Hi all, I am wondering at the size of the root base for: Karasu gawa, bloodgood, and dissectum trees at approx 10 years and 15 years of age. Everyone talks about tree height and canopy size, but I don't have any info yet about root system size... Or how fast the roots grow. Any descriptions of what the root systems will look like would also be appreciated. The trees will be planted USDA zone 9 region in California in clay soil. Mild winters and hot summers. 1-2 inches around each the planting hole for each tree will be ammended with garden compost. The trees will be on an automatic watering system so the roots won't need to spread or wander in order to find water. Thanks in advance for your help. -Stacey
Generally most folks figure the dripline (where the outermost branches reach to) is about the limit of the main root system, referred to as the critical root zone. Morton Arboretum has a good drawing of a tree root system done by an artist as a tree was excavated, very enlightening.