'Stuff' Growing Next To Your House/Buildings

[polo1665]

If I had known 40 years ago what I know now, I could have saved myself several thousand dollars in tree trimming and tree removal. A six foot Cottonwood growing next to the house eventually turns into an 80 foot giant that threatens to crush your and your neighbor's house. Also, Redbuds don't live very long, Ash trees don't either and grass doesn't grow well under big Maples...and Mulberry trees are MESSY! Squirrels get your Pecans, pears and apples.

Around here Ash trees lived a long time until the emerald ash borer came to town. Now I have several large dead ash trees that need to come down.

Elm trees certainly don't live to get too large around my parts either.

 

[ChuckT]

Nurseries and Landscapers will advertise how wonderful their Botanicals are but not how practical.

 

[Maxify55]

We had that problem years ago but opted to remove all the vegetation from around the base of the home in favor or river stone. Yards and yards of smooth river stone were installed after removing about 4” of various organic materials . It’s not for everyone but we like it. It certainly cuts down on the bugs in the home when the seasons turn.

 

[Jstpssng]

Yeah, you've got to be smart about what you plant where. My wife has plants alongside the house, but they're all ones that stay relatively small as opposed to ones that will turn into trees someday. We also keep any bushes well away from the leachfield. The sun isn't so strong this far north that we need shade on the house itself. Likewise snakes and rodents aren't really a problem here.

Consider yourself lucky, we must have all of the mice which were scheduled for your area. My place is on a slab, and had 1" blue foam underneath for insulation... the mice destroyed it. I would lay in bed at might listening to them gnawing on it, and finally ripped it all out.

 

[JethroB]

My cousin would let his wife plant anything, anywhere. If it was inappropriate or in the wrong place it would die of the blight.
His wife always asked me if I had as much blight as they did, since they lived across the road from me.
I never had the heart to tell her Roundup was her blight.

Good one. Reminds me of the feral kittens that used to come and go around my sisters house. I asked about them and my sister gives her husband the stink-eye. With his most innocent face he says, It must be the coyotes.

 

[Oaktree]

Consider yourself lucky, we must have all of the mice which were scheduled for your area. My place is on a slab, and had 1" blue foam underneath for insulation... the mice destroyed it. I would lay in bed at might listening to them gnawing on it, and finally ripped it all out.

I do!! Not sure why, but (knock knock) we have very little problem with rodents. I'm sure our cats help, but even when we first bought the place there was very little evidence of mice. Not that I'm complaining!! I'm guessing there are enough critters that enjoy a meal of mouse who keep things under control.

 

[KennyG]

We had that problem years ago but opted to remove all the vegetation from around the base of the home in favor or river stone. Yards and yards of smooth river stone were installed after removing about 4” of various organic materials . It’s not for everyone but we like it. It certainly cuts down on the bugs in the home when the seasons turn.

I've done the same thing. Works great and, in my view, looks fine.

 

[gstrom99]

When I bought my Iowa acreage, it had been neglected for probably 20+ years. The trees growing right next to the barn were over the gutter edges and hitting the power lines. One of the very first things I did, was attack them trees. It took awhile. Here is a pic of them, after cutting down. Pretty good mess. My Deere does not have a grapple, unfortunately. I had the same issue with all the other outbuildings. Used Tordon on the stumps, so they would never grow back.

 

[lilranch2001]

When we built, the house was in the front of woods, so I cleared approx an acre of those woods, except for a scattering of walnuts a pin oak and a dozen hard maples.

The ex and I had more than one disagreement on plantings around the house, and one of the few cases, I won, mostly because she wasnt about to do that much physical labor planting anything.

Nothing was left closer than 20 feet of the house, in hind site, I would have taken all the walnuts down, most of the hard maples, and the pin oak that has grown faster than I ever thought possible, a 12-14 inch Pin Oak 30 years ago is now a 30 inch pin oak, I had a timber buyer out a month ago, and he is not even interested in the Pin Oak, even if I gave it to him for taking it down! From what I understand, Pin Oaks make a very poor timber log

 

[lilranch2001]

When I bought my Iowa acreage, it had been neglected for probably 20+ years. The trees growing right next to the barn were over the gutter edges and hitting the power lines. One of the very first things I did, was attack them trees. It took awhile. Here is a pic of them, after cutting down. Pretty good mess. My Deere does not have a grapple, unfortunately. I had the same issue with all the other outbuildings. Used Tordon on the stumps, so they would never grow back.

I do not know why people let their building get so far out of hand, it is sure a whole lot easier to deal with them earlier than later