Your knowledge about your trees and their roots is actually more beneficial than you might think. It can prevent structural damage and may even save lives. Specifically about tree roots, there are many things that you can read online. But which of these are true and which of these are false?
It is no news that most people believe that they read, see and hear from their environment, whether offline or online, without doing further research that will validate these pieces of information. And this is where we fall prey to doing bad decisions about planting and taking care of our plants and trees, and even our property in general. With this, we realize some trees need to be cut down as they impose danger due to improper tree maintenance.
Note: when it comes to cutting down or removing trees, always contact professional services like tree service Midland TX, as it is not advised that you cut them down by yourself. Tree removal can lead to accidents if improper handling is done.
By knowing the fallacies about your tree roots, you will minimize the chances of accidents, tree removal, structural damage, and more.
The first fallacy is that all trees have single tap roots. Taproots are the main root of the while root system, which grows vertically and downward. Well, there is some truth to this fallacy though as most trees really have taproots during their seedling phase. However, the taproot will eventually grow into lateral and feeder roots as the plants grow and mature. Where does this false information come from? Seedlings that are planted in the deep soil usually grow roots below the tree trunk and these roots are commonly thought of as taproots. The thing is when these plants are planted in shallow soil, these roots do not form; only those typical lateral and feeder roots do grow.
The second fallacy is that the root system looks the same as the trees’ branches and trunk. There is no truth to this. And although this may happen in some cases, the roots usually extend up to three times in width than what you see on the branches and trunk.
The third fallacy is you need to stop believing that the canopy dieback happens on the similar side of the damaged roots. This is not wholely a fallacy though. Most of the time, this happens; however, this can also be on a case-to-case basis. For instance, this occurrence can happen in mahogany and oak trees. However, maple trees don’t showcase this phenomenon. When diagnosing or identifying damaged roots, it is better not to use this assumption because results may vary.
The fourth fallacy is that the deeper the roots the tree has, the more nutrients and water the tree obtains. Roots that are a few inches from the ground usually get the most water and nutrients. In fact, fine roots that are found in the shallow part of the soil are the ones that are responsible for the nutrient and water uptake.
If you think we missed something, you can comment below. We will surely appreciate your contribution!
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