Picture a mature oak's roots and most people imagine a mirror image of the canopy reaching deep underground. In reality, most of a tree's roots live in the top 12 to 18 inches of soil, and they often spread two to three times wider than the canopy itself.
That matters any time you dig. A trench for irrigation or a new utility line, a patio footing, a pool excavation, or even a pallet of pavers parked under the canopy for a week can cut or crush the roots that feed the tree. The damage doesn't show right away, which is why so many homeowners never connect a declining tree to a project that happened years earlier.
If you are planning outdoor work this fall or winter, bring the trees into the plan early. Routing trenches around the root zone, boring under roots instead of cutting through them, and fencing off the area under the canopy can save a tree that took decades to grow. Our ISA Certified Arborist is glad to walk the site before the digging starts.
Do you have a backyard project on the list for the coming year, and is there a big tree anywhere near where it's going? #FranklinTN #TreeCare
A real photo of exposed shallow roots spreading well beyond a mature tree's canopy in a Franklin-area yard, or tree protection fencing set around a root zone near a patio or pool project. A simple Canva diagram showing roots spreading wide and shallow also works. Authentic photos strongly outperform stock images.
Canva text suggestion: "Tree Roots Spread Wide, Not Deep" or "Call an Arborist Before You Dig"