FAQ

How To Use TreeDiaper®


1. Which TreeDiaper® size should I use for my plant?

The most common mistakes we observed over the last 5 years is that people would choose a TreeDiaper® with the same diameter of the rootball. Our recommendation is that TreeDiaper® size should be roughly double of the rootball size. By doing so, it promotes the outward root growth, facilitates the establishment of the plant in the new environment, and enhances long term health of these plants.

But if you have a 15" or smaller rootball, we do not recommend the larger models (TD36 and TD48), which have 12" inner holes and designed for larger rootballs like 18" or larger. For rootball sizes that are much larger than 30", we recommend multiple units of TD48 to cover at least 12" of the surrounding soil outside of the rootball.

When undersized TreeDiaper® is used for trees, the effect may not appear immediately. We wrote a blog about a project done in 2018, where 36" TreeDiaper® (31-33" diameter when charged with water) was used on trees with 30" rootball. Three seasons later, the amount of root growth outside of the original rootball (different soil color) was minimal!

2. Should I place my TreeDiaper® treemat on top of mulch or under mulch?

Place TreeDiaper® on top of soil and make sure the bottom of TreeDiaper® touches soil surface. Apply mulch on top of TreeDiaper®. Placing TreeDiaper® treemats on top of mulch will reduce the water transportation efficiency. DO NOT put soil on top of TreeDiaper®! Soil particles would block the holes and prevent TreeDiaper® from catching rainwater. Fine particles in some mulch products will block rain too. We recommend use wood chips, pine straw and coarse structured mulch products.

3. Can I cover TreeDiaper® with soil?

Covering TreeDiaper® with fine-particle materials such as dirt, fine sand, and compost should be avoided, as they will block rain water from reaching TreeDiaper® and affect the functionality of TreeDiaper®.

4. How do I recharge the TreeDiaper® Advanced Hydration System?

The best method is to allow rain and snow to naturally refill your TreeDiaper®. You can also recharge your TreeDiaper® in bucket overnight or for 5 hours. We recommend customers install TreeDiaper® 2 months before rainy season is over for the best results.
You can also use a water hose on TreeDiaper® for 15 minutes, but keep in mind that our product does not absorb water as quickly as the water hose dispenses it, so this may not fill your TreeDiaper® completely. Most of the water will run off when you use a water hose. Recharging TreeDiaper® in bucket or watering it for 2 minutes a day for a week will work better than a 15-minute block of watering. If your region is in severe and long-term drought, you may use drip irrigation in combination with TreeDiaper®. It saves much more water than drip irrigation alone and will help you to catch some rainfall during the rainy season.

Depending on how it is handled, soaking in buckets may cause a lot of damage. So we developed a new way to recharge TreeDiaper treemats: Build a berm (or dish, saucer, well) around the TreeDiaper treemats and fill the berm with water. Here is a video about this method: https://youtu.be/UBjh4Mx1WkE

5. Can I use half a TreeDiaper® 36 on one tree and expect it to work as advertised?

This is not recommended. Using only part of our product will result in an uneven soil moisture distribution; the product will not work as intended. However, some planting situations such as plants against a wall may not allow placing two halves. And strategic placement of TreeDiaper® for special purposes is possible and is further explained in the next FAQ section.

6. Can I use TreeDiaper® to strategically promote root growth to one direction for wind damage protection in high wind area?

We first received this question from Maggie and Tom, two consulting arborists from Montana. Tom and Maggie hoped to promote root growth in the direction from which wind came primarily. Longer roots in that direction would help to stabilize trees against the wind. We believe that this goal could be achieved and would work best with the 4-piece TD48 (or multiples of TD48) by arranging the pieces in a configuration to provide more water resources on the preferred side.

7. When should I place the TreeDiaper® around trees?

The best time to install TreeDiaper® is the time of planting the tree, regardless of the season. If trees are already planted, it is recommended to install as soon as possible.

We understand most people don't even think about watering their plants before they are already in a drought. That is how watering bags were used, which actually is the best way to use a watering bag. When you do have rain, watering bags are not the best for your plants: see how this tree almost got killed by watering bags in the middle of 2.5" rain in 4 days.

TreeDiaper® is not another watering bag that would shed rainwater away from the rootball. Because of the rain harvesting feature of TreeDiaper®, it works best to harvest the rain when you still have it.

