Tree roots taking over front lawn

Credit: Peter Kaminski

Q: Hello from the Kootenay’s! I have a huge blue spruce tree (50-60 feet tall) in my front yard and we’re always tripping over its roots. They also push up against my walkway to my house, which is a bit of a concern. Would it be okay to just cover them with more dirt and then grass. My husband wants to cut the tree down, but I don’t as we only have a few decent trees on our acreage. Plus, we need the shade.

We live in Winlaw B.C. – just outside of Nelson.

Thank you so much for your time.

Yes, you can cover the roots with soil and grass. If the roots are very numerous, I would suggest removing whatever grass remains and mulch the area with wood chips. This may sound drastic but one must realize that grass (lawn) and trees do not normally coexist in the wild. You might consider redoing the landscaping in the front with an alternative groundcover for dry shade, such as ‘Bugleweed’ (Ajuga), plus other shrubbery, like ‘Deer Fern’ (Blechnum spicant).