White Pine roots

Arborist Forum

Help Support Arborist Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

pj

ArboristSite Lurker
Joined
Apr 30, 2001
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
I have 3 large (18-24 inch) White Pines which send out above ground roots into the yard. If I remove several of these roots, will I kill or damage the trees? Should I try shaving the top half of the root without removing it? What is the best (easiest) way to accomplish this job? Thanks, pj
 
White pine normally grow in areas where soil depth is not all that great. They have adapted to that by spreading roots further for water/nutrients, and rely on these roots that you are considering shaving for both support and transport of good stuff.

I wouldn't shave or remove these roots - unless you want to weaken the tree. A weak tree is more susceptible to other pathogens. I recommend leaving them as is, and tell everyone that along with the beautiful for of the top of the tree, the roots are serving a purpose too. If you insist on doing something, add a top dressing of no more than 3" to cover the roots. Make it with good soil, not sand.
 
I agree with John on this one. I live in central Florida, and have seen similar problems occasionally with Oak trees. My only additional suggestion is to not add all the top dressing at once. Maybe an inch or 2 per year, if this is feasable. Otherwise you can suffocate the roots from burying them too deep. They need oxygen as well as water, so not changing the depth and compaction drastically is important. Also, try not to pile dirt around the root collar (bottom of the trunk). The bark will rot if buried, weakening the tree.
 
Thanks John & Tree for your response. I'm located in East Tennessee. I'll try to top-dress some of the roots. I may try to remove some. Don't most pines have a large "tap" root going down from the center of the trunk? PJ.
 
What TreeClimber added is right on the money and something I overlooked - just abit at a time as the feeder roots are in the top three inches.

While most people think that pine have large tap roots, they are not like a carrot and will only develop tap-style roots when the soil allows and water conditions require or permit. The tree can probaly take a 15-20 percent root prune, and I hesitate to say this. If the weather (ie. summer) is cool, you may get away with it. I personally would not root prune until September at the earliest. Most root development occurs in the fall, and they will need to recover. Top dressing is still the best.
 
The tap root serves a different purpose than the feeder roots, just as your arms serve a different purpose than your legs. Tap roots are mostly for stability, the vast majority of nutrients and water are taken up through the surface (feeder) roots. IF it is totally unavoidabble, I could see removing 1 or 2 roots, but keep in mind that pines are especially sensitive to root disturbance. Cut 1 root too many and you could kill the tree.
 
Back
Top