• Gardening Tips
  • Growing Plants
  • Landscaping Ideas
  • Garden Furniture
  • Garden Shop
No Result
View All Result
Gardening Tips 'n Ideas
  • Gardening Tips
  • Growing Plants
  • Landscaping Ideas
  • Garden Furniture
  • Garden Shop
No Result
View All Result
Gardening Tips 'n Ideas
No Result
View All Result

Intruding Tree Roots And How to Remove Them

October 22, 2009 - Updated on November 8, 2021
in Gardening Tips
Reading Time: 2 mins read
Intruding tree roots and how to remove them
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Tree roots rarely rate a mention in gardens until they begin to intrude into areas that they shouldn’t. Places like your sewer pipes, under neighbouring fences and lifting pathways is when they become nuisances. While you may have enjoyed the tree for aeons, or inherited it when you bought the property, suddenly it becomes a problem when they expose their roots or begin rising to the surface.

The best defence is always preparation. Selecting trees that have a history of shallow or exposed roots is fine provided you know where they can go in the garden without disturbing infastructure. Keeping them away from fences, walls, paths, septic tanks and sewer pipes is all common sense but easy to miss in the excitement of planting a new tree.

Once the problem of exposed tree roots has surfaced (pun intentional!) it can be just a matter of trimming some of them in order to keep the issue under control. If ignored the problems may become exacerbated and in some situations begin to cost you enormously.

How to remove tree roots

The best way to stop intruding tree roots is to stop them in their tracks as soon as you notice their growth path. Then it’s a simple matter of cutting them back so that won’t continue the track they’re currently heading. Obviously, cutting tree roots back to the trunk is going to to prove problematic, especially if you plan removing one side completely.

Tree roots are the anchor for the tree’s trunk so removing any of them is a balancing act – literally – and can be fraught with peril should you make the wrong move. First, start by digging a trench 1ft in (provided it’s a large tree) from the tree’s drip-line (where the leaves end). This should uncover any serious threats and at this point it is safe enough to trim the tree’s roots without harming the tree itself.

While the trench is still open it may help to install some barrier that will impinge on the tree root’s further growth. You may even want to consider realigning any pipes that the roots are headed for or paths that might be in its future trajectory.

Removing tree roots is not a solve-all solution. Trees have a habit of growing, as do their roots, and over time the tree will continue its growing journey even where it was cut back. Therefore, cutting its roots will be an exercise that’s required every few years or so just to keep them under control.

Whatever you do, never cut tree roots back to the trunk. This will make it completely unstable and susceptible to disease, or death and could result in it toppling over and doing even more damage. If the only way to fix the problem is to cut the roots that close to the trunk then it might be time to call in the professionals to remove it altogether.

Source: Photo by Miek Schenk
Previous Post

The Easy Way to Grow Broad Beans

Next Post

Finding a Chiminea For Your Garden

RelatedPosts

A Single Garden Bed: Better Than A King-Size?
Gardening Tips

A Single Garden Bed: Better Than A King-Size?

November 27, 2013 - Updated on October 21, 2021
Cockroach Control –  How to Keep Cockroaches out of Your Garden and Home
Gardening Tips

Cockroach Control – How to Keep Cockroaches out of Your Garden and Home

July 12, 2012 - Updated on October 21, 2021
Michelle Obama
Gardening Tips

Michelle Obama’s Top 10 Gardening Facts

June 28, 2012 - Updated on October 21, 2021
Gardening Tips

How To STOP Cats Pooping in the Garden

June 20, 2012 - Updated on November 5, 2021
Gardening Tips

Are You A Nuisance Gardener?

June 6, 2012 - Updated on November 5, 2021
Landscape Fabric
Gardening Tips

Landscape Fabric | 5 Weed Barrier Options to Consider

May 30, 2012 - Updated on November 10, 2021
Next Post
Finding a chiminea for your garden

Finding a Chiminea For Your Garden

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You might also like

A Single Garden Bed: Better Than A King-Size?

A Single Garden Bed: Better Than A King-Size?

November 27, 2013 - Updated on October 21, 2021
A fully fledged gabion fire pit.

How to Build a Gabion Fire Pit

November 6, 2013 - Updated on October 21, 2021
Why Gardening Is Your Destiny

Why Gardening Is Your Destiny

October 16, 2013 - Updated on October 21, 2021
The beautiful Erempholia Nivea

Eremophila nivea – Outback Silver Foliage

October 3, 2013 - Updated on October 21, 2021
Foolproof Shade Plants For Dimly Lit Areas

Foolproof Shade Plants For Dimly Lit Areas

September 25, 2013 - Updated on October 21, 2021
Tis been too long – but Spring has sprung

Tis been too long – but Spring has sprung

September 8, 2013 - Updated on October 21, 2021
GardeningTipsnIdeas.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Additionally, we participates in various other affiliate programs, and we sometimes get a commission through purchases made through our links.
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Affiliate Disclosure
  • DMCA
  • Contact Us

© Copyright 2006-2021 - All rights reserved. Gardening Tips ‘n Ideas

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Gardening Tips
  • Growing Plants
  • Landscaping Ideas
  • Garden Furniture
  • Garden Shop
  • Contact Us

© Copyright 2006-2021 - All rights reserved. Gardening Tips ‘n Ideas

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.