Maple tree roots and raised flower beds....

Hello All.

We have two 25-foot-tall Maple trees on our boulevard. We are considering putting raised flower beds below them, as nothing grows there now and we're not thrilled with bark or rocks. Would placing a foot or so of soil on top of the Maple roots near the base of tree harm the tree? Those roots now are very close to the surface. Any advice anyone could offer would be sincerely appreciated.

You should probably avoid putting soil right near the trunk although they might not mind as long as the soil is a little away from the very base.

I'd be very leery of adding soil on top of the roots. Perhaps maples can tolerate it; but adding as little as an inch of soil around an oak can kill it in one season. Been there; done that; got chewed out by the local dendrologist.

raisedbedbob, did you pile the soil right around the base of the tree?

Paul, we built a flower bed right around the base of a mature white oak from the trunk out 2 or 3 Ft. When it began to look sick, I called our local forestry service. When the dendrologist arrived he just shook his head, told me to remove the soil and to keep my fingers crossed. You know the result. I did a little research last night and discovered that maples can tolerate added soil over the roots. I agree with you though - not right up against the trunk.

Thank you both very much for the excellent advice. I appreciate the time you took to share your insights with me.

Just noticed this thread. I wouldn't be adding a very deep layer around that tree. After building a new house on the farm back home, my dad tried to get the dirt at the same level b/c it was a huge tree only 5-6 feet from the house but we ended up losing it. Perhaps the roots were hit in digging too, who knows.

I'm taking the MG course here and the tree guy also said it is very risky adding more than a little soil. He showed pics of city landscapers that pile a foot or more mulch around spindley little trees and then the same spot a few years later - trees are all gone. He said the problem is lack of oxygen, the thick layers block the ability of the roots to obtain oxygen through the soil or mulch. Good luck!

Thank you very much, kooger, for the excellent advice. It is much appreciated.

No, no, no; don't add soil on top.
If you want to do something for around the tree; why not build a tree ring/bench type thing

Might also consider doing something like this around the trees.
Bench with raised bed planters.

Plans:

http://www.detnews.com/2001/homeimprovement/0110/04/x01-304158.htm


This message was edited Feb 25, 2004 4:39 PM

Those are really neat, CoCo! I saw one once all made out of white cast iron - a Victorian look - pretty!

Wow- what great ideas! They're attractive, functional, and don't hurt the tree. Thank you CoCo!

Plans for another tree bench
http://www.bhg.com/bhg/printableStory.jhtml;jsessionid=MWDS24JS15KWXQFIBQSCAOWAVABBWIV0?storyid=/templatedata/bhg/story/data/12387.xml&catref=C106

Hi, Same problem in my front yard! A 50' Maple with three huge roots out of the ground, about 15 feet long with bark on them. The distance between the root spread is about 5' wide. I WAS, going to build a 3 foot raised flower bed over the roots...until I read these threads. Well I guess the tree would die if I did it, the robbins would sure be peaved. I like the bench around the tree, very cool! But I'm not a carpenter, so that's out. By the way. I planted hostas and two azales inside the root area, no luck! The hostas never grew and the azales look bad. I'll transplant them this spring.

Is everyone SURE that putting 12+ inches of good top soil over these roots will kill my maple?

Thanks for your help.

Here's an article I found on-line. Lots of info...
http://www.tlcfortrees.info/mulching_staking.htm

Thanks Kooger. I'll have to come up with another way to deal with this headache. I've been landscaping the property since we bought the house 8 years ago, 30 years of neglect left the property looking pretty bad. This is my last challenge, finished everything else...

Boy, i'll be glan when spring gets here, I've had enough already. Now we are bracing for another snow storm!!!!

Thanks again my friend...

You're very welcome. Hope you come up with a great plan! Post pics!!

I have piled whole loads of soil around the trunks of my maple trees, trying to "accidentally" kill them. So far all that happens is that the maple roots grow up and fill up my nice new raised bed. The trees look healthier than ever. That's probably not a typical response, but I thought I'd mention it.

LOL that's a hoot! how many years have you been working on this?

I started about 4 years ago and the fool trees look great. The city and my husband have forbidden me from cutting them down, but if they just died?

Hi SYLVI 74,

Thanks for the "HINT". It sound's like you would be very upset if they croaked, wink-wink!!!
I may just build the raised bed and keep and eye on the tree to see what happens..

I've got a garage full of planted flower seeds that are coming up, and fast. Also 8 Angel Trumpet plants reaching for my ceiling! I bought them in October 04' and they arrived about 4 inches high, now they are 32 inches high! I'll have to transplant them again...

Best regards:

Reminds me of a story my cousin told me. They live on the island of Texel, the Netherlands. It's very touristy, winter population ±15,000; summer population ±115,000. They have all sorts of laws dealing with the environment and you can't cut any trees down without permission. Where there are laws, there are also ways to circumvent them. It's common knowledge there that some 'rusty' nails driven into the ground at the base of the tree will kill it in a few years. Maybe that'll work for you? You'd have to research which cause the quickest demise. I don't remember if they were copper spikes, or regular nails, etc. lol

Well, I have the real solution. I bought copper sulfide-the stuff that kills tree roots in your pipes. I am going to climb up the tree, drill a couple holes in the crown, and pour in my copper sulfide. The only problem with my plan is that I keep talking about it, and someone is likely to get suspicious when the tree dies! What I am really waiting for, truth be told, is for hubby to do something awful/expensive because he won't have a leg to stand on when I kill the tree. Everything in life is a negotiation!

It is generally not recommended to add more the 3-4" of soil over tree roots. It sounds like maples may be an exception, but I'm not sure I'd go with a foot of soil. Generally, you're going to need a drought tolerant shade loving plant to survive under a maple. The best thing is to get the smallest ones you can find, and tuck them in around the roots. With some trees, you have to be careful not to overwater while establishing the new plants, but not with most maples.

Good luck!

Swamp maples (red and silver) have evolved to be more tolerant of root burial by siltation, thus are more likely to survive it than upland species like sugar maple. Still, it's never a very good idea to apply more than a thin topdressing.

You aren't confined by the tree-protection laws of Europe -- that's a good or bad thing, depending upon your viewpoint. So I'd say either decide to keep the tree, perhaps with one of those benches (which you can buy at some garden centers), or cut it down. Trying to kill it slowly will just make it ugly and hazardous.

Guy S.

You could also get some large pots that will fit between the roots and put the plants into them. You still have your large tree (if you want it) plus your lovely plants. Then you could one or more short benchs amongst the pots.

Sylvia- what if a 'beaver' chewed through the trunks over the course of a few weeks..... Buhahahhaa

Ooooh! I know I saw a vicious-looking beaver around here somewhere! That would be SUCH a bummer!