Morning!

I moved into my current house last year, and it
had two Leylandii - one in the back garden and
one at the side of the front patio.

Thankfully part of the fence fell on the one in the
back garden (I was suprised at how easily it was
uprooted). I just cut it up and took it to the tip.

As for the one at the front ... I started by trimming it
to keep it neat, but it's grown 3ft in the last year and
I'm not prepared to let it carry on like that! My only
concern about removing it is that it is quite close to
the house. The tree is ~11ft tall and is 3-4ft from the
house. I gather from reading other articles that you
have to be careful when removing trees near houses
as the subsequent disintegration of the root structure
can cause subsidence.

Are the roots likely to have spread more than 3ft to
the side of the trunk? It's planted between patio slabs
and there's no sign of any of them cracking or lifting.
The trunk is 6-8" wide at the base. How wide/deep
is the root ball likely to be?

Thanks in advance for your help,
Al Reynolds

"Al Reynolds" wrote in message
...
Morning!

As for the one at the front ... I started by trimming it
to keep it neat, but it's grown 3ft in the last year and
I'm not prepared to let it carry on like that! My only
concern about removing it is that it is quite close to
the house. The tree is ~11ft tall and is 3-4ft from the
house. I gather from reading other articles that you
have to be careful when removing trees near houses
as the subsequent disintegration of the root structure
can cause subsidence.


If you are concerned seek professional advice &/or speak to your insurance
company.

BUT, if it were my tree and my house I would not be worried about a tree of
that size causing any problems. It is still a baby and is unlikely to have
extensive roots.

(BTW your understanding of the problem is a little off beam. Large trees in
situ sometimes cause subsidence by drying out the soil under the house.
Removing large trees sometimes causes heave - the opposite process - by
ceasing to dry out the soil which then expands as it take in water.)

In article , says...
Morning!

I moved into my current house last year, and it
had two Leylandii - one in the back garden and
one at the side of the front patio.

Thankfully part of the fence fell on the one in the
back garden (I was suprised at how easily it was
uprooted). I just cut it up and took it to the tip.

As for the one at the front ... I started by trimming it
to keep it neat, but it's grown 3ft in the last year and
I'm not prepared to let it carry on like that! My only
concern about removing it is that it is quite close to
the house. The tree is ~11ft tall and is 3-4ft from the
house. I gather from reading other articles that you
have to be careful when removing trees near houses
as the subsequent disintegration of the root structure
can cause subsidence.

Are the roots likely to have spread more than 3ft to
the side of the trunk? It's planted between patio slabs
and there's no sign of any of them cracking or lifting.
The trunk is 6-8" wide at the base. How wide/deep
is the root ball likely to be?

I wouldn't worry about ripping out an 11' one. The roots on a Leylandii
tend to become very thin and wiry within 6" of the base even on a 50'
one we took out here there wasn't much to speak of in the way of big
roots. My trench around the monster of our hedge was no wider than 2'
from the base to allow me to get the hand axe in to get those pesky
little roots that form under the base and make life interesting when
you'r trying to persuade the bugger to give way.

You'll have seen how pathetic their roots are when the previous one fell
over.

Although they do tend to dry the soil out and drain it of nutrients I
don't think yours will be anywhere near old enough or large enough to
affect the foundations of the wall yet.

As you say, you really can't cope with something that grows 3-4' every
year.

Warwick

"Warwick" wrote:
I wouldn't worry about ripping out an 11' one. The roots on a Leylandii
tend to become very thin and wiry within 6" of the base even on a 50'
one we took out here there wasn't much to speak of in the way of big
roots. My trench around the monster of our hedge was no wider than 2'
from the base to allow me to get the hand axe in to get those pesky
little roots that form under the base and make life interesting when
you'r trying to persuade the bugger to give way.

[snip]

As you say, you really can't cope with something that grows 3-4' every
year.

That's it then - it's coming out!
Thanks folks,
Al

"Paul Kelly" wrote in message
...

