A root barrier is an underground

wall A wall is a structure and a surface that defines an area; carries a load; provides security, shelter, or soundproofing; or, is decorative. There are many kinds of walls, including: * Walls in buildings that form a fundamental part of the su ...

placed to block

plant Plants are predominantly Photosynthesis, photosynthetic eukaryotes of the Kingdom (biology), kingdom Plantae. Historically, the plant kingdom encompassed all living things that were not animals, and included algae and fungi; however, all curr ...

roots A root is the part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors the plant body, and absorbs and stores water and nutrients. Root or roots may also refer to: Art, entertainment, and media * ''The Root'' (magazine), an online magazine focusing ...

. This is often for the purpose of protecting structures or other plants, but root barriers are also used to preserve

soil Soil, also commonly referred to as earth or dirt, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, liquids, and organisms that together support life. Some scientific definitions distinguish ''dirt'' from ''soil'' by restricting the former ...

moisture.

Development

Root barriers were developed to stop

trees In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

damaging buildings.

Concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most ...

was historically a common material but since 1992

plastic Plastics are a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials that use polymers as a main ingredient. Their plasticity makes it possible for plastics to be moulded, extruded or pressed into solid objects of various shapes. This adaptab ...

root barriers have become more common due to their resistance to cracking caused by

and

moisture Moisture is the presence of a liquid, especially water, often in trace amounts. Small amounts of water may be found, for example, in the air (humidity), in foods, and in some commercial products. Moisture also refers to the amount of water vapo ...

movement.

Placement

Root barriers intended to protect structures normally run parallel to the structure at a distance. They typically extend down to a naturally-occurring soil layer which is not penetrable by roots, to prevent the roots growing under the barrier. To avoid endangering trees, root barriers must be placed some distance away from the tree and avoid surrounding it completely.

Applications

Root barriers can be used to protect infrastructure from damage by tree roots below. They are also moisture-proof, which can be useful to preserve buildings on clay soils by preventing moisture escaping laterally. After installation the soil under the building can be rehydrated if necessary. Root barriers are also used to separate plant roots from each other. In particular, walnut trees secrete the chemical

juglone Juglone, also called 5-hydroxy-1,4-naphthalenedione (IUPAC) is an organic compound with the molecular formula C10H6O3. In the food industry, juglone is also known as C.I. Natural Brown 7 and C.I. 75500. It is insoluble in benzene but soluble i ...

which is toxic to other plants but the use of root barriers can prevent the yield reduction that would normally occur when walnut trees are alley cropped with

maize Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn ( North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. ...

as often occurs in the

American Midwest The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four Census Bureau Region, census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of ...

References

Horticulture {{Horticulture-stub