TreeDiaper® is designed for younger trees but it can be used with plants of all sizes and ages. For a dry TreeDiaper®, we recommend installing it two months before rainy season is over so that it can be charged with natural rainfall. It is best to fill the TreeDiaper® with water by soaking it in a bucket before placing it on your plants, especially if you are installing it during a dry season.

8. Can I retrofit my tree planting project?

Yes, it has been done many times. This case study was a retrofitting project. Trees were planted in the winter of 2012-13 or the spring of 2013; TreeDiaper® treemats were used to replace watering bags in August 2013. Mulch was not applied originally, so we added mulch to the top of the TreeDiaper® after damages from a lawn mower were spotted.
If mulch is already in place, please remove mulch first, then place TreeDiaper® on top of soil. Be careful to not place soil on top of TreeDiaper®, which may block rainwater from reaching water absorbing pellets inside the TreeDiaper® treemats. Fine particles in some mulch products will block rain too. We recommend use wood chips, pine straw and coarse structured mulch products.

9. What should I do with the TreeDiaper® after the growing season?

Leave them outdoors; there is no need to take them inside. The rainy/snow season in many parts of North America will charge your TreeDiaper® so they will be prepared for spring time.

10. Can I use the TreeDiaper® in combination with other irrigation methods?

Definitely; it saves even more water when coupled with irrigation. Check out our nursery field tests to learn more.

11. Should I take the TreeDiaper® indoors during freezing temperatures?

No, freezing and thawing won’t cause any damage. We have used TreeDiaper® year-round since 2013 in central Virginia area without encountering any problems.
In Richmond, there are quite a few winters with single digit temperatures. It is not like the -30s in Midwest. But guess what, a warmer ice has larger volume than a colder ice with the same mass. In another way to say it, H2O expands when it freezes, but it doesn't expand more when temperature gets colder. So the -30s temperatures in Midwest is not going to cause more damage than the freezing temperature in Richmond Va.

We highly recommend leaving TreeDiaper outdoor so that it can charge with melting snow and ice water. It can protect tree roots from winter damage. And it can also promote root growth during winter time. Yes, trees grow roots in winter time.

Additionally, winter drought may kill your deciduous tree without a sign. By the time you notice it, it is too late. Leaving TreeDiaper® outdoor helps to prevent winter drought damages.

12. Can I apply fertilizers on top of TreeDiaper®?

It depends on the type of fertilizer. Burying fertilizers in soil under TreeDiaper® is not an issue. Most organic fertilizers are fine. Here are some individual fertilizers that may be considered:
N: Urea (the largest agricultural nitrogen fertilizer) such as Ammonium and Ammonium Nitrate are fine.
P: mono-ammonium phosphate, di-ammonium phosphate and ammonium phosphate. At high concentration, it may temporarily reduce water holding capacity but functionality will return quickly.
K: Potassium Chloride, Potassium Sulfate, and Potassium Nitrate. At high concentration, it may temporarily reduce water holding capacity but functionality will return quickly.
Try to avoid fertilizers or additives containing metal ions other than Group I (Alkali Metals) such as Aluminum, Iron, Calcium, Magnesium, which are common in many mixed type fertilizers.

13. The center hole seems too small for palm trees; can TreeDiaper® be used for palm trees?

Yes, but we do not recommend smaller models of TreeDiaper® products for palm trees because of the relatively larger caliper compared to other plants of the same crown size. The larger models (TD36 and TD48) come in multiple pieces that can go around the large trunk easily. The TreeDiaper® 36 treemats are made of two halves and they can be separately placed around the palm trees. TreeDiaper® TD48 treemats consist of 4 quarters and can be placed around the root system of palm trees of any size. We recommend covering not only the rootball, but also the larger area beyond the rootball to encourage outward root growth.

14. How often do I need to recharge TreeDiaper®?

The best way to determine when to recharge or water your tree is to let the soil moisture tell you. How frequently you need to recharge your TreeDiaper® will vary depending on the water consumption of the tree roots and the weather. If your region has much less precipitation, we recommend you check on your tree every two weeks. Generally, TreeDiaper® only needs to be watered once every month if there is less than one inch of rain.
Mr. Gordon Mann (RCA# 480), who has been recommending TreeDiaper® to his clients since 2016, suggests California customers to get 25-33% extra TreeDiaper products and keep them soaked in containers. Send crews to swap dried ones with soaked ones every two to three weeks. TreeDiaper® also works well with drip or sprinkler irrigation systems which can help save water.

