Question
I live in Appleton, WI and recently my pussy willow tree split in half due to an ice storm. The tree was mature about 10-12 feet in height. My question is will there be a tap root to contend with when removing the trunk which is now lying in about a 45 degree angle?

Answer
Hi Tom,

Most likely you will not have a large tap root to contend with with such a small tree. If the tree was planted in fairly fertile soil and doesn't have to go deep for water, then most of the roots will be found in the upper 3 feet of soil. In dryer climates you might find a trees with deep roots as they search for water. In your case though I wouldn't expect to encounter too much that a little sweat and muscle couldn't deal with.

Here's a link to an interesting book discussing this very question:
http://books.google.com/books?id=w6bUF8bOfKEC&pg=PA74&lpg=PA74&dq=willow+and+tap

Thanks for the question and best of luck with your project.

James