A Tree Too Near Your House? - Tips on Dealing with It

[@suraya1224]

Hi. 2 questions for you: 1. I have a rhododendron shrub that after 22 yrs here, has grown about 8' tall. It's trunk is thicker than 5", and it's less than 5' from my house foundation. I'd like to relocate it, but is cutting it down a better idea? And 2., I had my septic system replaced this spring, & when the excavation company disturbed the lawn/ leach field, it resulted in a sudden infestation of J. Knotweed! (I marked each sprout w/ lawn marker flags: 300 of them!) The company doesn't want to hear about it, denies any responsibility. Woe is me. So, I had it chemically treated 1 month ago, & then dug up the crowns ystdy. There are still 14 markers where there are large roots visible, where my shovel separated them. What should I do next? Thank you!

[@GreenShoots]

First question is tough to answer in the abstract. A bush that large will be very tough to move without cutting off lots of roots and thus seriously weakening it. With regard to the second question, we have many videos on Japanese and other invasive knotweeds. You definitely want to get that under control especially if it's near the drain field for your septic system. This blog post of our summarizes the KZbin videos and other resources we have: greenshootsnews.blog/2024/04/25/invasive-knotweed-green-shoots-has-new-products-and-resources-for-dealing-with-it/

[@courtneyjones-laweka1716]

Hi! I have a GIANT tree about 4ft away from my house. I'm considering digging a trench and using a root guard to prevent the roots from going under my house. Will this be effective, or should I pay the big bucks and have it removed?

[@GreenShoots]

I don't think the root barrier would do much good. You also don't want to dig up the roots of a living tree because that could affect the tree in many negative ways - may make it more unstable or kill it. Do you want to keep the tree or do you want to remove it? Either way, I would have an arborist come out and inspect it.

[@courtneyjones-laweka1716]

@GreenShoots Thank you. Damage is probably already done😬 Already dug and pruned some roots, thinking it would be okay, cause according to Google as long as it's no closer than 3x the trunk of the tree that it would be OK. I was okay with trying to keep it but my husband wants it gone. Sounds like the damage is already done🤷🏾‍♀️

[@GreenShoots]

@@courtneyjones-laweka1716 Pruning some of the roots shouldn't be a huge problem. I would get an arborist to come out and give you an estimate and some advice.

[@courtneyjones-laweka1716]

@@GreenShoots Thank you!

[@GreenShoots]

@@courtneyjones-laweka1716 most welcome!

[@elli0tbriggs]

What effect would the dying roots have on the foundation?

[@GreenShoots]

That's an excellent question. It depends on how big the roots are and on whether roots may have infiltrated cracks in the foundation. In most cases the roots decay very slowly and should have marginal effect. You might check the inside of the foundation where the tree is located. Does it show any signs of bulging or cracking? If you have concerns, you could contact an expert.

[@elli0tbriggs]

@@GreenShoots Thanks. I'm asking because I might buy a house that has a 50 ft tree located about 8-10 feet away from the house. I haven't noticed any foundation issues, but I do have the inspection scheduled this week. I was just doing my research and came across your video. I got mixed answers when it came to roots rotting from the die off process. Some sources say it may cause air pockets in the soil which would cause sinking and cracking in the foundation. Other sources say pretty much the same thing you said, such as a very slow die off. I'm assuming the tree is about 90 years old and can live up to 300 years old. But it's all speculation, hoping to get something solid from the inspection. Thanks for wisdom.

[@GreenShoots]

@@elli0tbriggs That should help a great deal. You might also consider getting a tree service to come out to property if the current owner would let you do that. They might be able to give you an estimate and tell you about potential damage. Good luck!