Tree Root Removal: How to Remove Big Trees from Ground

At times, keeping an old tree does more harm than good for your lawn. For instance, the tree is unhealthy, dead, decayed, leaning in a dangerous direction, encroaching on the utility lines, or cracking the concrete surfaces.

In such cases, putting it off for a long period is not beneficial. As soon as you realize this, learning tree root removal is better.

To tackle the deep root system and improve the appearance of your landscape, you need the right tools and guidance.

This blog offers a detailed guide on how to remove tree roots using various methods.

Tree Root Removal: How To Remove Big Tree Roots from Ground

Here are the effective ways for tree root removal:

1. Use Trenching

Trenching is digging deeper holes around the borders where you want tree root removal.

You chop off the tree’s limbs (structures larger and thicker than the branches) and section the trunk after excavating a trench around the whole tree.

2. Precise Removal with Excavators

For tree root removal, pulling out and removing the entire tree is necessary. This choice may better allow you to use this section of your yard and decide whether to replant.

However, the involvement of big machinery can be uncomfortable for many, and after creating a big hole from excavation, you will need to backfill the hole.

Backfilling is important for improving soil drainage, avoiding water damage, and protecting the overall structure of your lawn.

Leaving it can harm the base of your lawn and increase the chances of soil shifting. So, you may require an extra pair of hands to take care of this mess.

3. Utilize Air-Spading

If you have dealt with soil compaction around a tree’s root system in the past, you may be familiar with this method.

Air spading is a noninvasive technique that uses compressed air for tree root removal. It leaves the soil exposed and does not harm the root system.

Using high-pressure air delivered by air-spading equipment, arborists can gently uncover and examine the roots without hurting or cutting them.

For delicate or small spaces where conventional excavation techniques may not be practical or suitable, you can choose this technique.

4. Cut the Roots

Root cutting is a focused method that keeps the tree stable and healthy while enabling the selective removal of particular roots.

Root cutting for tree root removal entails cutting or trimming tree roots using specialized instruments like root saws, pruners, or grinders.

Head to a professional to identify and remove the troublesome roots when roots lead to difficulties like pavement shifting, foundation damage, or drainage issues.

5. Consider Stump Grinding

Using a stump grinder that uses a wheel to chip away at the wood until it is about 30 cm below the soil’s surface, you can grind a stump. If the stump is of a small diameter, you can use a small grinder that you push by hand.

Employing such a grinder can have the following benefits:

Lessens the disturbance to nearby structures.
Minimizes the movement of valuable topsoil.
Doesn’t damage garden beds, fence lines, and pipes.
The look of the lawn remains unchanged.

6. Using Chemical Treatments

If you are not in favor of tree root removal by digging up, use a herbicide containing glyphosate.

To do it, follow these steps:

Make new cuts with a saw through the stump’s outer layer, then soak it with water.
Combine half water and half 41% glyphosate.
Use a garden sprayer to apply the solution to the outer layer, ensuring that it soaks completely.
Wait for around two weeks for the non-selective herbicide to work.

7. Kill the Roots Using Organic Methods

If you are too scared to use a herbicide or prefer eco-friendly methods, use Epsom or rock salt for tree root removal.

These salts will take up all the moisture from the roots and the stump. As a result, the tree roots will die.

Here is how to remove tree roots using salt:

Cut through the roots with a root saw before adding the salt mixture.
Use a drill to make multiple holes in the stump, each two to three inches deep.
Fill the holes with the mixture.
Finally, pour the salt mixture on the roots and dig around the stump.
As this is an organic method, it may take longer for it to kill the roots. You will have to repeat the process at least once a week for a few months.

When the wood appears brittle and black, it is an indication that it is dead or dying. At this point, you can pull it from the soil.

If the roots are growing inside the pipes, you can flush four cups of rock salt down your toilet. Use one cup at a time, repeat the process four times, and avoid using the bathroom for 8 to 12 hours.

Upkeep After Tree Root Removal

After learning how to remove tree roots and successfully following one of these methods, you must properly maintain the area and take precautions against future issues.

