I have raised beds with permanent borders for my veg garden; trees are 20+feet away but some tree roots are invading my raised beds and spreading root branches through out as well as coming up vertically and making new trees. Can I run a saws-all reciprocating saw vertically all the way around each bed or around the perimeter of the garden to slice down several inches to prevent the roots from destroying my food garden? Trees belong to my neighbor, so I can't chop them down. I've tried installing 1/4inch hardware cloth and heavy-duty landscape on the bottom of the beds, roots grow through and around them. Would doing so break the saws-all? Thanks for your advice!

My guess is, the Sawzall can take it, the roots may be slowed but not stopped.

I'd give it a try.

Thanks Sally! How about cutting a section out of each root a few inches long? Maybe would reduce the number of times per year (or season?) I need to go after it with the Sawzall? Would you suggest I saw around individual beds or the garden perimeter (garden is 25 x 40ft)?

Just severing the root should be sufficient. Can you saw around just outside each bed to give you more time between cuts? Some trees will sprout back from the detached roots and some won't - hopefully you are dealing with non-sprouters.

Do you have lots of rocks?
Wear saftey glasses!

There are root barrier options- often used commercially- and they are pricey!



Home depot has more DIY homeowner stuff.

Look up bamboo control barriers- they range from using a trencher to install a permanent plastic barrier- to just digging and leaving an open trench as a root barrier
https://www.bamboogarden.com/b...
I just don't know the thickness or depth needed for tree roots



Good luck!

Personally, I would rather dig and find the roots near the property line, and cut them there. Fewer bigger cuts, rather than many smaller ones, and revisiting the process will be much less frequent. However, if as porkpal says, some trees will resprout from the roots, especially if the roots left are large.

What I can definitely say is that if you use a sawsall, you will need to purchase several new blades. They will dull very quickly in the soil and then won't cut at all. Also, 6 inches deep won't get all the roots, maybe half (?).

This is why I would prefer nearer to the property line or the outside perimeter: fewer roots to cut. A root saw is fashioned especially to cut in dirt and doesn't dull like a regular saw.

If you use a reciprocating saw, use demolition blades.

If you have a chain saw, use carbide chains.

Interesting idea.
Personally, I think it would be easier to dig a trench on the outside of the grow boxes.
Cutting through dirt?
Seems like soil might corrupt the sawzall when particles invade moving parts.
I would not attempt to cut through soil.

Once the roots are exposed?
No problem to use sawzall to cut through them.

I second the plan of digging and using the sawzall. Sawing through dirt and roots is hard, hard, hard work. Only sawing through roots won't slow them down for very long.

Yes, use the reciprocating saw. I had the same problem with roots encroaching on a location I was going cultivate. I saw the idea of YouTube and tried it. I made several parallel cuts about a foot away from my bed then trenched it and filled in with new soil. I did the same the following year and it was much easier because it had the new soil in it.

Yes, it will dull your blade but that happens when you cut nails and other junk. That's what the saw is for.

No, don't cut close to the property line. If you cut close to the tree you could affect its growth and ability to withstand wind. You don't want to get on bad terms with your neighbor.

No, don't cut close to the property line...

Valid points are made, and I did take them into consideration. it will depend on how big the tree is already, how big the roots that you cut are and the proportion of roots you cut relative to the rest of the roots of the tree. And how much closer to the tree trunk cutting at the property line is.

I have a white spruce tree near the property line, and my neighbor cut two of its encroaching roots on the west side, each four inches in diameter and six feet from the trunk. This was about ten years ago when the tree was thirty-five feet high. The prevailing winds here are from the NW in the winter, SW in the summer. The tree is now fifty feet high, no impact.

My point is that roots will grow 1-3ft a year if they want to, and if you cut just around your bed(s), it will be an every year or every other year process if you want to keep roots out completely. Additionally, if you dig and loosen the soil, that makes the soil environment especially yummy for root growth, and they will grow back that much faster.

Your tree in question is 20ft from the property line, mine is 6ft, but your going to have to make your own decision. It's a myth that roots only grow within the tree canopy's reach. Roots are opportunists and grow the most where the conditions are best. if your soil is better than your neighbor's, once the tree roots invade and discover same, the tree's roots are going to want to grow more in your yard than his. (Likewise, your raised beds are especially "attractive".) It's not uncommon for wild trees to grow three times the height of the tree on one side and less than height of the tree on the other.

If you want to deter roots from growing back, the easiest thing to do is when you have replaced the soil (the more clay-like, the better), get that soil wet, and stomp on it to remove as much air space from the soil as possible. When it dries, the more cement-like it is, the better, because it is least hospitable for root growth. Obviously, this will not impact anything growing in the raised beds, but if (for instance) you grow grass where you dig, the grass won't grow, either.

I see you said your raised beds are 'permanent'? Not sure what that means...concrete? I believve I've solved the root invader problem by raising the 'raised bed' up 3 inches using two stacked 2x4s cut to slightly over the width of the bed, essentially giving it 'feet'. It was a slog emptying the soil infiltrated with roots, screening the soil, and re-covered its bottom with felted landscape cloth so the bed can drain, but if you can lift those beds, it might be a more lasting solution. I'm told it is unlikely that roots will climb up into air. ('Air pruning' should stop them.) They might still grow under the bed, but they can't get into the bed to steal the nutrients. They can take the run off and stay below!

Diablo makes a pruning blade for Sawsalls. I have found them at Home Depot and online at Northern Tool. Super huge, sharp teeth, I have cut down 8" diameter trees with them. Well worth searching for. Just keep your other hand out of the way. ;-)
The roots will grow from wherever you cut them. Might want to keep that in mind for your chopping location.

Keep in mind that any pruning saw meant for above the ground will dull immediately once in the dirt. This includes chainsaws.

When I saw this question I almost thought I might have posted it because I had the exact same issue a month ago. I have Blue Spruce and Maple roots tunneling under the sidewalk and invading my flower beds so I researched this very question. I ended up running the SawsAll right along the edge of sidewalk on both sides of walk. Used my longest wood toothed blade. 8 or 9 inches although I considered ordering a longer one. I know the roots will grow back so I intend to cut them once a month when I give my dog her heartworm pill. (Just to keep track). I'm sure that is more often than necessary but I do NOT want to have to dig up my entire flower bed again to rescue my plants from strangulation.

If you use a reciprocating saw, here are the two of the best demolition blades out there; there are others but these are designed to cut through cement blocks so should no problem cutting through dirt.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Spyde...

https://www.cutwithlenox.com/p...

Those do look effective.