Root Pruning

Root Pruning for Fruit Trees, Oak Trees & More

Trees are essential for human life as we know it. They take carbon dioxide and turn it into oxygen, so their importance cannot be overstated. However, sometimes the natural and the man-made worlds do clash, as when tree roots disrupt essential services like gas and telecommunications. How can you extract these tree roots from these services without causing damage to either? At Rootcontrollers Australia, we have access to cutting-edge technology that can expose tree roots without damaging them. We can then carry out root pruning for fruit trees and other tree species to strategically trim the roots to ensure they no longer impede the operation of services. Sometimes people need tree root pruning for other reasons, such as relocating a tree or removing dead roots. We can also help with these situations too – just give our team a call.

Why Do You Need Tree Root Pruning?

There are a few reasons as to why tree root pruning may be necessary. The ones we most frequently come across are:

Risk of Damage

Root pruning is necessary when there is risk of damage to infrastructure by roots underground, such as gas or telecommunications services. Roots aren’t picky about where they grow. They’re attracted to water and nutrients, so if they can find these things near essential services, they will potentially pose a threat to the welfare of these services.


If you want to relocate a tree to a new area, you may need to trim the roots so you can extract the tree from its current location. Keeping the structural root zone in place, we only remove the roots that are essential to extract in order to carry out the relocation.

Dead Roots

To eradicate dead roots that are slowing the growth and impeding the health of a tree, we use tree root pruning. Not all tree roots are beneficial to the health of a tree. When tree roots die, they become dead weight that gets in the way of the tree’s growth. When we carry out root pruning, we pay attention to keep the structural root zone in-tact and only eliminate roots that aren’t contributing to the tree’s ongoing growth.

What is a Structural Root Zone and Why is it Important?

The structural root zone (SRZ) is a region of roots encircling the tree trunk that is 100% necessary to ensure a tree’s stability. If roots are damaged in this location, the tree may become unstable in the ground and may even fall over due to the roots not having enough hold in the soil. You can see why avoiding damage to this area is very important in ensuring the long-term viability of the tree. At Rootcontrollers Australia, we’re always very careful to avoid injury to the structural root zone when we’re conducting root pruning for our clients. Our method of hydro-excavation allows us to dig up to 2 metres down into the soil, exposing all roots without causing harm. From there, we can identify the structural root zone of the tree and avoid removing roots from that area.

What Kind of Tree Roots Can We Prune?

We can help you with tree pruning for a wide range of trees, from pruning bare root fruit trees to root pruning for oak trees. Other common tasks we carry out include root pruning for the ficus tree, general root pruning for fruit trees and root pruning for mature trees.

Enquire About Our Tree Root Pruning Services Today

At Rootcontrollers Australia, we have all the technology and know-how necessary to carry out precise and successful tree root pruning that ensures the long-term viability of your trees. Whether you’re concerned about damage to essential services by roots, need to relocate a tree, or need dead roots removed from a tree, we can help you. Call us today on 1300 348 068.