Question
QUESTION: I had a landscaper do some landscape. Had to cut the end of some roots off. Now I have water that comes from the end of the roots. It also looks like snot substance at the end where the water comes out. What would be causing this and is there any way to stop it. The ground is always wet with water you can see. Where you can see the end of the root if you tramp on the ground you will see water come out the root. The roots are close to the surface. This has been like this for awhile. Is there also a way to kill the roots. Don't know what trees the roots are coming from. Thank You.

ANSWER: This is normal for cut roots in the spring. The root system is still alive and the roots are doing their job in the spring --pumping water to the leaves so they will sprout. This is the natural process in the spring. Your tree has no trunk or leaves but the roots are still active and thus the water coming from the roots. This will stop as the root system dies. Once the roots use all the stored energy and no new growth of leaves happens to replace the energy supply in the roots they will die.

IF you put a herbicide on the roots to kill them you will at the least damage the tree at at the worst kill the tree that the roots come from. Do nothing to the root it will stop bleeding as spring goes away.


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QUESTION: Is there a special kind of herbicide to use and where do I get it and what kind is best use. I was also told you could use copper nails in the roots to kill them. Is this true. Sounds like the herbicide would work better. Thank You.

Answer
Do not use a herbicide on the roots. It may kill the tree they are connected to. The herbicide will after the root is killed stop the water seeping but it will take as long as the root healing over by itself.  The root will heal over by itself soon . I would just leave it be now. The copper nail will not do anything for the water.