Do Tree Roots Grow In Winter. Deciduous trees lose their leaves in autumn so they cannot do photosynthesis and they probably do not grow much or grow at all until spring arrives. Most of a trees roots including its taproot and heart roots grow in the top three feet of soil and spread much wider than the drip line the imaginary line marking where water drips from the leaves of the tree.
Water vapor escapes into the soil near the pipe. Tree roots do not stop growing during cold weather. But it still needs water to survive through the winter so much of the trees energy is spent growing its roots in search of water and oxygen tree roots require oxygen to grow so they arent often found in pipes that are completely filled with water and prefer sewer lines.
Gardening site says that tree roots can grow if the underground temperature is 40F about 4C.
So to keep the leaves from wasting water through transpiration deciduous trees lose their leaves in autumn. At the end of the season plants begin to move these sugars and carbohydrates from the leaves down in the roots to nourish the plant for the winter months. According to the plumber augering my main line tree roots can And our winters here are -30C. Then once its freezing growth pauses and resumes as soil warms.