What's wrong with this picture?

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j1.../Image009z.jpg

This is a 50 yr old eucalyptus in our back yard in a house we just bought,
brand new construction. Soil is 18 inches higher than the neighbor's behind
the wall. Shouldn't a root ball be visible above grade? Could the roots be
in danger of rotting?

Also, isn't the block wall too close to the trunk? I wonder whether the
wall footing is resting on the tree roots.

Any opinions?

g'day henry,

just wondering if there has been some soil fill built up around the
base of the tree over the root zone, if so the tree is likely to die.

yes it is too close to the wall, and not the sort of tree that is
considered suitable for the average garden or street tree, looks like
one of the forest gums/eucalypts which are prone to dropping major
limbs and falling over often without any obvious reason. already got a
bit of a lean on it.

my advice would be to consider having it removed.



On Thu, 9 Oct 2008 10:10:49 -0700, "Henry VIII"
wrote:

snipped
With peace and brightest of blessings,

len & bev

--
"Be Content With What You Have And
May You Find Serenity and Tranquillity In
A World That You May Not Understand."

http://www.lensgarden.com.au/

"len gardener" wrote in message

just wondering if there has been some soil fill built up around the
base of the tree over the root zone, if so the tree is likely to die.

I was wondering exactly the same thing, and I agree, if the soil build up is
more than 30cm, that tree will die. It certainly looks suspiciously like it
has soil build up. It certainly doesn't look like the base around any gum
tree I've ever seen - too neat and not scruffy enough.

Henry

The tree does not have a trunk flare for starters.


--
Sincerely,
John A. Keslick, Jr.
Consulting Tree Biologist
www.treedictionary.com
and
http://home.ccil.org/~treeman
Watch out for so-called tree experts who do not understand tree biology.
Storms, fires, floods, earthquakes, tornado's, volcanic eruptions and other
abiotic forces keep reminding humans that they are not the boss.

"Henry VIII" wrote in message
...
What's wrong with this picture?

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j1.../Image009z.jpg

This is a 50 yr old eucalyptus in our back yard in a house we just bought,
brand new construction. Soil is 18 inches higher than the neighbor's
behind the wall. Shouldn't a root ball be visible above grade? Could the
roots be in danger of rotting?

Also, isn't the block wall too close to the trunk? I wonder whether the
wall footing is resting on the tree roots.

Any opinions?

On Oct 9, 1:10*pm, "Henry VIII"
wrote:
What's wrong with this picture?

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j1.../Image009z.jpg

This is a 50 yr old eucalyptus in our back yard in a house we just bought,
brand new construction. *Soil is 18 inches higher than the neighbor's behind
the wall. *Shouldn't a root ball be visible above grade? *Could the roots be
in danger of rotting?

Also, isn't the block wall too close to the trunk? *I wonder whether the
wall footing is resting on the tree roots.

Any opinions?

It looks to me you may be in danger of losing part of your wall. There
could be roots that are under and through the base of the wall. Now it
looks like a pretty good sized tree, so if it went it could damage
your wall.

"chuckie" wrote in message
...
On Oct 9, 1:10 pm, "Henry VIII"
wrote:
What's wrong with this picture?

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j1.../Image009z.jpg

This is a 50 yr old eucalyptus in our back yard in a house we just bought,
brand new construction. Soil is 18 inches higher than the neighbor's
behind
the wall. Shouldn't a root ball be visible above grade? Could the roots be
in danger of rotting?

Also, isn't the block wall too close to the trunk? I wonder whether the
wall footing is resting on the tree roots.

Any opinions?

It looks to me you may be in danger of losing part of your wall. There
could be roots that are under and through the base of the wall. Now it
looks like a pretty good sized tree, so if it went it could damage
your wall.

It depends on the quality of the wall.

--
Sincerely,
John A. Keslick, Jr.
Consulting Tree Biologist
www.treedictionary.com
and
http://home.ccil.org/~treeman
Watch out for so-called tree experts who do not understand tree biology.
Storms, fires, floods, earthquakes, tornado's, volcanic eruptions and other
abiotic forces keep reminding humans that they are not the boss.

could be roots that are under and through the base of the wall. Now it
looks like a pretty good sized tree, so if it went it could damage
your wall.

It depends on the quality of the wall.
Sincerely,
John A. Keslick, Jr.
Consulting Tree Biologist
www.treedictionary.com
and
http://home.ccil.org/~treeman


Those sort of trees have roots which are notoriously invasive and will
damage pipes and plumbing. Workmen that I meet usually have many stories of
too close eucaplytus trees causing cracks in house plumbings.

I'd also remove it.