Tree roots coming up in my lawn

[wahoowad]

I have several established trees (oak, maple, tulip poplar) with some roots spreading across the surface of my lawn. Can I cut these out without risking harm to the tree? These roots appear small compared to the size of the tree, maybe 2 to 3 inches in diameter max. I would probably use an axe or a chainsaw to sever the root, then pull it up.

Thanks!

 

[treesurgeon]

its ok to trim some small ones, especially ones that are damaged already. if there are alot of roots or big ones, it may be wise to add some topsoil over them. not too much soil at once. 2-3 inches is the limit before doing more harm than good.

 

[treeseer]

its ok to trim some small ones, especially ones that are damaged already. if there are alot of roots or big ones, it may be wise to add some topsoil over them. not too much soil at once. 2-3 inches is the limit before doing more harm than good.

You'll want to look at your landscape long-term, and consider mulching the areas where the roots are rising. Aerating your lawn outside this area may reduce the tendency to surface rooting.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Guy is right, chipbeds are good for the health of trees. They also break up the monotony of grass. Grass takes a lot of maintenance, and in a time when we need to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, not mowing parts of our property is an easy way to save on fuel use.
Come spring, chipbeds also give you an extra area to plant some flowers.
Think how much better a planted chipbed will look, compared to some beat up roots sticking out of poorly performing lawn.

 

[rebelman]

wahoowad, this is a good thread. Mike Maas' post is more than solid advice. It's a profound truth. Seriously consider mulching your trees. Some of the Immediate and Long term benefits: Cleaner water. Healthy trees.

 

[wahoowad]

Mulching will work for some areas, not all. I will consider mulching some of my trees. I have roots coming up in different areas, from different trees. Some of these roots are coming up a good ways away from he tree and up in the middle of a grassy area that I'd like to keep grassy. My mower is whacking some of them! Others are coming up from trees in the woodline.

 

[Dixie1]

do you irrigate your lawn? sometimes shallow, frequent watering can bring roots to the surface. mulching is your best bet. we have mulched several large trees all the way out to the dripline. one of which is an American Elm that is near 200 years old that started to decline. we wanted to keep our mowers off of the rooting are. we applied a layer of cottonseed hulls then topdressed with pine needles. it has greatly prolonged and increased the longevity of this tree

 

[B.Secord]

Wahoowad,

You might want to have a look around the general area and see if there are any trees that are in a state of decline. A response of a tree that is dying is to initiate root and new shoot, as to propogate itself. Poplars in my part of the world are famous for this. As you don't mention if you are in a rural or urban enviornment, I could only make some general assumptions, If you are in a urban area, look to see if anyone within a 3 house radius has a sick or declining tree, or may have had an un-wanted tree removed.

If you are in a rural area, look for the same thing as you would in the urban area, I would look in at least a 200'radius, depending on soil type and infrastucture.

B