Tell us a little bit about the trees! Species, size, distance from house, etc. The main portion of the non-woody roots of most trees is in the 0-6 inch range. You can do a whole lot of digging without damaging the tree! But let's talk about the situation and come up with a solution.

Hey!

I think the roots belong to a tree that was chopped down before we moved here in June. The roots range from 1-2 inches in diameter. The only other trees that the roots could belong to are about 30+ feet away, one an oak tree, the other some type of pine tree. Hope this helps!

If you can get your hands on a rear tine tiller it should lossen everything up nicely. A Toro Dingo with a tiller and toothed bucket will tear through almost any small roots.