(BTW your understanding of the problem is a little off beam. Large trees
in
situ sometimes cause subsidence by drying out the soil under the house.
Removing large trees sometimes causes heave - the opposite process - by
ceasing to dry out the soil which then expands as it take in water.)

Cheers - that does make more sense.
Al

"Al Reynolds" wrote:

Hello Al

AR As for the one at the front ... I started by trimming it
AR to keep it neat, but it's grown 3ft in the last year and
AR I'm not prepared to let it carry on like that! My only
AR concern about removing it is that it is quite close to
AR the house. The tree is ~11ft tall and is 3-4ft from the
AR house. I gather from reading other articles that you
AR have to be careful when removing trees near houses
AR as the subsequent disintegration of the root structure
AR can cause subsidence.

Less subsidence, more heave.

But I concur with the other replies, a recent 11' shallow rooted tree
is not going to be missed at all. Let it grow to its full magnificent
size and your lleylandii WILL cause structural problems.

AR Are the roots likely to have spread more than 3ft to
AR the side of the trunk? It's planted between patio slabs
AR and there's no sign of any of them cracking or lifting.
AR The trunk is 6-8" wide at the base. How wide/deep
AR is the root ball likely to be?

You've had one fall over - there's your measurement. Conifers and
cypresses are shallow and flat rooted.

--
Simon Avery, Dartmoor, UK Ý http://www.digdilem.org/

The message MPG.1959057bc399c2f3989794@lateinos
from Warwick contains these words:

I wouldn't worry about ripping out an 11' one. The roots on a Leylandii
tend to become very thin and wiry within 6" of the base even on a 50'
one we took out here there wasn't much to speak of in the way of big
roots. My trench around the monster of our hedge was no wider than 2'
from the base to allow me to get the hand axe in to get those pesky
little roots that form under the base and make life interesting when
you'r trying to persuade the bugger to give way.

Leave a couple of feet of stump standing when you cut off the top
branches, then you can use the stump as a lever, which is a big help
when getting out the severed roots.

Janet.

Xref: kermit uk.rec.gardening:150070

In article ,
says...
The message MPG.1959057bc399c2f3989794@lateinos
from Warwick contains these words:

I wouldn't worry about ripping out an 11' one. The roots on a Leylandii
tend to become very thin and wiry within 6" of the base even on a 50'
one we took out here there wasn't much to speak of in the way of big
roots. My trench around the monster of our hedge was no wider than 2'
from the base to allow me to get the hand axe in to get those pesky
little roots that form under the base and make life interesting when
you'r trying to persuade the bugger to give way.

Leave a couple of feet of stump standing when you cut off the top
branches, then you can use the stump as a lever, which is a big help
when getting out the severed roots.

Ta Janet. I'd missed that *important* fact out. I'd personally put the
height at 4' of grippable stem sinc you can really get a leverage
somewhere a foot or so down from that an not worry about the rope
slipping.

For interest, a 4' high stump is a thing to nail some wires and string
to and grow climbers up. Being a leylandii it'll die with no green stuff
(they can't sprout from low shoots) and with selected Ivy and
Clematis/Jasmine could be a real feature.

Warwick

Thanks for your help everyone.
Al

------------------------------------------------------------
Summarising for Google if people are looking later:

Leylandii tree quite near house (3-4 feet).
11 foot tall, 8" wide trunk.
Unlikely to cause subsidence or heave.
Small root ball.
Grows too bloody quickly!

Advice:
- chop it down
- leave 4 foot stump to use as lever to get root ball out

in article , Al Reynolds at wrote
on 18/6/03 7:52 am:

Thanks for your help everyone.
Al

------------------------------------------------------------
Summarising for Google if people are looking later:

Leylandii tree quite near house (3-4 feet).
11 foot tall, 8" wide trunk.
Unlikely to cause subsidence or heave.
Small root ball.
Grows too bloody quickly!

Advice:
- chop it down
- leave 4 foot stump to use as lever to get root ball out


Or take all the branches off it and use the stump as a support for a
climbing rose or clematis.
--

Sacha