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I am a first time home owner, and didn't know that a mound around a tree was bad. A 2' deep, 10' wide mound had been put around the tree a few years before I bought the house. I want to remove the mound but now there are small roots in the mound and to remove most of the mound I would have to shovel through them.

I think the tree is a maple.

Would it hurt the tree to dig up those roots? What about using a hose to cause the soil to run off? How should I proceed in the best interest of the tree?

enter image description here

Niall C.
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Mr. MonoChrome
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    Thanks for the great question and welcome to the group. Providing more details such as what tree this is and how big it is (perhaps even a picture) would help everyone answer your question that would be helpful to you. – JStorage Oct 28 '16 at 20:14
  • I am not sure that a mound is bad for the tree. Where did you get that information? – JStorage Oct 28 '16 at 21:43
  • What is that pvc white pipe thingy right in front? If this tree was original, and your development saved this tree, worked around it and then tried to cover the roots making a mound and this guy actually made do and survived...wow. Pull that soil back and let us know! – stormy Oct 29 '16 at 00:32
  • @stormy im not sure what that pvc pipe is for. I know its attached to the well, and hisses. I just dont know what its for – Mr. MonoChrome Oct 29 '16 at 00:46
  • Trippy, Mr. MonoChrome. 'Hisses'? Do you have an 'as-built' with your mortgage papers that shows property lines, easements and utilities for your property? And I just saw that there is a 'line' of some sort going through that canopy. I am assuming it is cable? That company is responsible for pruning and if you aren't around you might find that your tree has been chopped, ruined. Interesting...That pipe might just be an air outlet. Definitely an afterthought. Do you have automatic irrigation? Are you on a well or city water? – stormy Oct 29 '16 at 00:47
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    What you need is more historical information, maybe by asking the neighbours - there doesn't seem to be any purpose to building the mound at the base of the tree, unless, and this is the only thing I can think of,, the tree was already present when the surrounding area was levelled and turfed, which meant roots which had previously been buried no longer were, so the mound was built to solve that problem. In which case, removing the mound will cause a problem... – Bamboo Oct 29 '16 at 01:16
  • @Bamboo the neighbor twlling me that the previous owner did it a couple years back is what brought me here. So i dont think that is the case – Mr. MonoChrome Oct 29 '16 at 03:37
  • @stormy i think the picture is creating an illusion with the wire. Its well behind the tree. Also i found out today that its a clean out pipe. We are on well water. No septic tank. No automatic irrigation. Live in michigan with a area that gets lots of rain – Mr. MonoChrome Oct 29 '16 at 03:39
  • Nice to be on a well instead of city water. That picture of the wire is pretty good with the illusion. No problem. When you are able to clean off some of that mound and we are able to see if the roots are above the driveway/lawn or if they are below the surface. Thanks for the quick responses! – stormy Oct 29 '16 at 05:14
  • Looks like the base of the tree is widening fast where it hits the mound surface. You might want to probe with a straightened coat-hanger, screwdriver or similar rod, and see how far major roots comes out at the level you want to dig down to. – Wayfaring Stranger Oct 29 '16 at 14:07
  • Some variant on silver maple, correct? I just walked around the block and saw one of these with major roots surfacing above the soil line for 6 feet in every direction. Not uncommon with these and not unsightly as far as I'm concerned, but your taste may differ. Proceed with caution. – Wayfaring Stranger Oct 30 '16 at 15:14
  • I would not remove the earth from that mound. It looks like the tree's roots settled in there, from the bulge that lays at the base- – J. Chomel Oct 30 '16 at 18:10

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Yes that mound will KILL this tree, slowly but surely. Unless the roots begin just below that line where the soil stops, you have to remove that mound! Any soil, mulch, rock, plastic that touches the bark of the trunk that is supposed to be out of the soil will allow moisture to create a great environment for bacteria to thrive. The vascular system, the live part of that trunk is a thin, thin line just below the bark. Once that is compromised, that tree will die within a year, maybe less. Roots send the water up to the leaves as well as certain chemicals necessary for photosynthesis and then the food that the plant makes for itself is sent down to the roots for storage and more power as roots are unable to photosynthesize to make their ENERGY, they rely on the energy sent down to them from the canopy/the photosynthetic factories.

Pull that soil back until you are able to see the root ball. Hopefully your tree hasn't been girdled where the vascular system is destroyed all around the circumference. Otherwise, partial flow will work while the tree tries to heal the compromised vascular system. I am so very glad you thought about this. Most people have no clue how important this is, including landscape maintenance companies!! Achilles' heel of trees.

If the mound is above the root ball and is on the trunk then all you can do is pull that soil away from the trunk.

I am seeing there might be a different history and this was an original tree left from construction/drainage. Exposing roots and by mounding the soil trying to save the roots...whoa. If this is indeed the problem then a simple low, easily a DIY project, wall around that perimeter will solve the MOUND. You just need to find the top of the root ball. Yes, it is a maple.

stormy
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  • Thank you so much for this answer. But can i shovel through the small roots in the mound? – Mr. MonoChrome Oct 29 '16 at 00:43
  • NO. Just pull that soil back with your hands. If there is more bark/trunk beneath that line, let us know. Gee, this is important, take another picture. This maple deserves this attention! Good for you! Are there roots right below the surface of that mound? Please pull that soil back and expose what is beneath the surface down a good 6" and take a picture. – stormy Oct 29 '16 at 00:46
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    Alright will do tommorow – Mr. MonoChrome Oct 29 '16 at 00:47
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From what I see on the picture, your tree did build roots to the top of the mond. And If you say us there are small root in there, my guess is these are the roots of the tree itself.

I disagree with Stormy: it doesn't necessarily kill the tree. Here it may have changed its shape by making it grow upper roots.

I would let the earth in here, and even try to grow something, (e.g. some small succulent with strong shade resistent feature) on top of it, to allow water to drain all the earth away.

Jika
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Thankfully detrimental situation unfolds at a much slower pace when faced by large already maturing trees compared to young transplants where everything scientifically depends on their first 15-20 years determining what kind of service lives potentally provide.

Doing nothing will increase detrimental Odds while faithfully going forward to do what will be hordiculturally required will allow recovering tree to show it's gratification by vigorously responding within first two years. Just delay your enthuseism by holding off until chance of freezing temps begins to once again

Oddscan be at least 50/50 there already had been some existing trunk tissue damage before covered over and hidden with soil. Regardless If had been large area or unnoticeable, wet soil given access to unprotected internal wood will continue to rot & hollow out unless unburied and sunlite can begin drying things out.

user38414
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