Treelearner New Member.

Sep 29, Again, if you cut tree roots, there is never a guarantee that it won’t hurt or eventually kill the tree. We only recommend removing tree roots when they are damaging or infringing on a nearby structure – not for aesthetic reasons. For the best chance of your tree surviving, consult with your local arborist before removing tree roots.

I have heard that removing surface roots does not harm the tree and I can believe it because I have read that the amount of roots below the ground is the same as the amount of stuff above the ground. So, if that is true, there are a helluva a lot of roots down there for a hundred foot tree, so cutting a few roots on the surface should not make a difference.

Of course cutting all the tree roots will in fact kill the tree. A general rule for cutting tree roots is don’t cut more than 25% of the root system. Measure the trunk diameter at about 4 feet from the ground. Take that measurement and multiply it by 6.

Mark off that distance from the trunk and that is about where 25% of the roots can be cut. See image below. For example if you have a 12″ diameter trunk 4 feet Estimated Reading Time: 2 mins. Nov 28, Tree roots are cut for a number of reasons. Sometimes the roots grow up out of the ground and cause problems with foundations or walkways. Other times the roots are accidentally cut as the. Removing large or major roots from a tree is going to have a detrimental effect on the health of the tree i.e.

Weaken it from a structural point of view. Put it into shock, stress. The wound (s) caused by the removal of such roots can allow disease to enter. Any of those could easily lead to the tree dying.