Maple Roots

Question:

 We have a soft maple tree in our yard. Some of the large roots are exposed making it impossible to grow anything. We have a porch and deck about 5-6' away from the tree. The land slopes down from the porch and deck and we need to put something in to stop erosion from under the porch and deck. We have thought of putting in a timber planter digging down a bit. What impact would this have on the tree as we would have to cut into the root? Do you have any other suggestions?

Minnesota Master Gardeners say:

 The tree roots should not be severed or injured in any way. The addition of soil over the root system should also be avoided. You might consider installing some shade tolerant plants in this area such as hosta, astilbe, aster, ferns Japanese spurge, bergenia, our native wild ginger, European ginger, ajuga and bleeding heart. Mulching the plants with compost, chopped leaves or wood chips will help to slow down the runoff. The root system of the plants will help stabilize the soil.

Erosion problems can sometimes be prevented or minimized by redirecting the water flow away from the site where the erosion is occurring. For example, if the source of water is a downspout, add another section or two of pipe at the bottom and redirect the water into a grassy area. If the water is coming from a paved surface such as a driveway, it might be necessary to reshape the slope by installing a drainage swale to move the water in a different direction.