Exposed Surface Tree Roots

[CSTGTP]

I have a maple tree that is about 20' tall in my front yard that has a network of exposed roots. The roots have been knicked by lawn mower blades and make it very unpleasant to walk through the yard. How should I remedy this situation? Should I add topsoil or remove the roots? There is not much slope to the yard so erosion shouldn't have been the big factor.

 

[John Paul McMillin]

you can add up to 2 to 3 inches of topsoil ( no more than that ) per year to cover up the roots without harming the tree and still allowing oxygen to the roots. Do not add soil around the trunk of the tree though, so start a few feet away from the trunk. john

 

[treeclimber165]

You got it, JPM. There was a post a couple months ago from a guy with a pine asking about that. Would probably take me 20 minutes to find it though.
Yup, you can add dirt to build up around the exposed roots, but not huge amounts at once. More than 2-3 inches per year will be too much shock on the roots and can hurt the tree by compacting the soil underneath. Each year as the tree sends out new feeder roots into the new dirt, you can gradually add more.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Don't get regular topsoil, it may have come from a farm feild and cary Verticilium wilt. Many field weed ar host plants. Vert. willt can cause a lot of damage to a maple, even kill it.

Pay a little extra for a sterilized soil.

 

[Shespen]

After you add the soil, put some mulch on top of that. Don't even try to grow grass there. It will compete with the tree for nutrients and both will suffer. Install a couple of shrubs if needed.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Or herbacious perenials like hasta or lily of the valley. Don't do annuals that need regular cultivation. Fire and forget, giant hastas all the way!