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How to Prevent Exposed Tree Roots

How to Prevent Exposed Tree Roots

A tree’s roots are one of the most important things as it keeps them alive. These roots absorb…

Sep 21,2022

A tree’s roots are one of the most important things as it keeps them alive. These roots absorb and transport water plus any sort of nutrients directly to the tree to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

How to Prevent Exposed Tree Roots

Sometimes these trees find it difficult to find their nutrients in dense soil underground, this leads them to going upwards to the surface which is easier for them to find water and oxygen.

This is the reason for roots appearing above ground, although it is common in certain species of trees. In this blog post our team from Sesmas Tree Service will talk about how to prevent these roots from growing above ground.

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Smother in Nutrients

As we said before, these roots squirm above ground since they weren’t able to find the nutrients they needed underground. Smothering and layering the roots in mulch is a way to try and make them go back underground.

Mulch is material laid out on top of soil to improve the fertility, nutrients, health, and moisture. By applying this material all over the roots, you’ll end up covering them. As the roots slowly go down over time, visually, there won’t be any roots to see as the mulch is doing its job.

This is a course of action to take as these roots can be a safety hazard while walking on your property or mowing the lawn.

Trimming The Roots

Spreading mulch isn’t the only solution to this problem, trimming is also a reasonable way to solve the issue.

Customer Reviews

3 large Leyland Cypress trees removed near front of our home. Excellent service, professional crew, very competitive pricing for superior work! Rolando provided the initial estimate and the  follow up and was the best in terms of customer relations. I'd both use this company again AND highly recommend them.

Susan Hitchcock

This is the 2nd time we have used Sesmas Tree Service. They are a wonderful company to deal with. They were on time, professional, and very thorough. They cleaned up prior to leaving and went out of their way to protect our plants and landscaping. And they kept to their proposal with no hidden cost or add ons. Definitely a five star experience!

Gene McFadden

Wow!  I deal with tree services in my professional work and I can honestly say Sesmas is by far the most professional, best equipped, efficient, safety conscious, and communicative service I've ever encountered.  Their price was very reasonable and they even went so far as to include additional work without increasing the price.  Call them!  Now! They are very quick to respond.

Scott McLendon

We've used Sesmas several times and have always received excellent service.  Estimates are quick and easy and the crew is efficient and leaves the property clean of debris.  Recently we needed a tree removed next to a heavily landscaped area.  Sebastian went over everything with me in detail and listened to my concerns.  The crew did an excellent job in removing the tree with minimal disturbance to the surrounding area.  We are pleased and will consider them again in the future for pruning and tree removal.

Tonia Griswold

Sesmas Tree Service was amazing! I had two dead trees cut and a lot of trees that were already down on my property removed. Sebastian came out and sent the quote in writing within 24 hours. We were in the process of scheduling the service when a slot opened up sooner snd I was able to go ahead and get the work done. Everything was explained ahead of time for what to expect. The crew was very efficient and professional.  All of the work and cleanup was done in one day. I would recommend Sesmas for your tree cutting/cleanup needs.

LaDora Woods

I hired Sesmas to cut down a very tricky tree that was hanging over my house as well as a few large limbs. They did a great job and had the machinery to get the job done right.

Perry Hartman

Great experience with Sesmas. They were meticulous with my tree removal, safe and efficient. David’s communication throughout the process was much appreciated. Highly recommend!

Lindsay Ellenburg

Great experience with Sesmas Tree Service. The arborist who came out was a Board Certified Master Arborist, and you could immediately tell he knew his stuff. He took the time to explain what needed to be done, gave us clear options, and helped us feel confident from start to finish. The whole process was easy and professional. We’ll definitely use them again.

Ed Martin

Majority of residents assume trimming the tree’s roots will kill it. That is assuming you do not cut too deep. With the proper precautions, you can trim the above-ground roots without harming the tree.

There is a certain way to trim these roots and with the right tools. Having a pruning saw will be very helpful. Be sure to mark the area you will be working on to avoid trimming unwanted areas. After that, dig up a hole on the marked area until the root you want to trim is completely visible. Now this is where your pruning saw comes in handy. Using your pruning saw, cut the root cleanly and carefully. After you have cut the root, slowly pull it up and away from the tree until it disconnects fully.

Once you have followed all of these directions, you’ve successfully trimmed a tree’s root. Although you’re done with trimming, there’s an aftercare part to this too. If you have soil or mulch available for use, fill up the hole you dug, so the trimmed root can receive as much nutrients as it can.

Watering Soil

We’ve mentioned before that the reason these roots appear above ground is due to the soil and lack of oxygen. Trimming and mulching isn’t the only solution as watering is one too. For roots to be healthy and stay underground, the soil has to be shallow. It gets hard for these roots to breathe when the soil is hardened with minimum nutrients. Doing something as simple as watering keeps the soil shallow and encourages smoother root growth.

Looking For Advice?

Are you unsure about your tree? Having problems but don’t have the answers for it? Call your friendly tree care company Sesmas Tree Service to have our representatives answer your questions.

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