The Roots of Some Trees and Shrubs in my Garden are Coming Out of the Ground. Why Is This Happening and is what can I do About it?

Is your garden planted on compacted soil such as heavy clay?

Is your garden planted on a waterlogged soil?

Is the soil in your garden exposed to any kind of soil erosion?

Do you water your trees and shrubs deeply, according to their watering needs?

Deeper layers of heavy soils have very little to no available oxygen needed for root growth. All available oxygen is near the surface of the soil, so the roots tend to grow there. Loosen the soil around the tree roots and aerate the garden area with a wooden chip or leaf mulch to improve soil compaction. If needed, cut the roots that are coming out of the ground.

Deeper layers of waterlogged soils have very little to no available oxygen needed for root growth. All available oxygen is near the surface of the soil, so the roots tend to grow there. Reduce watering so that the deeper soil layers can be oxygenated. If needed, cut the roots that are coming out of the ground.

Roots tend to show above ground when the soils are exposed to erosion. A possible solution to this would be to apply a shallow, 1 – 2-inch layer of good-quality soil mix on top of the surfacing roots and then plant the grass to prevent further erosion.

Trees and shrubs tend to develop surface roots if they are not watered deeply enough. You should water your plants enough to wet the soil to the depth of 6 inches to 3 feet, depending on the species. Check the specific species watering needs and apply water accordingly. If needed, cut the roots that are coming out of the ground.

Some trees and shrubs have a natural tendency to develop surface roots. Some of the most well-known species that develop surface roots are Red maple, Silver maple, Alder tree, River birch, Hackberry, Colorado spruce, Willow, Elm, etc. There is no good solution for their surface roots if practical you can only replace them with plants that do not have a natural tendency to develop surface roots.