Ligustrum roots

Hi. We have a "Standard" Ligustrum tree which is about 9ft tall,doing well-new shoots all over, We have been deep watering it often, but have noticed lots of roots around the trunk that are very,very close to the surface. Does this mean that our watering has not been done effectifly, we thought its roots would go down to the water table.We don't weant to dig them up too much, so we can't be sure 100% they are the trees, but there isn't anything else nearby that would have so many.What can we do to perswade them downwards?

 

Trees get a lot of their water from the surface of the soil, which is why it's a good idea to avoid competition for the water by not having grass grow right up to the trunk, but having a circle of turf removed to give it some space.

Here's a quote from totaltreehealthcare.com....

" Competition for water and nutrients can compromise a tree's ability to thrive. Grass roots and 90% of a tree's roots occupy the same volume of soil. Yet, grass roots are the first to absorb water and nutrients."

 

Sunshine trees have different ways of growing some send down huge tap roots and find the water table with few surface roots for gatherig nutients, others are shallow rooted and have lots of roots near the surface and get their water and nutrients this way,the privet family are in this class of tree, silver birch is another tree with loads of surface roots you can't alter the way it grows, its these roots that usually kill off the grass close to a tree because the pinch all the water.