Depending on how it is handled, soaking in buckets may cause a lot of damage. So we developed a new way to recharge TreeDiaper treemats: Build a berm (or dish, saucer, well) around the TreeDiaper treemats and fill the berm with water. Here is a video about this method: https://youtu.be/UBjh4Mx1WkE

For most east coast customers, we have field tests in Central Virginia that have never been manually recharged after the first day. Check out this case study.

The year of 2022 was a record low rainfall year for Texas and the Houston area was in drought for almost the whole year. A landscape architect managed to water his tree twice for the year without irrigation system. Check out this case study.

15. What size should I choose for my tree? What is the basis of your size recommendations?

Please refer to the product page for recommendations for each product.
For container plants, it is typically limited by the diameter of the container.

For in ground plants, if you know the rootball size, then the recommended TreeDiaper® diameter should be double of the rootball diameter. In this way, at least half of rootball is covered for the plant's immediate watering need. Then TreeDiaper ®covers a large area surrounding the rootball to promote healthy outward root growth. If the information of rootball is unknown, then we recommend TreeDiaper® sizes based on the caliper:

Tree Caliper-----------TreeDiaper®
0.25-0.75"--------------TD18
0.5-1"-------------------TD20
0.75-1.5"---------------TD24
1-3"---------------------TD36
2-4"---------------------TD48
4" or Larger------------Multiple units of TD48

Please consider the growth of the trees during the first three years, which is the establishment stage. The larger the tree, the longer it takes to establish.

16. Why won't my TreeDiaper® charge to full capacity?

The water absorbing pellets in the TreeDiaper® may have different absorbency in waters of different hardness and different amount of dissolved solids. The designed capacity is based on rainwater; rainwater is a soft type of water and can be attained naturally. Harder water from municipal water sources, ground water, surface water, reclaimed water affect the charging capacity. However, most of the time, dissolved solids in water only affect capacity temporarily. After the dissolved solids are washed away, TreeDiaper® products may be recharged to capacity again by natural precipitation. Occasionally, irrigation or surface water may contain some dissolved salts that would permanently reduce the capacity.

You can check your water hardness on USGS website:
https://water.usgs.gov/owq/hardness-alkalinity.html
If you are using groundwater, this link takes you to a USGS water hardness study on domestic wells.

17. How long do the TreeDiaper® treemat last?

It depends on a lot of factors, such as sun exposure, mechanical damages from lawn equipment, salt application, foot traffic in the area etc. But when covered with mulch, it may last 3-5 years.

We found some has 25-30% capacity 6 years after installation. It was in a park in Hanover County Va. There was no mechanical damages, and there was little or no mulch on top for the last 4 of the 6 years.

At the end of the life, you can choose to recycle them as #5 type plastics.

Can TreeDiaper® Be Used For My Unique Needs?


18. Can TreeDiaper® survive a wild fire?

A Californian arborist first asked this question during 2018 ASCA annual conference. We ran some tests with a propane torch:
Shortened Version
Full length
A dry TreeDiaper® will burn because the fabric is made of polypropylene. For the charged TreeDiaper®, fire and heat damaged the top fabric, but the water absorbing pellets didn't burn. TreeDiaper® will help protect the lower part of tree trunk and tree roots from getting too hot. It will give them a better chance of surviving and bouncing back. While we do not know how this test compares to wildfires in California, by looking at the pictures of the most recent wide fire, the damage is more significant than what we can test with a propane torch.

19. Can TreeDiaper® offer winter protection for roots?

We have received this question from consulting arborists wondering whether TreeDiaper® would protect roots from winter damage. The answer is yes! In a winter blizzard in 2014, we measured the soil temperature at 3" deep. It remained above 40 F all the time, even when the air temperature dropped down to single digits.
In addition, winter weather won't hurt TreeDiaper® at all. It freezes and thaws without damaging the functionality of TreeDiaper®.

20. Can I use a larger TreeDiaper® to not only cover the rootball, but also cover the surrounding soil to promote healthy root growth?

Yes, this is one of the many recommended ways of using TreeDiaper®. We recommend TreeDiaper® diameter be roughly double the rootball diameter. By watering the surrounding soil, it promotes root growth outward. For a newly planted tree, “establishment” means new roots have extended into the surrounding soil of the new environment. TreeDiaper® will help speed up establishment of newly planted trees.
Watering only the rootball or dumping water onto the rootball is a bad practice because it promotes circular root growth or enhances existing circular root growth.

21. The inner hole seems too small and is touching the trunk of the tree. How can move it away from the trunk?

The single piece TreeDiaper® products are meant for very small trees. If the right size of TreeDiaper® is chosen, there should be plenty of space between TreeDiaper® and tree trunk. For example, the TreeDiaper® 24 treemat has a 4” inner hole. It is only recommended for a tree of 1” caliper. The typical rootball size of such trees is about 10-15" diameter. TD24 will cover portion of the rootball, and a large portion of surrounding soil.

We are strongly against using TreeDiaper® to cover only the rootball, unless it is in a container. Promoting healthy outward root growth is one of major advantages of TreeDiaper® over other products such as watering bags. Even after the tree grows to a 4” caliper, the TreeDiaper® can be pushed back naturally without wrapping around the tree trunk.
This particular question first came from a person who thought the 24” TreeDiaper® meant for a tree with 24” rootball, which typically has 2-3” caliper. For trees of 2-3” caliper, we recommend TD36 and TD48, which have 12” inner holes and are made of more than one piece so that they can be placed further away from the tree trunk.

For multistem trees and shrubs, placing the single-piece models (TD24 and smaller) can be hard. In that case, we recommend TD36 or TD48. These two models are made of multiple pieces, which make it easy to put around the trunk. If the rootball is smaller than 12" (the inner hole of the TD36 and TD48), one can overlap the pieces to make the center hole smaller so that part of the rootball can be covered.

22. What is the water release rate?

It depends on the temperature, humidity, wind, and many other factors. In our laboratory tests, TreeDiaper® usually lasted about 45 days before drying out.

23. How much water can TreeDiaper® products can hold?

It depends on the size of the product. TreeDiaper® has a 0.3-30 gallon capacity with dimensions of 10 inches to 48 inches. Do not compare this volume of water to the volume in other watering methods as the water use efficiency is much different.
The water in the TreeDiaper® is slowly released to plant roots. It increases water use efficiency. In addition, the losses are minimized with reduced evaporation, less competition, less percolation loss, and reduced runoff.

24. My city uses watering bags for our trees but we do not have enough labor to regularly refill the bags. Can we solely rely on rainwater with TreeDiaper®?

It depends on how much rainfall you have in your region. In one of our case studies from Virginia, roadside trees installed with TreeDiaper® went for many years without watering. All are still alive, as of May 2018. During this five-year period, there were several seasonal drought conditions, which killed all the trees in the next block, which was captured by Google Maps Streetside Image.
If your region has much less precipitation, we recommend that you check on your trees every two weeks, but it is likely that you will only need to water them once every month, even if there is less than one inch of rain.

25. I am planting trees in a remote area without a water source or an irrigation system. How often should I water them?

Depending on the evaporation rate and rainfall in your area, you may want to check once every two weeks to make sure the soil is moist. If the soil gets dry, water them with a watering truck for 15 minutes.

26. How can I determine what size I should choose for my trees or plants?

We typically make recommendations based on the trunk diameter (caliper) because it is generally used by growers to refer a tree size. It depends more on the diameter of the rootball, which is more difficult to determine. The basic concept is to cover part of the rootball and then cover a larger area of soil surrounding the rootball. In this way, the rootball will receive water for the immediate needs of the tree. The surrounding soil is also watered to promote outward root growth.
TreeDiaper® diameter should be twice the rootball diameter.
The rootball size and caliper of trees are not closely correlated but there are some general rules about it. For example, UFL has a chart about the estimated rootball size for trees of different caliper: https://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/woody/root-ball-dimension-chart.shtml.

It is very common that a tree is planted in a very limited space, especially for urban forestry and roadside plantings (Right of Way “ROW”). In this case, we recommend the largest possible TreeDiaper® size for the space. Same suggestion for container plants, where TreeDiaper® sizes are limited by the opening diameter of the container.

