Cutting a trees root?

[Blinkz]

Hey folks,

I'm the middle of redoing my garden. I've got to the point where I need to decide on where my beds/lawn are going to be before I rotavate and get the turf in.

The issue I'm having is that there is a rather large tree root on the surface at 90 degrees to where I want to have a bed. If I leave it then the root will be sticking up through the lawn and look crap!

How much of an issue is it to cut off this offending root? Will it kill the tree?

Thanks!

 

[Nightglow]

Unlikely to kill the tree, what tree is it, but if it's a large tree, then it might affect it's stability.

 

[Blinkz]

Not sure what tree it is! Here's some pics:

Tree:

The root thats causing the issue:

Its not the root running down the left hand side of the picture, its the one coming out to the right into the garden.

 

[Lt_Red]

It's unwise to cut the root within the canopy boundary. That's not to say cutting that root will kill the tree. You could consider covering it with topsoil and building that bit of the garden up a bit then grassing, or maybe create a raised bed over it and plant some herbs or something.

Another option may be to turf over the root. If none of the above is what you have in mind, then to hell with it, get your saw out

 

[Nightglow]

Looking at that tree, it will be most likely badly affected, as it's a main root, probably end up dying,especially if we get some hot dry weather.

Normally roots spread two to four times the diameter of the average tree's crown

 

[Hostile-17]

You could consider covering it with topsoil and building that bit of the garden up a bit then grassing, or maybe create a raised bed over it and plant some herbs or something.

+1

 

[Blinkz]

Thanks for the tips guys. Sadly it would take a huge bed to go around the root, and it would be quite a bit higher then the lawn to fully cover it. Doh! Running out of options

 

[Nightglow]

You could try this old trick.

Dig a trench 150mm to 250mm deep, then cut a fine notch, or series of cuts fairly close together on the underside or topside of the root & then peg root down in the trench.
You need to decide which side is best to cut get the root to curve, so it's below ground level,you should then get callus formation and healing or sealing over of the wound.

Would need to keep to water for a few water .

 

[Threepwood]

Don't think you will really notice it after some grass has grown really!

 

[Maccapacca]

Set about it with a mattock.

 

[chipperhead]

I had similar issues in my garden I set about mine with an axe and it made absolutely no difference to the tree.