JoAnne Skelly: How to get rid of roots naturally

I had a question about how to get rid of roots naturally. Doing things without inorganic chemical inputs usually requires physical work and diligence.

First, are the roots attached to a living plant/tree or are they remnants of something that died or was removed? If living, some sources say to cut the roots with loppers or a root pruning saw. I use a regular limb saw when I prune out a small root.

On the other hand, where the problem roots are located may mean hiring a professional; for example — if they are going under a foundation, if the roots are quite large; or if to help facilitate tree stump removal. A professional should be able to determine if removing a problem root might cause the tree to become unstable or unsafe.

A tree’s root system makes up almost 65 percent of its total biomass. Therefore, root removal on live trees should be done as close to the end of the root as possible to keep damage to the tree to a minimum. A problem with cutting roots on living trees, especially on strong growers such as poplars, is that new sprouts come up everywhere and more roots grow trying to replace those removed. This can sometimes lead to more root problems.

Eliminating roots of dead plants/trees, or those you have removed, means no real care is needed, because you are just trying to get rid of roots that might be in the way of new plants, irrigation, or some other desirable project. This type of clearing of old roots requires a strong back, good tools such as a pickaxe, saw, shovel and possibly chains and a strong vehicle. Hard work, I know.

Stump grinding is an option in trees that have been cut down. But, unless the tree was dead, all its remaining roots may continue to grow and produce multiple new trees. With dead roots, it can take years for them to decompose. When they do, they add organic matter to the soil, but in the meantime, it can be almost impossible to plant where the leftover roots are.

It can be difficult to kill living roots naturally. You have to starve them of nutrients, which requires pruning out any suckers as soon as you see them, day after day, week after week. Try not to provide water to where the roots are growing. This could be quite difficult if other plants nearby need water.

JoAnne Skelly is Associate Professor & Extension Educator Emerita

University of Nevada Cooperative Extension. Reach her at skellyj@unr.edu.