hal wrote:
I hope this is not OT here. I am going to put in a new yard. The current
one is barely there. This lack of grass has resulted in erosion of the soil
and exposing of tree roots.

I'm going to till the yard under but don't want to harm the roots as you can
imagine. The trees are tall and nice, probably 25yrs old.

My plan was to:

- dump some enriched new topsoil into the yard and level it out

- determine the depth that the tiller goes

- follow the exposed root to where it goes underground

- determine at what point the root goes deep enough to be safe from the
blade

- plant a stake there, then plant one where the root joints the base of the
tree

- tie a string between the stakes

Then it seems I should be able to till the whole yard under without hitting
a root as long as I avoid the string.

I've helped put in a yard on a new construction house but the trees were
tiny and roots were not an issue. Let me know if you see any problems with
this plan. Thanks.


I'll be putting in sod after the tilling. I plan to thin out the canopy of
branches overhead. Even though it's a nice looking canopy and I keep the
branches trimmed, I think the lack of light is what contributed to the
decline of the yard.




If I were you I would contact someone knowledgeable about trees and
their care. Some trees (Oaks for instance) can be killed by covering
exposed roots or changing the soil level near the base of the tree. A
local extension service expert has a radio show where people call in
with gardening questions. Often the complaint is "How do I grow grass
under my tree with exposed roots?" Invariably, she will say that if
forced to choose between the tree and grass, take the tree. Good luck.