It’s easy to assume that a tree takes up most of its water and nutrients right at the trunk. But underground, the real action is happening much farther out.
Most nutrient and water uptake happens near the root tips, where roots are young, fine, and actively growing. These root tips are usually found near the outer edge of the canopy—the drip line—and often even beyond it.
That’s why piling compost or fertilizer against the trunk doesn’t help much. The roots there are older and mainly structural. To actually reach the feeding roots, nutrients need to be spread where those root tips live.
In practice: apply compost, mulch, or gentle fertilizers in a wide ring around the tree, roughly under the outer branches. Water there too. Over time, this encourages roots to explore outward and build a wider, more resilient system.
Feeding the edge also feeds soil life. Fungi and microbes around active root tips turn organic matter into plant-available nutrients, improving water retention and long-term stability instead of quick, shallow growth.