27. The amount of water does not seem enough for a newly planted trees. How can I ensure trees receive enough water, especially during the first month after being planted?

The conventional methods of watering trees (including using watering bags) do not account for runoff water, evaporation and weed competition. Dumping water on the root ball makes the growing conditions like those in a container and in a nursery. Trees are not encouraged to grow roots outward into the surrounding environment to find water. TreeDiaper® Advanced Hydration System reduces runoff, reduces evaporation, eliminates competition, and encourages outward root growth. With all these features combined, we found trees are able to to survive seasonal droughts without watering or with very little watering.

28. I have tried hydrogels before, but they were ineffective. How is TreeDiaper® different from the conventional use of hydrogels?

The biggest difference between the typical method of using hydrogels and TreeDiaper® is that our product reduces storm-water/irrigation water runoff. Conventionally, hydrogels are mixed into the soil. For surface irrigation methods and natural precipitation, water has to penetrate a certain depth of soil before reaching hydrogel particles, so it does not reduce runoff. Hydrogels increase soil moisture, but only when there is enough water in the first place (recent rainfall, irrigation), which defeats the purpose. Hydrogels in soil neither reduce evaporation nor eliminates weed competition. Sometimes, hydrogels can compete with plant for moisture, like desiccants.
TreeDiaper® Advanced Hydration System uses hydrogels to catch, store and slowly release water back to root system. It does not compete with root for moisture. Instead, it releases water into soil so that the plant can use it.

29. We have heavy, clay soil in our region and we have a lot of problems with root rot due to poor drainage. Will TreeDiaper® cause more root rot problems with the extra water absorbed in TreeDiaper®?

TreeDiaper® won't solve the drainage issue in heavy clay soils as TreeDiaper® is placed on top of soil but it can mitigate some of the root rot problems by absorbing the excess water that is not drained off quickly and reducing the amount of water in the soil. TreeDiaper® will be able to absorb excess water until it is fully filled with water.
If the drainage issue is due to topological features on the ground, we recommend creation of drainage channels or tunnels to let the excess standing water out. If the poor drainage issue is due to the intrinsic feature of clay soil, TreeDiaper® can be a great resource as mentioned above.

30. How well is moisture retained in sandy soil?

Moisture retention by TreeDiaper® is the best among all different types of irrigation technologies. Because the water stored in TreeDiaper® is not free flowing and is not in the porous sandy soil, the loss to subsurface is minimized.
Below are five reasons why we claim TreeDiaper® is the best irrigation technology for sandy soil:
1. Slow release of water => Minimizes percolation loss
2. Reduced evaporation => Dries slower from top
3. Rainwater harvesting => Self recharging whenever there is precipitation
4. Weed control => Reduces loss through competition
5. Waters not only the rootball, but also the surrounding soil => Healthy outward root growth => Faster establishment.

31. Does TreeDiaper® work on a slope?

Yes, it is the best watering method for plants on a slope. The problem with slope is that water runs off too quickly. With the super slow release function, it does not give water in a free flowing form, so you will lose less water because of the slope.

32. How does the water come out of TreeDiaper®? Or How TreeDiaper® release water?

Water releasing mechanism of TreeDiaper® is different from any other irrigation technologies. Watering bags release water by gravity and they control the releasing rate by the size and number of the pin holes. Drip irrigation system controls the releasing rate by water pressure as well as the size the number of emitters.

Gravity driven water release from TreeDiaper® accounts for a very small percentage. Based on our study, it is the third place behind another two ways of water release: Osmosis and Vapor-Liquid equilibrium.

Osmosis is what we know the main water release mechanism. In a simpler way to describe it, the dried soil pull water out of TreeDiaper®. As a result, when there is too much water in the soil, it would travel back up into TreeDiaper®.
Yes, TreeDiaper® reduce the soil moisture when the soil is too wet! None of the other irrigation technologies do that. This is also the reason we recommend our customers to make sure TreeDiaper® bottom layer in contact with soil. When people place TreeDiaper® on top of mulch, the effect is significantly reduced.

