Pine tree roots in garden

Question

I have a large pine tree about 12-15 feet away from my garden. I moved into a new house and the garden was already well established and the existing plants grew very well this season. It has a few small shrubs, a large hydrangea, tiger lilies and some other flowers I haven’t identified. I added some of my own lilies and a knockout rose bush, but when I started to dig up the soil, I came across a lot of roots from the large pine tree. The roots are about 1-6 inches beneath the soil with a red/brownish color. Most of them are thin with the largest ones around 1/2″ thick with smaller roots branching off. Will these roots pose a problem for my flowers? I’m concerned that they are sucking up a lot of the nutrients and water in my soil.

Answer 1

They should not cause too much of a problem for your garden. While it is true that the roots will take up water and nutrients, that far away from the garden the effects from the tree should be minimal. You may need to water a bit extra and fertilize a bit more.

Your biggest issue will be acidic soil. Test your garden soil regularly as the needle from pine trees can raise the acid level in the soil.