On Apr 29, 5:40 pm, wrote:
On Sun, 29 Apr 2007 18:20:47 GMT, len garden wrote:

|but ther again if ther are any trees around with invasive root systems
|and fucus are at the top of the list these trees will clog up the
|drain in no time at all.

Haha! I think you meant ficus?

But seriously: Are we talking about edible fig trees? I had the impression that
they had fairly restricted root systems.
Alexander

No, these aren't fig trees. I think there are a lot of kinds of ficus,
but the ones I have are notorious for aggressive, invasive roots. I
just pulled up a 40-foot run of 3" drain pipe that was literally
packed full of roots. I hear they are related to banyan trees, and if
you saw their surface roots you would understand why. They spread out
all over the yard, and you just have to cut them back every couple of
years. Doing so doesn't seem to harm the tree -- in fact, they say you
would be hard pressed to get rid of a ficus no matter how much you
hacked its roots. You just have to make sure to leave enough
stabilizer roots to keep it from blowing over in a storm. In case
you're wondering why I don't just get rid of them, my wife has vetoed
that idea, plus it takes so long to grow a good shade tree to
maturity.

Aside from replacing my drain pipes and replanting my lawn after
removing the surface roots, my problem is finding a way to minimize or
delay the recurrence of the root problem. That's why I inquired about
leak-proofing my drainage system, because the roots are drawn in where
the water leaks out at the joints. I also want to curtail the surface
roots. Studies of root barrier systems have shown that ficus roots go
under the barrier, but come back up to the surface a few feet beyond
them. One thing I was considering, after seeing how they thrive in
drain pipes, is to bury some deep pipes leading outward from near the
base of the tree, with a vertical "shaft" that will allow surface
water to enter the pipe. I'm hoping this would provide a root zone for
the tree below the surface and encourage growth of roots there that
can feed the tree and allow me to ruthlessy hack away anything I see
growing on the surface.

BF