Vapor-Liquid Equilibrium is the second way of water release. On a super hot summer day under direct sun exposure, it may outplay the Osmosis. This is how it works: In the small cavities between TreeDiaper® and soil surface, the humidity is at almost 100% due to the presence of the water in the watering absorbing pellets and it is constantly in vapor-liquid equilibrium. When the soil is dry and cool, the vapor would condense onto the surface of the soil, just like the dew on leaves of plants and fog on your windshield when you have AC on in summer. When the moisture in the soil is taken up by the roots, more water will be evaporated off from the water absorbing pellets to replenish the space. Like the osmosis, this is reversible when the ground is warmer and wetter.

Of course, when people place TreeDiaper® on top of mulch, Vapor-Liquid Equilibrium becomes the predominant way of water releasing. And also because the larger cavities in between mulch pieces, it is not very effective.

An interesting fact related to the vapor-liquid equilibrium: One American Society of Consulting Arborist (ASCA) member pointed out that condensation under concrete sidewalk is one of the reasons small tree roots tend to grow there. When the roots hit the opposite side, it grows much faster and causes the damages to the sidewalks.

33. I held TreeDiaper® under a running faucet for 5 minutes. It didn’t fill up with water. Why?

TreeDiaper® wasn't designed to catch water from a faucet or hose. TreeDiaper® was designed to catch raindrops during rainfall and melted water from snow.
Here is calculation of inches of water per unit area of a water hose compared to a rainfall.
To recharge faster than a typical rainfall, one can place in a bucket or container for 5-12 hours. Warm or hot water can will speed the process up slightly. This is known fastest way to charge TreeDiaper®.

34. Can TreeDiaper® provide deep watering that is needed by trees?

Yes, we demonstrated this in our tabletop test here.
This is what we observed. Soil penetration speed is dependent on the soil type. In clay soil, it is faster because the pores are smaller (it takes less water to fill the gaps). In sandy soil, it is slower (bigger pore sizes and it takes more water to fill). In both cases, the moisture reached deeper than 6" within 2 days.
We also have customer endorsement regarding this particular question.

How To Manage Damage


35. Does TreeDiaper® hold enough water for my plant?

It depends on a lot of factors like soil type, site, slope, rainfall, and surrounding vegetation of the particular location. In Central Virginia, we have had field tests on road medians and in parks since June 2013 where we never watered the trees after the first day. There were drought periods where there was only 0.25” rain at the site over a time period of 7 weeks.
We monitored the soil moisture, which is the best indicator of whether tree needs watering or not. In our case studies in central Virginia, the soil moisture has never reached a below 3 (on a scale of 1-10 with 1 being bone-dry and 10 be soaking wet), so we never need to water them. In this case study, we recorded soil moisture for a long period of time. In another case study, we looked at the signs of stress during a 5-week drought.
We understand there are many water prescriptions across the continent telling people how many gallons of water per day. We discussed this with Professor Gilman (University of Florida), whose work is the mostly cited by these water prescriptions. The water prescriptions do not take account of evaporation, runoff, weed competition and other losses that reduce watering efficiency. TreeDiaper® technology offers much higher watering efficiency by reducing runoff, evaporation and weeds.
For western US, customers who worry about watering amount in TreeDiaper® may choose larger sizes or place more than one units around each tree to ensure there is enough water and reduce the frequency of watering (or swapping dried TreeDiaper® with soaked ones).

36. What if a lawnmower or edger cuts open a TreeDiaper®?

Unless it cut wide open and all the water absorbing materials are gone, it should still function to a certain degree. Slightly damaged TreeDiaper® products will provide the majority of the functions. You may cover a damaged TreeDiaper® with mulch and continue using it.

37. How should I treat leaked pellets?

Mix leaked pellets up with soil. They are agricultural grade and will do no harm to the environment.

Special Situations


38. Why did you choose to call your product "TreeDiaper®?"

Lots of people tell us our product's name is silly! The truth is, we chose "TreeDiaper®" because of our dedication to developing new ways to keep the planet green. Did you know baby diapers are currently not recyclable? Think of how much waste this contributes to landfills!
Our founder, Hailing Yang, used this as her inspiration. TreeDiaper® is made from similar materials to baby diapers, so we hope to use our technology to recycle baby diapers in the future, thus eliminating waste. In fact, special versions of TreeDiaper® products made with recycled baby diaper materials are available.

