Maple trees with girdling roots

7 years ago

last modified: 7 years ago

We bought this house 6 months ago and knew the trees were not in great shape. We had them both trimmed and the guy who did it told us that he would be back to take them both down someday and wondered if we wanted it done right now. The roots are girdled and very exposed but the tree is full of leaves and seems healthy for now.

I am adding some pictures of the worst roots. What can be done to "help" the trees and should we remove the soil around them and add mulch to help the roots "breathe"? Any help would be appreciated. I don't want to loose these big old shade trees if I don't have to but I also don't want them to fall on my house either.

Featured Answer

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

7 years ago

That tree is obviously very well established and with numerous decades under its belt. While never a good thing, if those girdling roots were to be a concern, that concern would have manifested already with stunted growth and lack of foliage development and the tree would be already in decline. It doesn't appear to be suffering any of those conditions :-)

I would guess at this length of time after planting, there are more than enough structural roots radiating out from the trunk to provide anchorage and with them all the fine feeder roots that support the tree with moisture and nutrients. If you were to peel back the sod and soil to expose the entire root system, I am sure you would find large roots extending well out beyond the tree canopy - I doubt the tree would have survived this long without them. There is nothing you need or should do at this point - the tree is self-sustaining.

If you have questions about its structural integrity - the possibility that it could blow down in a storm - then you may want to have the tree examined by a certified arborist who is skilled in hazard assessment. This is not your average Joe Blow tree-trimmer but a highly trained tree professional. There is a BIG difference!!

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Comments (7)

CEFreeman_GW DC/MD Burbs 7b/8a
7 years ago
Oh, wow.

What advice did you get? Or did you take them down?

I noticed my Brandywine was girdling a year or two ago. I got it as a 2-year old and it was probably 12 at that point.

Given the fact that I had nothing to lose, I cut the girdling root. But it was nothing like those sad babies!

It's such a shame that the pop trees in the ground in those wire baskets or burlap bags. Thank you HGTV. My ex-DH ignored my concerns and convinced me a Red Sunset would be fine in its wire basket. It's struggled since day one and I know it'll eventually girdle itself.
nfolchert
Original Author
7 years ago
They are still standing! We haven't had anyone come forward with any advice other than removing them. I love the shade they provide but I do worry about all the storms we get here. I am sure nothing can be done since the trees are quite old and so severely girdled. I was hoping someone on here may have some advice for prolonging the inevitable. Thanks for the comments and I hope that your maple doesn't suffer the same fate.
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james, Roughly where are you? Zone 10 should not have cold enough winter temps to worry about damaging the root system. As for what you did, I don't like the tar ideal at all. The tree will have to grow new roots, and those start from the pruned end of of the cut roots. Putting tar on these could very well interfer with that process, not to mention hold moisture that would favor infection with various bacteria and fungi from the soil. No, I don't like it AT ALL. Beyond that, some shading from direct sun would likely be very beneficial. Would certainly reduce water stress while new roots generate. Keeping the soil cool and moist but not wet would be beneficial as Im sure you know. Judging from the pic, that probable won't be an issue. As for Acer gresium, they actually seem to be more forgiving to girdling. I have seen where trees were kept in those tree band pots for too long and been potted up. Those roots had actually grafted on top of the original flare, and the tree was non the worse for the experience. I assume since the bark is so thin and sheds annually, that this facilitates the grafting. If you look online at mature Paperbarks, I don't believe you will find many with indications of bark inclusions at branch points. I know I don't remember seeing any despite some tight angles. That also would seem to suggest that they self graft freely. Arktrees
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Not a problem in my world. Not sure I'd even really call that a girdling root. Regardless, someday way in the very distant future, the tree will get old and die. I doubt very much that root will have played any part. My advice would be not to try hacking/chipping/cutting or somehow trying to remove it. It's a big, established tree. Let it be. As they say in med school: first do no harm........
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"you have nothing to lose.. cut them." Apparently, I have nothing to lose whether they get cut out or not. I had a reliable and highly recommended tree surgeon stop by and since there is no damage showing up in the tree, especially the top tips, then there is no reason to take out the roots, or even disturb them. He mentioned that they used to make their "bread and butter" on these extractions but have come to realize that it is not necessary. I held back my horror and seriously doubted his intelligence on the topic and as a professional but then I received a reply from a popular "on-air garden advise" host who said the same thing "Leave it alone". Quelque dilemma!
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your pic doesnt get bigger when i click on it ... so i cant really focus on it.. even if i put my nose on the screen.. lol .. the issue for me .... how much of the root mass would you be removing??? if this would take away 10% or less of the root mass.. who cares.. do whatever you want ... if in doing so.. you remove half the root mass ... i might suggest that would not be approved ... since on digging it up [it sounds like you moved it on your property.. rather than brought in a potted tree???] .. on digging it up.. you already cut off a lot of the root mass ... does that make any sense.. or should i try again ... i suppose roots dont blow in the wind.. hopefully.. lol ... and ergo.. dont really rub on each other to create a wound .. im not sure it matters with roots .... see pic for how a silver maple laid its roots on top of each other .. ken the pic isnt quite what i had hoped.. but hopefully you get my drift ...
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magpiepix 5b/6a
7 years ago
My neighbors have a Norway maple with roots almost exactly like this. The thing is monstrously large, and healthy as can be. It's probably 60' tall and solid as a rock.

Like Gardengal said, I think this tree is showing you how well its doing. I'd leave it alone.
nfolchert
Original Author
7 years ago
Thanks for the feedback. We feel the same way. The trees seem really healthy and have been there for over 40 years. I think we will have a professional come take a look to put our minds at ease, since we do get very high winds here. Thanks again.
CEFreeman_GW DC/MD Burbs 7b/8a
7 years ago
It astonishes me that the immediate answer is to take it down. To me, that shows someone who really knows little to nothing about a tree.

If they were to start showing decline, or some element of not being healthy? That would be different. I'm not taking mine down (either) just because they're not perfect. They're healthy and big. Or at least the Brandywine is. The Red Sunset has suffered borers, that root system and God knows what else. The thing is, it keeps trying to heal itself and you can SEE that!
Good luck with these beauties.
MIGUEL A JEREZ
last year
Hi how are the tree doing ?

Maple trees with girdling roots

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

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Comments (7)

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