care of your landscaping trees requires more than personal effort; it requires a little knowledge and understanding, too. A fundamental part of learning about tree care is knowing a tree’s critical root zone. A critical root zone, or CRZ, is essentially an imaginary boundary surrounding the base of a tree. Although the perimeter is imaginary, the meaning and importance is very real.

Measuring CRZ

The imaginary boundary mentioned above should start at the drip line of a tree. This is where the water drips from the borders of the tree’s canopy. Imagine an open umbrella with water pouring on top. The circle of water created around the umbrella is similar to a tree’s drip line. For thinner trees, it is best to imagine the dripline a little farther out just to be sure all roots are taken into account.

Rather than locating (or guessing) a tree’s dripline, you can simply measure it yourself by hand. To measure your tree’s CRZ, start with some simple math. Measure the diameter of the tree trunk, and then multiply that number by 1.5. Here is an example:

Tree Trunk Diameter = 24 inches
Critical Root Zone = 1.5 ft2
MATH: 24 x 1.5 = 36
CRZ Radius = 36 feet

When measuring your tree trunk, start at an area that is 5 feet from the base. This is a more accurate measurement of the trunk diameter. Another way to find the tree trunk diameter is to measure the circumference of the tree trunk and multiply it by 3.14 (pi). Here is an example:

Trunk Circumference = 76.36 feet
Critical Root Zone = 1.5 ft2
MATH: 75.36/3.14 = 24
Tree Trunk Diameter = 24 inches

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