With a shallow-rooted plant, the roots grow significantly more in width than in depth. They remain in the upper layers of the soil, where they spread out in a plate shape. In older trees, the circumference of the root ball is at least the circumference of the crown. If the crown is narrow, then the bale is actually significantly larger than the crown. With taproots, on the other hand, the root grows far into the depths. The spruce is also a shallow-rooted tree.
Why should spruces be considered as shallow-rooted trees?
The spruce is a shallow-rooted tree whose roots spread widely but do not reach deep into the ground. They rely on a regular supply of water, are vulnerable to wind and cannot use groundwater. When planting, support stakes should be used and sufficient space should be planned.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of shallow roots?
The advantage of its shallow roots is that the spruce can intercept rainwater and nutrients washed into the ground directly and over a larger area before they seep away into the depths.
The resulting disadvantage, however, is that the roots of the spruce do not reach into the groundwater, so the tree is dependent on a regular supply of water from outside through rain or watering.
The fact that a shallow-rooted tree like the spruce is quite susceptible to wind is also a disadvantage. In strong winds or storms, these trees tip over particularly easily and can potentially cause major damage. Planting under a spruce is also not that easy because of the roots that run close to the ground.
Do I have to pay attention to anything when planting a spruce?
Since the spruce is very susceptible to wind due to its shallow roots, you may want to give a young tree a support post (€14.00 on Amazon) to the side. This is not necessary for a sapling, but for a slightly taller tree a support can be useful. Because of their susceptibility to wind, spruce trees are best planted in such a way that buildings cannot be damaged if they fall over.
The most important things in brief:
- Roots grow wide
- Roots don't go particularly deep into the ground
- usually no possibility of covering water requirements from groundwater
- regular water intake is therefore very important
- very susceptible to wind, especially as a solitary tree
- support stake may be required when planting larger trees
Tip
Don't plan the space required of a spruce too small before planting, the roots spread very far.
