Tag Archives: tree

Digging Gently

Posted on by rhondacarrier

Tree Roots: Then and Now

I dig gently and hoe softly. Why? To avoid tree roots.

I was taught (and have taught) that tree roots are arranged like the diagram on the left. Current research shows that trees roots actually grow like the diagram on the right. Wow. Big difference.

Trees may have a few large roots that extend deep into the soil, but their function is to anchor the tree. The water, nutrients and oxygen needed by the tree are in the top few inches of the soil. According to US/IFS, “Realize that while most tree roots are in the top two feet of soil, those that feed the tree are in the top few inches”.

Who cares where the roots are? I am trying to develop a pleasant landscape for my house, but every time I try to plant something, every time I dig more than a few inches, I run into tree roots. “On average, tree roots spread close to 3 times the spread of the branches, so that a tree with an 8-foot branch crown spread would have a 24-foot root spread diameter.” Southern magnolia trees like the one in my backyard, may have roots that extend “3.8 times the dripline“. It is a challenge to dig a small hole for an annual, or to try to remove weeds,  My yard is a massive network of tree roots from my trees and those of my neighbors with a thin layer of soil on top, so I dig gently and hoe softly to avoid damaging the roots.

Note: Diagram from UF/IFAS Okeechobee Extension Service who got it from Houston Area Urban Forestry Council

Cabbage Palm on the Fence Line

Posted on by rhondacarrier

Sabal palmetto“It is a weed,” the neighbors said. “Why don’t you cut it down?”

I hate to cut a tree that is established and growing, especially one growing in such poor soil and without any irrigation system to supplement the rain water. It deserves to live. Besides, I still think that a palm in my yard, even a weed palm, is exotic, so when we had the brush removed and tree stumps ground out last summer, I kept it.

The palm question came up again in December when we made the decision to replace the old wood fence (shown in photo). The palm was definitely a tree in the wrong place. It turns out the old fence was actually outside the property line. The palm was right on the property line, so the question was, did I want the tree removed, so the fence could run along the property line as planned? It may be considered by some to be a “weed” but it is a Sabal palmetto, Florida’s State tree, and it could not be cut without permission. I didn’t want it cut. We came up with a plan to save the Sabal while building most of the fence on the property line as planned. They replaced one long fence section with two short sections to form a V around the palm with the V jutting into the yard and away from the property line. The fronds extend high in the air over the fence, so the fact that we can’t see the lowest part of the trunk is not a problem.

The cabbage palm, as it is commonly called, is drought resistant but can also grow in wet areas. When transplanting, ensure it receives adequate water until it is established. It tolerates sandy soils and salty soils and is happy in either acidic or alkaline soils. It loves the sun but also grows in part sun. It reaches a height of 30 to 60 feet, and is often seen on the beach, lining parking lots, narrow lawns, etc. The squirrels in my yard attest to the fact that it is a good food supply for wildlife. The tree grows from zones 8-10 and survived the recent freezing temperatures in Tampa without any harm.

My biggest problem with the palm is all the seedlings popping up all over the yard. The cabbage palm doesn’t develop a trunk for several years, so the seedlings look like palm leaves sticking out of the ground. I keep cutting off the tops, hoping to get keep them under control, although when I took a look yesterday, it looked like a cabbage palm plantation starting. I don’t have a plan for the back yard yet, but it doesn’t include a palm plantation, so I’ll keep battling the seedlings.

See Sabal palmetto on Floridata for more information.

Banyan Roots for Survival

Posted on by rhondacarrier

The first time I saw a banyan tree, I was a Peace Corps Volunteer teaching at an agricultural university in Malaysia. Trees growing in the flat Iowa landscape with its fertile soil don’t look like the tropical trees in Malaysia. Decomposition is rapid in hot, humid climates but heavy tropical rains wash away the soil as it forms, making it difficult for trees to stay anchored. Trees growing in low, wet areas have a different problem. It is difficult for them to get oxygen if their roots are underwater. As a result of these environmental conditions, tropical trees often have buttress roots, large prop roots that help anchor trees in place, and aerial roots that provide additional support and allow them to get oxygen from the air.

One of my favorite banyan tree photos, is the photo below of my husband standing in the buttress roots of a banyan tree in Cambodia near Angkor Wat. Amazing as it is, this was not the largest tree that we saw on the Cambodia trip.

Jungle Temple tree roots