Exposed Tree Roots - Ask Extension
Hello, I live in a Townhome Community in Victoria, MN and am a volunteer helping with the ongoing landscaping issues.
Currently, we have many expos...
Knowledgebase
Exposed Tree Roots #870921
Asked May 31, 2024, 11:07 AM EDT
Hello, I live in a Townhome Community in Victoria, MN and am a volunteer helping with the ongoing landscaping issues.
Currently, we have many exposed roots from mature trees in our community. I have searched your website for guidance on best practices and didn't find anything.
My limited internet search revealed two methods. One is to cover exposed roots with grass and soil and one is to cover with mulch.
I would appreciate any expert advice on this situation.
Thank you.
Carver County Minnesota
Expert Response
Grass isn’t a good option because grass requires full sun to thrive and it is a big competitor for water. It will be competing with the tree for water and the grass and tree will suffer. 2-4 inches of mulch can be put down under the tree. It looks nice and helps conserve moisture for the tree. Hostas can be planted under a tree and so can shade tolerant ground covers. The plants need to be slipped into the ground to disturb as little of the roots as possible. Hostas or a ground cover will provide a less formal look and will gradually fill in making more mulch unnecessary. So it can be more economical long term.
Thank you so much, Evelyn for the information regarding mulching around trees for exposed roots. I should have included a photo for your reference. Do you suggest placing mulch in a circle around this tree encompassing the ends of the roots? This would be a very large circle 15 to 20 feet from the base of the tree (this is a guess on how many feet, but some are more and some are less distance than this tree indicates).
As for the type of mulch, could we use something like Viogoro bagged premium wood mulch found commonly at Home Depot? Thank you again for your expert advice.
Mulching out to the edge off the exposed roots would be best. Grass is a big competitor for water and mulching under the tree will help it cope with our hot, very dry summers. Mulching will also prevent damaging the roots with the lawn mower. The top of several roots have been shaved. Root damage opens the tree to diseases until the wound heals.
A shredded, cedar bark lasts the longest and stays in place better than other mulches. It can be a bit of a balancing act managing up front cost against having to replace the cheaper mulch several times.
I recommend mulching a 5 ft circle to start and seeing how it goes in terms of looks and effort. This size circle will protect the tops of the biggest roots.
A big plus for you is the tree was planted at the right depth and it is much better off than many landscape trees.
A shredded, cedar bark lasts the longest and stays in place better than other mulches. It can be a bit of a balancing act managing up front cost against having to replace the cheaper mulch several times.
I recommend mulching a 5 ft circle to start and seeing how it goes in terms of looks and effort. This size circle will protect the tops of the biggest roots.
A big plus for you is the tree was planted at the right depth and it is much better off than many landscape trees.
