Arizona Ash roots above ground

DimeGonzo

I have two large and probably old arizona ash trees in my backyard. They both have a couple of roots that are above ground and pretty large, the lawnmower has to do a speed bump thing to get over one of them. Is it safe to cut them out? I saw somewhere that one a year is ok, is that true? I don't know how to post pics but I can post some when I figure out how. I want to resod my yard and these are definately in the way. Any help is appreciated.

Brent Ferris

Pics would help a lot. Cutting off roots is not recommended. Do you think you would mind if someone cut off one of your toes or feet every year? do you think you would notice?

The tree will definitely notice the loss of a major root, and will prob die on that side,.

The grade can be raised - slowly -- preferably no more than 1/2 inch to 1 inch per year. More than that, root suffocation is highly likely, and tree death. If the roots bother you so much, perhaps you can put in a garden bed and grow flowers or veg's in the root area -- and less lawn to cut!

DimeGonzo

Thanks for the reply, but the roots run across the breadth of my backyard. Any flowerbeds would make the yard look like it was cut in 3rds.

Brent Ferris

Then you need to decide if roots are more important than sod. There is no magic solution for making the roots disappear. Adding enough soil to hide the roots so sod will grow, will suffocate the Ash and they will die. Cutting off major roots will very likely kill the trees on the side of the tree the roots are, possibly kill the tree, and very likely destabilize the tree(s) making them more susceptible to windthrow.
Get in a knowledgeable arborist that cares about the trees more than a job, and get an opinion on the health of the trees and their expected life -- and then make an informed decision. If the trees are in good shape, and still have lots of growing years to grow, I would pick the trees.

Eric Frei

You can do slight grade changes with sand, we're talking say a 50mm (2") lift. Will that do it?

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TreeSpecialist

Likely as not, you are in a heavy clay soil. The roots have come to the surface to breathe.

You can raise the grade over the roots using straight sand. The grass will come up through the sand and it wont hurt the roots.

Hitting the roots weekly with a lawnmower will do immense damage.

In Texas, the Arizona ash has a useful (safe) life of about 30 to 35 years. And then it will cost small fortune to remove. It's job security for arborists.

You might think about replacement trees soon - get them planted now and whittle away at the ash as the replacement trees grow.

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DimeGonzo

Well my house is 28 yrs old and these trees are about 10 feet above the peak of my roof. So I guess they are "done" living. Thanks for the input.

Brent Ferris

I wouldn't say the trees are done, unless there are an increasing number of dead branches in the crown. But planting replacement trees is a good idea. I can understand TreeSpecialist's fondness for Arizona Ash. We have Manitoba Maple and Lombardy Poplar here that help keep us afloat.