How to Get Rid of Tree Roots in Lawn?

Tree roots can invade and destroy a lot of properties and even your lawn is not immune to them. Invading tree roots can destroy the look and quality of your lawn and it can be really annoying if you don’t know how to get rid of them. Let’s take a look at how you can remove and prevent tree roots from growing in your lawn.

The best way to get rid of tree roots from your lawn is by manually removing them from the area. Be careful about not cutting or harming too many roots close to the base of the tree otherwise the tree can also die over time.

How to Remove Tree Roots After the Tree Has Been Removed?

If the tree whose roots are causing the problem has already been removed, then you won’t have to worry about protecting the tree and you can easily just remove the roots.

One thing to note is that applying strong herbicides can affect the surrounding soil as well, which in this case means that it will affect your lawn. One way to get around it is to either manually cut the exposed roots or use other natural methods.

If you have to manually cut the tree roots, dig a little bit of the soil surrounding the exposed root to check for any offshoots. Using a saw or an ax cut the exposed part including the extra roots which have been exposed due to digging the soil.

You can also apply rock salt or Epsom salt on the part of the root which you didn’t cut out to make sure it doesn’t grow any further. After this, put the soil back into its place.

If you don’t want to cut and remove the roots, you can also use rock salt and Epsom salt to kill them without harming much of the lawn. Drill small holes into the exposed roots and fill them up with rock salt or Epsom salt. This of course will kill the tree, or at least harm the tree to some extent.

Add a little water to soften the salt which will aid in its absorption. The roots should die within 2-3 months. This means the stump of the tree will not sprout back to life nor keep growing. However, it will take quite some time until the roots will decompose.

How to Remove Tree Roots Without Harming the Tree?

If the exposed roots in your lawn belong to a tree that is still healthy and you don’t want to cause any harm to it, then you will have to keep in mind a few things.

Firstly, don’t cut the roots too close to the trunk of the tree. Chances are, that the roots which are exposed in the lawn won’t be as important for the tree in terms of structural integrity, but you still need to be careful.

The general rule is that multiply the diameter of the trunk by 10 and try not to cut or kill the tree within this distance.

If too many roots are exposed, then you will have to consult a professional as cutting or killing them can seriously affect the tree’s health.

How to Prevent Tree Roots from Growing in Your Lawn?

The best method to prevent any more roots from coming on your lawn is by making barricades along the lawn. Make these barricades using metal or plastic barriers and make sure they go at least 4 feet deep.

How Long Does It Take to Get Rid of Tree Roots?

If you are going to cut down the roots, then the results can be instantaneous. On the other hand, if you are going to be treating it with salt or Epsom salt, then it can take anywhere between 2-4 months for the roots to fully die and another couple of years before they decompose.

Conclusion

You can get rid of the roots in your lawn by either cutting them and removing them from the area or treating them with a herbicide. Be careful about cutting too many roots as it can end up harming the tree.