The trees on your property are an important part of its visual appeal, comfort, and even property value. So as you plan landscaping around their bases, it's vital to protect the surprisingly delicate roots and trunk. How can you do this? Here are a few key tips.

1. Keep Soil Levels Stable

Some property owners start by piling on more soil around the tree base, especially if the roots are close to the surface. However, additional layers of soil can deny the roots oxygen and sunlight. If that soil is pressed up against the trunk, the bark may also suffer rot or pressure damage. If the tree is healthy with its surrounding soil in a certain position, it's best to leave it. 

2. Don't Crowd the Trees

Give your tree's trunk and roots a wide berth. Whether you're planting a bed around it, building up a landscape border, or incorporating it into a deck or outdoor entertainment area, keep a free zone for several feet around the tree base. 

3. Don't Cut Their Roots

If you need to dig into the ground in order to plant or install any hardscape element, be cautious about hitting the roots. Use small, hand-held tools like trowels as much as possible. When you do encounter a root, avoid damaging it and work around it instead. A lot of roots near the surface may mean adjusting your planting goals. 

4. Avoid Gardening Damage

If you do place greenery around the tree, create barriers to prevent gardening maintenance work from coming too close. The most common culprits are lawnmowers and weed whackers, which can easily cut into roots and bark. Even allowing people and equipment to trample the soil right around the tree's base can compact the soil and prevent gasses from reaching roots. 

5. Choose the Right Plants

Finally, work with an experienced landscape professional when deciding which plants to use under the tree. They'll need to share the water, for instance, so they should have similar water needs as the tree in order to avoid either one taking too much of the precious liquid. Make sure plants will thrive in the shade of the canopy and that their roots won't interfere with the tree's own roots. 

Where Should You Start?

Your trees may seem like strong and impenetrable bastions of the yard, but they can be damaged by what goes on around them. Start protecting yours and helping them thrive by meeting with a landscape design service in your area today.