Root System

• The bulk of a tree's roots sits between 6 inches and 24 inches below the surface. The roots spread out to a circumference two to four times wider than the crown of the tree. Smaller feeder roots spread out from the larger roots and grow upward toward the surface to receive water, oxygen and minerals.
  
  

Watering Conditions

• Water influences where the roots spread because they grow toward the availability of water and nutrients. Water has no effect on the direction the trunk or the foliage grows. Factors such as wind, sunlight and gravity influenced the growth of those parts.
  
  

Exceptions

• Over-watering or under-watering a tree will have an effect on the general structure and health of the tree. If a tree is perched in a precarious position, such as a ledge, the growth of the roots toward a water source may cause the tree to tilt in one direction or another.