Adding black dirt around mature trees to cover exposed roots

Asked May 4, 2016, 2:19 PM EDT

Hello. I have three large (30-40') trees on my property. Some of their roots are exposed above ground. Can I add black dirt, to cover the exposed roots, without risking any damage to the trees? I can include a photo(s) if you wish. Thank you.

Anoka County Minnesota exposed tree roots

1 Response

Some trees just naturally have large, exposed roots. This makes for difficult mowing, and walking on the lawn. If you can cover this area with mulch, that would be much better for the trees than adding soil.

There are lots of considerations, such as how deep the soil will be, what kind of soil, etc. Here is a publication from the DNR that discusses this issue: