OK, all you green thumbs

[BigAl]

Hi Danny ,
Yes I know what "Green thumb" means ,but I saw a great chance to stir the pot ,as they say . Cutting roots on any tree can be a iffy situation . Can you dig a holeunder or through the root system and use a solid pipe in just that section to lessen any trauma the tree might recieve ? I would use some B-1 on the area around the tree to help stop tree shock .
Big Al

 

[DannyD]

Yes I can probably get it tilled and removed without damage, but I was unsure how the roots in gravel might fair afterward. I plan on there being about 6" of the colored stones the whole length and these are above that grade in the soil.

 

[EddieWalker]

Danny,

If the tree is important to your missus, I'd bring a leaf and a branch to your local nursury and explain to them what you want to do.

Two reasons for this. First is that many people may know the general species of their trees, but an aweful lot of people call them the wrong species or get the variety wrong. The other reason, and the more important one, if the tree dies, and they said it shouldn't, then it's not your fault.

I do know that winter is the best time to prune, transplant and basically mess with trees with the minimum amount of impact.

Good luck,
Eddie

 

[DannyD]

it is a maple tree, which gives lots of leaves, which is the reason I dont care, but she does.

thanks for the way to get the monkey off my back though.

 

[RonR]

I did a job for a lady this fall involving tree roots. Her smallish front yard was so overgrown with maple roots on top of the ground, you couldn't walk across it without tripping.

She was selling the house and needed the front fixed. I told her that the right way to cut out the roots was to cut 1/8th pie shaped sections out each year on opposite sides and the tree would survive. Doing it all at once might put the tree at risk, but she said go for it!

I tried a couple of tools (axe, etc) and figured out that a reciprocal saw with a tree blade (I bought 4 for the job) did the best.

I started at one side and started cutting and pulling. Took me 4 hours and one full pickup load of roots to finish. Hauled in 8 yards of topsoil to spread over the top and reshape the yard, then scratched in fescue.

Looked great when I got finished. My two cents.
ron

 

[Junkman]

Would you like flowers or donations at the funeral? I believe that anything you do to that tree is going to kill it. It is quite large and the root system is quite extensive. Now is the time to tackle it if you are going to do it. Once it starts to leaf out, it is too late. Your window of opportunity is rapidly closing. You might just shock the tree and get away with it, but tell her that it is a 50/50 proposition. If it doesn't make it, you will dig that one out and plant another. You never can tell with trees how they will survive. If you do go for the root cutting, then make sure that the tree is well watered at least twice a week for the entire summer. This will help it to survive with the loss of the root system on that side. Don't feed the tree either. Wait till the following year to see how well it makes out. If it does survive after the next winter, then feed the tree. Good luck and please post pictures..... Junk...

 

[DannyD]

Thanks Guys,

I am thinking that I should backhoe the ditch, then, if I can get the roots to move without cutting them I might be better off. I can then see if I can get the pipe around them as you suggested Al. I am now thinking about not doing the 4' wide path, but making it only the width of the pipe ditch. Putting rock in and decorative rock on top to "hide" the ditch.

 

[have_blue]

Whack the roots off pretty close to the tree. Maple roots will recover quickly, and you will find yourself having to trim them back to keep them from invading your pipe. Consider a concrete root barrier...a deep narrow trench filled with dry concrete mix up to about 1-2" from grade. Takes 1 hour with a sharpshooter shovel, lasts a lifetime.

 

[aondre]

I agree with 'have blue', the maple roots will recover quickly and they should be cut back further than your trench. A couple of other tips: cut the roots cleanly with a chainsaw or sawsall, apply vertimulch where the roots were cut, trim a few of the branches (5%) from the crown of the tree, only do the root pruning while the tree is dormant, extra water and some fertilizer will help the tree through the critical first summer. If you do these things the tree will probably recover fine, but remember anytime you deal with mother nature there is no sure thing.

 

[Nasty135]

DannyD, With trees if you take some off the bottom you should take some off the top ,because the bottom supports the food to the top. If the bottom can't feed the top /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Not sure about the safe amount . A good friend of mine who worked for a nursery always said the best thing you can do for a tree is prune ,prune ,prune . Doesn't look like it going to be a fun job