For that, you need to take these steps:

Take out the dirt and replace it.
To revitalize the lawn, you consider planting new plants or putting turf.

Learn more: Planting Calendar Ontario 2024

If you want to plant a tree again, look for varieties with less invasive root systems, particularly if you plant huge species, as problems with tree roots are common.

However, the growth should be monitored from the beginning to take early action.

Besides that, search for the tree’s size and proximity to the house.

Here is how you can plant trees of different sizes after tree root removal around your house:

Small trees under thirty feet should ideally be placed eight to ten feet from your home.
Medium-sized trees under seventy feet should be planted roughly fifteen feet away.
Large trees over seventy feet should be planted at least twenty feet away.

By selecting the ideal tree for your yard, you can prevent a great deal of stress and costly repairs. Additionally, you won’t have to be concerned about roots destroying the foundation of your house or ruining its curb appeal.

Tree Root Removal Without Damaging the Tree

Run your hose over the ground to soften it. The ground should be slightly wet but not drenched.
Next, feel out the roots by loosening the soil with the hand trowel.
Empty the dirt surrounding the roots and transfer it to the tarp or wheelbarrow. Try to use your hand in this process to reduce errors.
After removing the dirt, carefully trim the roots with your root saw.
Dig a trench between the roots and the region you don’t want them to go after you’ve cut the roots.
Using a concrete, plastic, or metal material, create a barrier that is at least 10 inches long and 12 inches high, and then cover it with dirt.
After compacting the dirt, mist the area with water to make it wet.
No more than one-third of the roots should be clipped.
Calculate the diameter of the tree trunk and multiply the result by three. That’s the closest you should cut to the trunk.
Only cut the roots that are smaller than the size of your fist.
Never make a cut that is more than 25% on one side.

To find any roots branching out from the plant, it’s crucial to excavate beyond the original root ball during removal.

You can follow and expose that root, pulling it out as you go. However, if you don’t remove all of the roots, your soil may be damaged.

How Improper Tree Root Removal May Affect Your Lawn’s Health

Here are the three problems you can face if you don’t pull out the roots carefully and completely:

1. Depletion of Nutrients

This can result in poor soil quality and difficulty growing new plants in the same area.

Decaying roots can become a food supply for organisms that dwell in the soil, which can attract pests and deplete the soil of nutrients other plants need to develop.

Learn More: Pest Control Organic Methods: Protect Your Lawn & Family

2. Hurdles Installing New Structures

Large roots pose problems if you need to install new underground systems or landscaping features since they can impede future digging or development in the region.

Growing other plants in the same spot can present various obstacles.

3. Compaction of Soil

Another danger of improper root removal is soil compaction. When roots decay, they can leave behind empty spaces in the soil that can cause them to become compacted over time.

This can make it difficult for new plants to establish their roots and result in poor drainage.

FAQs

How can you make tree root removal simple?

The simplest technique often entails excavating the area surrounding the stump to reveal the roots and then chopping with instruments like hatchets or chainsaws.

Which tool is the best tool for tree root removal?

Handsaws, chainsaws, hatchets, and gardening shears are common tools used. However, the best tool for tree root removal depends on the size of the root system and the area. For instance, compact diggers are useful for digging larger areas with numerous small trees.

When do you need tree root removal to prevent it from choking the pipes?

When you notice sluggish drain movement, blocked drains, vegetation development close to pipelines, and low water pressure, you need to know how to remove tree roots.

Contact Falcons Landscaping for the Best Tree Root Removal Service

These are the tree root removal techniques to prevent your lawn from turning into a mess.

The amount of effort you need to put in depends on how deeply the root system is anchored to the ground.

While you use these techniques, ensure that you don’t disturb the soil and plant surrounding the tree roots.

Operating tools like diggers and chainsaws are not everyone’s cup of tea, which is completely fine. If you think you can’t achieve the results, you can always turn to lawn care services in Mississauga.

Tree Root Removal: How to Remove Big Tree Roots from Ground?