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Trees with shallow roots do well in areas that occasionally flood or where the soil is wet or heavy. These surface roots can get oxygen (necessary for trees to manufacture food) as soon as the soil starts to dry out.
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Beech Fagus spp. |
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Birch Betula spp. |
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Cottonwood Populus deltoides |
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Hackberry Celtis occidentalis |
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Norway maple Acer platanoides |
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Silver maple Acer saccharinum |
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Spruce Picea spp. |
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Sugar maple Acer saccharum |
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So, how can you grow a garden under a shallow-rooted tree? You can't cover the roots with more soil or you might harm, or even kill, the tree. Chopping or cutting out some of the roots won't work either. If you don't mortally wound the tree, the roots will grow back — sometimes denser than they were to start with.
Technique to try: Growing in containers.
Sink large plastic containers into the soil, and the aggressive tree roots won't be able to rob your small shrubs, perennials or annuals of nutrients and moisture. Make sure the containers have drainage holes.
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First, dig the hole deep enough that the lip of the pot won't stick up above the soil more than 2 inches. After planting, a layer of mulch will disguise the pot edges. Leaving the lip sticking up a bit helps when it comes time to lift the pot out of the ground if you need to. It gives you a place to grab onto.
 Second, you'll need to cut a few tree roots to set the pot into the soil, but not enough to seriously harm the tree.
Third, fill the pot with garden soil and you're ready to plant. Use a soil that has lots of organic material, such as compost, worked into it. Don't use a lightweight potting mix — it'll dry out too quickly.
Fourth, as the perennials grow, you'll need to divide them every few years. Remove them from the pot, divide them into smaller sections and replant them. Replace the old soil in the container at this time.
And finally, small shrubs in containers might need to be pulled out of the pot and have their roots trimmed every few years. That'll keep them from growing too large for the container.
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Planting Beneath Shade Trees | Deep-Rooted Trees |
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