Tim Watts wrote:
Hi,

Before I take a saw to 3 trees growing over a 6" shared sewer on my land,
are there any good tree data books anyone can recommend which indicate how
pervasive (spread) and deep roots of various species tend to go?

Poplars and willows (especially) will go looking for water. Willows will
invade drains and block them completely, and one in a dry situation may
send roots up to quarter of a mile.

eg I have one tree of a species I don't know which must come down because
its 4" trunk is about to crack the wall of a drain pit. Small tree so easy
enough...

Ideally, dig round the roots and pull the tree over, using its height as
a lever. You can then remove the rootball. Some trees will shoot from
the roots/base if you just cut them down.

But I also have an Ash and an apple tree of some sort right over the drain
pipe further down, which runs about 3-4 foot under the surface.

I wouldn't worry about the apple as the roots tend to be fairly shallow.
The ash is a different matter.

So I need to
make an intelligent decision as to whether either is a risk.

If the drain is 3' - 4' deep, I'd say the apple is not a problem. The
ash is, or is likely to be when it gets bigger. (And they can get *VERY*
big.)

I'm also interested in the potential spread - having just had an almighty
(probably) leylandii (or some sort of fast growing evergreen) felled at some
expense - it was within 2m of the house dropping bits into the gutters and I
later found roots about 2" thick heading towards the rather insubstantial
foundations. Based on the root-spread = branch span rule of thumb, I came
out of it rather well as I would have expected worse.

Once your conifer is cut down the roots are no longer a problem. They
won't grow, and the stump won't shoot.

So I feel I need to start understanding trees a bit more! ;-


I believe the heir to the throne speaks to them - he might come and
-------- no carrier ---------

--
Rusty