39. Isn't it illegal to collect rainwater?

In the United States, it is not illegal to collect rainwater with TreeDiaper®. Only a couple states in the USA have laws regarding rainwater collection, the most restrictive being Colorado. None of regulations apply to the manner in which TreeDiaper® catches, stores and uses rainwater; restrictions are concerned with rain barrel collection in large quantities, exceeding 110 gallons. If you are concerned, we recommend checking with your particular area.

40. On hot and sunny summer days, will the TreeDiaper® cook my tree?

Unlike watering bags, we recommended TreeDiaper® to be buried under mulch and not exposed to sunlight. Therefore, it will not heat up much. TreeDiaper® also serves as a heat sink for the tree root system which prevents root damage. Similarly, it protects tree roots in harsh winter weather.

41. With higher soil moisture, does it increase fungi-related problems like root rot?

In our field tests in central Virginia, we did not notice fungi-related problems. In wet and warm weather, mushrooms are seen everywhere, but there are no fungi-related problems underneath TreeDiaper®. We also have not experienced any problems with bugs.

42. Can tree roots breathe with TreeDiaper® covered on top? Or will TreeDiaper® cause Root Rot problem?

Yes, roots can get oxygen through TreeDiaper® because there are air pockets and air tunnels in TreeDiaper®. It allows oxygen to flow naturally. Root rot may have many causes: fungi infection or lack of oxygen. But the main cause is poorly drained or overwatered soils. Soggy soil or standing water drown roots and dying roots invite fungi. The air pockets and air tunnels exist in TreeDiaper® because the water is kept in the watering absorbing pellets. Unlike a continuous body of water (e.g. reservoir), the gaps in between the irregular-shaped pellets allows air to go through. It helps to mitigate the root rot problem. In addition, when right sized TreeDiaper® is used, it doesn’t wet the trunk of the tree, which is the most sensitive area for root rot fungi.

43. Would tree roots grow to the surface to seek water from TreeDiaper®? And will this cause potential girdling root problems?

Trees (and most other plants) grow roots to seek water and food. And it is one reason why mulch volcanoes (which can cause girdling roots among other bad consequences) is a problem for many trees. We have not observed any problems with TreeDiaper® and girdling roots. Here is the observations and explanations.
The depth of water in the soil varies based on soil profile. Typically the TreeDiaper® is installed on newly planted trees for a brief period of time to assist in the transplant establishment. If the correct size unit is used, the TreeDiaper® provides water to the tree roots in the root ball (as received from the nurseries) and moisture to the surrounding area which will promote growth outward to this resource. By watering the surrounding soil, no new girdling roots will be induced. It also promotes and facilitates the newly planted trees to adapt to the new environment, leading to a faster establishment.
Tree grows roots toward water AND nutrients. During extreme drought conditions, trees may grow roots only for water. Because TreeDiaper® allows deep watering, trees can get both nutrients and water in the soil.

Compacted soil may prevent deep root growth just like how trees like to grow roots under concrete sidewalks. TreeDiaper® treemats would not solve the soil compaction problems. However, TreeDiaper® treemats do protect and promote earth worms and earth worms can help to loosen compacted soils. Check out this video on youtube.

44. Will animals chew on TreeDiaper® for water?

We have never witnessed this and do not believe it would be a large issue. But most of our early field tests are in east coast and we think animals can always find better source of water. For drier part of the country (and the rest of the world), the chances are higher for a thirsty animals to chew on TreeDiaper® for water. If this happens, it has low toxicity. The animal test are: LD50 (Oral, Rat), >5000 mg/kg; LD50 (Dermal, Rabbit), >2000 mg/kg. Regarding the TreeDiaper®, it won't be too much different than being cut open by a lawn mower or weed eater, unless animals eat all the water absorbing particles. When these damages occur, simply cover with some mulch and TreeDiaper® continue does its job, but probably not at 100%!

45. Are TreeDiaper® products biodegradable?

TreeDiaper® products are not certified biodegradable. There is no biodegradable material that can meet the need for tree establishment. Newly planted trees require 2-3 years of watering to establish. However, materials have to biodegrade within 12 months to get certified as biodegradable. TreeDiaper® products made with bio-based materials will be launched in the future.

46. Will degrading products in TreeDiaper® hurt my plants?

The materials used in TreeDiaper® are agricultural grade materials. The absorbent material is made of ammonium and potassium based materials. These products will become food for plants.

