Mighty Beeches

Today's the day ...................... to root for

I never get tired of looking at these magnificent beech trees with their gnarled roots, just down the road from us.  They look as if they are hanging on to the soil by their knuckles.

Apparently, the majority of roots do grow in the top 2 feet of the soil, where warmth, moisture and nutrients abound. Even the deepest structural and anchoring ones do not penetrate deeper than 3 to 7 feet.  However, the roots will extend well beyond the edges of the branches - sometimes up to four times the area of the tree's canopy.  Tree root growth is affected by soil temperature and soil compaction.  Compacted soil is more dense the deeper down you go, and nutrients are not as abundant since water does not move freely through it.

So, if you want to look after your mighty beech, keep the large root zone protected with a copious and nutritious layer of organic mulch, 3 to 5 inches deep. This keeps summer soil temperatures cooler, retains soil moisture and helps shield the soil from compaction from too much foot traffic ...............