The patio will be at grade so there won't be any additional digging. I'm pretty sure it's a maple tree.
by michaeljc70
The patio will be at grade so there won't be any additional digging. I'm pretty sure it's a maple tree.
by michaeljc70
10 Comments
You can. What will happen to the tree is anyones guess. You might get lucky and the tree suffers no ill effects. You also might kill the tree.
There is a decapitated head sitting there, but you are worried about a small root?
The answer is always No. Unless you like gambling alot.
The correct answer is…”probably yeah”
Sure go ahead and cutt it nothing’s going to happen to that tree
Have you considered dirt? Much less effort involved.
Just make the patio frame high enough to clear the roots
A patio for ants maybe
Absolutely Yes.
Youre right in that critical root zone and I know it just seems like one small cut, but that *can* (not will) have detrimental effects to your tree. There can be sudden dieback and it can have a hard time recovering – as well as an increased chance for root rot.
*If* you decide to go through with it I would cut it late winter or early spring. Too many pests / heat / moisture to be doing it in the summer.
You could try applying a TGR after the cut (a professional needs to do this) and that *could* help the root recovery, but if youre already having issues with roots, id be leary of anything that promotes root growth (like a tgr)
All in all, maples have fairly shallow and oftentimes aggressive roots that can get pretty fibrous so cutting off a surface level root like that can sever a large part of its root system.
You could try covering it up with woodchips? I usually dont recommend covering bark covered roots but woodchips won’t suffocate as much as soil does.
Professional opinion: best not to cut it
Reddit opinion: ehh fuck it if it dies plant a tree that works better close to the house.