A Beginners Guide For Safe Tree Root Removal
If you have a chopped-down tree in your backyard, but its roots are still there, it can cause serious issues to your health and property. Untrimmed tree stumps can be potentially hazardous in many ways; therefore, digging out the tree roots should be a priority for you.
- If not properly trimmed down, tree stumps and roots can cause accidents for you and your family members.
- The root system can stay active for years even after its main steam is chopped off. The root system can grow under your property and damage it from under the ground. This will continuously depreciate your property’s value.
- The root system and untrimmed stumps can invite and feed termites, rats, moles, and various other pests, potentially injuring your health.
- The chopped-down tree can regenerate itself from the stump and start damaging your property from the beginning.
- You can prevent many other mishaps by digging up tree roots from your property.
Precautions To Take Before Digging Out Tree Roots:
These days, from electricity to the internet, even water and gas lines are spread underground in Rochester. Your tree root may get intertwined with these service lines and cause serious situations like gas leaks into your area. Therefore, you should go for the best tree removal services in Rochester, New York, and leave the task to their experts’ safe and professional hands.
But, if you want to dig out the tree roots all by yourself and if you have all the necessary tools, you need to dial 811. It is the national Call-Before-You-Dig phone number to alert the authorities at least three days prior to the commencement of your work. This way, the authorities and service companies will ensure that you won’t harm any underlying service lines during the excavation. At least they will be alert if something goes wrong.
A Few Important Things To Learn Before Digging Out Tree Roots:
Before digging out the tree roots, you need to learn a few things about them, which may come in handy while operating on them.
Critical root radius or CRR:
CRR determines a protected root zone based on a tree’s diameter (in inches) at 4.5 feet high. After multiplying the number by 1 or 1.5 feet, you will get the CRR value.
Protected root zone or PRZ:
PRZ is the area around the tree where no roots should be cut. You should also treat the roots outside the PRZ with care, but those inside are particularly vulnerable. Multiply the CRR by 2, and you will get a protected root zone (PRZ).
Dripline:
Dripline is the perimeter created by water falling from a tree’s broadest layer of leaves (generally the bottom layer); some guides recommend that no roots inside the dripline be cut or dug up. The dripline also defines the Critical Root Zone or Protected Root Zone.
Feeder Roots:
These roots are most likely to stay exposed and close to the surface. But while growing, they can break the ground. Feeder roots are responsible for absorbing water and nutrients from the ground.
Structural Roots:
Structural Roots are responsible for providing the foundation for the tree. If these are damaged, the tree will lean to a side.
Digging Methods:
Pneumatic Digging:
This is one of the best ways to remove tree roots that uses air to dig without damaging vital roots.
Trenching:
In Trenching process, you need to dig around roots, and you will be able to remove them. But this method can extensively damage the roots and may increase labor.
Some Best Ways To Remove Tree Roots:
Stump Grinder:
It is heavy machinery, and you may not have one at your home. You can rent it from your local garden store. Deploying a stump grinder can easily turn the roots into bits and completely decimate them. But it can be dangerous for an unprofessional person who is not familiar with Stump Grinder. Therefore, it is recommended to contact a tree root removal service and get it done professionally.
Chemical Treatment:
Chemical treatment is one of the best ways to remove tree roots. You can use Herbicide chemicals to eliminate the tree root system very fast. If you do not want to use artificial chemicals, you can use rock salt as a natural option, but it takes longer than chemical treatments.
Manual Saw or Chain Saw:
You can use the good old saw to chop down the tree roots. But this is a very labor extensive process and takes hours, even days.
Concluding
But roots can become extremely intricate or complex or sometimes intertwined with underground service lines. Then your only option for digging out the tree roots should involve a saw and delicate maneuvers. But for professional and faster work done, you can always call for a specialist tree root removal service to do it for you.
