Can Adding Soil Around A Tree Damage It in Florida?
You have a low spot in the yard. The ground around an old oak looks uneven. Maybe
you are getting ready for new sod, fixing drainage, or simply trying to make the
landscaping look cleaner.
Adding a few inches of soil seems like an easy solution.
Around a mature tree, though, it is worth being careful.
A tree that has been growing in the same spot for twenty or thirty years has developed its root system around the existing soil conditions. Covering those roots with additional soil can change the amount of air and water reaching them.
The frustrating part is that you may not notice a problem right away.
The yard can look great when the project is finished. The tree may stay green. Then months or even years later, you start noticing dead branches, thinning leaves, mushrooms near the trunk, or other changes that seem to have appeared for no reason.
For homeowners around Seffner, Brandon, Valrico, Plant City, Riverview, Dover,
Thonotosassa, and Mango, it helps to understand what is happening underneath the
grass before changing the grade around a mature tree.
Most Tree Roots Are Closer To The Surface Than You
Might Think
When people picture tree roots, they often imagine a mirror image of the canopy going
deep underground.
That is not usually how the root system looks.
A large portion of a tree’s roots can be found relatively close to the soil surface and
spread well beyond the trunk. Those roots depend on the surrounding soil for water,
nutrients, and oxygen.
This is why covering them with a substantial amount of new soil can create trouble.
UF IFAS discusses the effects that changing soil grade can have on established trees,
including problems caused by covering existing roots. UF IFAS guidance on trees and
If you are already planning landscaping around a large tree, it is much easier to think
about root protection before the first load of soil arrives.
Our guide to protecting tree roots during landscaping projects in Seffner covers other
common ways yard projects can accidentally affect established roots.
Roots Need Air Too
Roots are underground, but that does not mean they can thrive without oxygen.
Healthy soil contains small spaces that allow air and water to move through it. When a
thick layer of new soil is placed over an established root system, those conditions can
change.
Think about an old oak that has spent decades growing at one soil level. Suddenly
adding several inches of fill across much of its root area creates a very different
environment.
The tree may have difficulty adjusting.
This does not mean a handful of soil used to fill a tiny depression will automatically hurt
a tree. The concern becomes greater when significant amounts of soil are spread across
the root area or piled around the trunk.
Look At The Bottom Of The Trunk
One simple thing homeowners can check is where the trunk meets the ground.
A healthy trunk normally begins to widen near its base as it transitions into the root
system. This area is known as the root flare.
If the trunk looks like a straight pole disappearing into a mound of soil, something may
be covering the original root flare.
Sometimes the culprit is soil.
Other times it is years of mulch being piled around the same tree.
Either way, adding more material around the trunk is usually not something you want
to do without understanding what is already underneath it.
If you are unsure what you are seeing, Certified Arborist Services can help you evaluate
the tree before making bigger changes around it.
Be Careful When Trying To Level A Bumpy Yard
This situation comes up often in Florida yards.
Large roots create humps in the lawn. The mower catches them. Walking across the
area becomes awkward. Someone suggests bringing in topsoil and leveling everything.
It sounds reasonable.
The problem is that those surface roots are part of the tree.
Burying them under a thick layer of soil does not solve whatever caused them to
develop close to the surface. Cutting them so the lawn becomes flat can create another
set of problems.
Before covering or removing large roots, especially close to the trunk, find out how
important they may be to the tree.
This becomes even more important when the tree is large enough to reach a house,
driveway, fence, patio, or neighboring property if it develops serious structural
problems.
New Soil Can Change Where Water Goes
Changing the grade can also change drainage.
Imagine adding soil to one side of the backyard because water keeps collecting there.
You may solve the puddle.
But where does that water go now?
It could begin collecting closer to a mature tree. It could move toward another section
of the root system. In some cases, grading changes can cause areas that were
previously well drained to remain wet after heavy Florida rain.
UF IFAS provides guidance on how changing drainage patterns around trees can affect
their growing conditions. UF IFAS information on changing drainage patterns around
After any major grading project, pay attention during the next few heavy rains.
Look for water collecting around trunks, erosion, exposed roots, unusually soft ground,
or places that remain saturated much longer than they used to.
A Tree Well Does Not Protect Every Root
You may have seen landscaping where new soil is added throughout a yard but a circle
is left open around the tree trunk.
At first glance, that seems like a good compromise.
The trunk stays uncovered, so the tree must be protected, right?
Not necessarily.
A mature tree’s root system extends much farther than the small circle immediately
around its trunk. Leaving the trunk exposed while burying a large portion of the
surrounding roots can still change the conditions the tree depends on.
This is why planning around the entire root area matters more than simply leaving a
neat circle around the trunk.
Tree Problems May Show Up Later
One reason soil related damage can be confusing is that trees do not always respond
immediately.
A landscaping project may finish in spring, and the tree can still look normal months
later.
Over time, however, you might notice the canopy getting thinner.
Other possible changes include smaller leaves, dead branches, reduced growth,
unusual leaf drop, mushrooms near the base, or sections of the canopy that no longer
look as full as they once did.
None of these signs proves that added soil caused the problem. Trees can decline for
many reasons.
They are simply reasons to investigate rather than assuming the tree will recover on its
own.
If dead or declining branches are becoming part of the problem, professional Tree
Trimming and Pruning may be appropriate after the underlying condition of the tree is
considered.
Think About The Tree Before Starting The
Landscaping Project
The best time to deal with this issue is before the yard is torn apart.
If you are planning new sod, pavers, drainage work, a pool, a patio, or major
landscaping, walk the property first.
Which mature trees do you want to keep?
Where are the visible roots?
Where does the trunk meet the original soil?
Where will equipment travel?
Will soil be added or removed?
Will water drain differently when the project is finished?
UF IFAS recommends protecting trees from soil compaction, excavation, root damage,
and grade changes during construction. UF IFAS Protecting Trees During Construction
Thinking through these questions early is much easier than trying to repair root
damage after the project is finished.
What If Soil Has Already Been Added?
Do not panic and start digging everything away.
If the soil has been there for a while, aggressively removing it could disturb roots that
have grown into the new conditions.
Instead, look at the whole situation.
How much soil was added?
How large is the tree?
Is the root flare buried?
Has drainage changed?
Does the tree look different than it did before?
Are there dead branches or signs of decline?
A professional tree evaluation can help determine whether anything needs to be
corrected.
And if a mature tree has developed significant structural or health problems, especially
near a home or other frequently used area, Hazardous Tree Removal may need to be
considered.
Removal is not automatically the answer. The point is to understand the condition of
the tree before deciding what comes next.
A Better Looking Yard Should Still Be A Healthy Yard
There is nothing wrong with wanting a smoother lawn, better drainage, fresh
landscaping, or a cleaner looking property.
Just remember that mature trees are already part of the landscape you are changing.
Their roots may be exactly where the new soil, sod, patio, drainage work, or equipment
needs to go.
A little planning can prevent a simple yard improvement from becoming a tree problem
several years later.
If you are making major changes around mature trees in Seffner or nearby
communities, All Your Way Tree Service can evaluate the trees before the project
begins. If a tree is already declining or poorly positioned for the work you are planning,
professional Tree Removal can also be considered before access to the property
becomes more difficult.
The goal is simple: improve the yard without accidentally sacrificing a healthy tree in the process.
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