Tree Roots Above Ground

[winland]

I have these 2 trees in my front lawn.

Between them the ground is very "hilly" / bumpy and soft due to roots growing near or above ground level.

Can I dig around these roots and cut them out?

As you can see, my mower is scrapping these roots.

I did not plant either of these trees.

Thanks for your advice.

 

[Raintree]

It's best not to cut roots. Float in a couple inches of good loam & extend mulch beds is the tree friendly fix.

 

[winland]

Your recommend that I cover this entire area in 2" - 3" of mulch?

 

[Raintree]

You certainly can cover all the problem areas with one large mulch bed. I was thinking extending your existing beds to cover some of the surface roots closest to the trees. Then loaming the other areas & restoring the lawn.

 

[BC WetCoast]

Surface rooting is a way of life with those trees. I would suggest you enlarge your garden beds a few feet.

As for the rest, when you aerate your lawn in the spring (you do aerate, right), top dress the lawn with a couple of inches of topsoil and then overseed. Finally, raise the height on your mower to 3-4" as recommended by most grass experts.

 

[Oldman47]

If that is a maple, just accept the fact. Maple will run roots at the surface almost every time and covering them is only a temporary fix.

 

[TheJollyLogger]

Yes, as a sidenote, if you stop scalping your lawn you'll stop hitting half those roots.

 

[GrassGuerilla]

Surface rooting is a way of life with those trees. I would suggest you enlarge your garden beds a few feet.

As for the rest, when you aerate your lawn in the spring (you do aerate, right), top dress the lawn with a couple of inches of topsoil and then overseed. Finally, raise the height on your mower to 3-4" as recommended by most grass experts.

Yes, as a sidenote, if you stop scalping your lawn you'll stop hitting half those roots.

The grassguerilla concurs. Top dress heavy in the root prone area.

 

[ATH]

Plant some shade tolerant perennials in there and that mulch bed you have sketched in would look pretty nice. Maybe a stepping stone path and a glider or nice looking bench if you are so inclined... The trees will thank you and you will have that much less to mow.