47. Is TreeDiaper® made from recycled diaper materials?

We have limited quantity of TreeDiaper® products made from recycled diaper materials. They are available upon special request. The majority of the products are not made from recycled materials.
When we first started the company, our goal was to recycle baby diapers. We quickly realized that nobody would buy the sanitized, cleaned and dried materials recycled from baby diapers. So TreeDiaper® products were developed to consume these materials. Currently, off shelf materials are used currently to meet the demand, while recycling baby diapers remains as a long-term goal.

48. I don't like your product's name because it includes the word "diaper." Can I buy TreeDiaper® under a different name?

Absolutely! While most people find the name to be uniquely memorable, you can also buy TreeDiaper® under the name SteadySpring®!

49. Does the use of TreeDiaper® products revoke my USDA Organic certification?

It does not. According to the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances in the USDA organic regulations, synthetic materials are allowed. The section that fits TreeDiaper® garden mat or tree mat the best is §205.601(b)(2)(ii), "(ii) Plastic mulch and covers (petroleum-based other than polyvinyl chloride (PVC))". So it should not revoke your USDA organic certification.

TreeDiaper® products do not contain any PVC components. So it does not affect your USDA organic certification.

50. The pictures on TreeDiaper.com show the TreeDiaper® treemats are fully charged. Why mine doesn't look like that?

Suggested by a photographer, most of our pictures were taken right after they were charged full in collected rainwater. And the designed capacity is based on the rainwater, where the least amount of dissolved minerals can be found. The dissolved minerals is one of the reasons that TreeDiaper® may not charge up to full capacity. Most other water sources such as tap water, lake, stream, ground water, and reclaimed waste water contain a higher levels of dissolved minerals, some of which contributes to the better known term: water hardness.

Other than right after initial charge, we rarely see our TreeDiaper® fully charged. You can see that from most pictures on our social media accounts, which are updated more often. Actually, you do not want your TreeDiaper® to be fully charged all the time. This video explains why: https://youtu.be/NaDh3q2TKag. Main water release is by osmosis. Osmosis is a two way road, meaning water can be pulled out of soil when soil is too wet and drier soil would pull water out of TreeDiaper® faster than wetter soil. When you do have a fully charged one for a long time, you might have an oversaturated soil that does not pull water out AND keep charging TreeDiaper®.

In addition, different soil types, composition, compaction may affect the rate of water being pulled out of TreeDiaper®.

Very hard water (180+ppm of Calcium carbonate) and most reclaimed waste water may reduce the capacity by 50% or more. Most of the times, a rainy season would recover most of the capacity.

51. It is very hard to spread the water-absorbing pellets evenly. What is your suggestion?

Spreading the pellets evenly is part of the dry installation instruction. It is only recommended for tree planting events that are at least two months before the growing season AND while they still have the rainfall. If you do not have at least 2 months of the rainy season left before the growing season, we do not recommend dry installation.

If you have difficulty spreading the dry pellets around, at least make sure they are not in a corner. The water-absorbing pellets would have to push themselves a long way to fill the treemat up. Alternatively, soaking in water briefly (at least 20 minutes) will increase the volume by 10 times. That will make the spreading easy.

Inventory, Shipping, Return Policy, and Warranty


52. One of your product is listed as out of stock. When will you restock them?

We typically update the online inventory weekly. But you can send us an email at [email protected] to get information sooner.
If one product has been listed as out of stock to more than 2 months, it is likely we have discontinued that model.

53. What is the shipping rate?

We offer free ground shipping to the lower 48 states of USA for orders $100 or more. For smaller orders, we offer a flat rate at $5.99 for orders of less than $100. Shipping to all the other locations are done case-by-case and by quotes.
Express shipping rates is calculated based on the address and how fast you would like to receive the products.

54. What is your return policy? Do you offer warranties?

Please check the Return and Privacy Policies for more information: https://treediaper.com/xlc/downloads/Return_and_Privacy_Policies.pdf.

55. What do I choose, arborist chips or double shredded hardwood mulch?

We highly recommend arborist chips over any other mulch products. First, most tree care companies would simply give the arborist chips to you free of charge. Second, its coarse structure allows water and air to get to roots easier. So it is less likely to form a hydrophobic mulch layer that blocks rain and oxygen.





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