Uncovering the Truth About Tree Roots

There’s much misunderstanding when it comes to tree roots. They are often blamed for breaking pipes, cracking foundations, and lifting sidewalks.
Archie the Arborist discusses why tree roots are less nefarious than you think. And explains why understanding root behavior and planning ahead will prevent property damage and allow trees to grow healthy and strong.
Learn more:
Stop Blaming Tree Roots: 5 Ways to Proactively Prevent Property Damage:
www.leaflimb.com/5-ways-to-ma...
Do Roots Cause Damage? Debunking 3 Common Myths About Tree Roots:
www.leaflimb.com/Do-Roots-Cau...
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[@ZorrisPorris]

Finally I get an answer to this! Crazy how prevalent the idea that tree roots mirror the canopy is, even among people who know about trees.

[@calvinemery6585]

They might not break pipes, but they sure side destroy driveways

[@bengerbot8702]

Tree root definitely smooshed my sprinkler pipe by growing right over it and expanding. Previous homeowner's fault for planting it a foot away from the pipes...

[@fiddlebender88]

Thank you for this! Some of my neighbors have the stubborn thought that we shouldn't have trees near the house. I have never in my life seen it become an issue and I have lived in places where there are several trees around the house.

[@thebubbacontinuum2645]

Trees near expensive structures become very serious problems when the wind blows, and every tree eventually dies. A rotten tree next to a house is dangerous. Today I saw a little cherry tree about 6 feet from a building. Somebody is going to regret that in 20 years.

[@nimitz42]

Well done very informative!

[@stevemiller7949]

THANK YOU!!! There is way more too much to unpack from this than I can cover now. Suffice it to say that I believe that public trees get abused horribly on a daily basis by sins of omission and commission. This is compounded by pretty horrifying ignorance on the part of both government and the public. A mind is a terrible thing to waste, and so is a beneficial and viable tree. I also believe there are huge LOW-COST opportunities for enhancing our urban forests but the public is unaware. Why can't we have a public forestry effort akin to the victory gardens of WWII?? We also could benefit from a nation wide corps of citizen scientists working on tree optimization. Get kids involved! Here endeth my sermon🙂🙂💯💯❤️❤️

[@RavenclawFtW3295]

When a foundation or pipe is unbroken and uncracked, how will the tree root interact with it?

[@jamig.7254]

Well said! Many thanks.

[@ijustwanttosay7417]

Great video and as a result, I will seek out a second opinion. I was told by an arborist that my maple tree will need to be cut down because the roots are pushing the parkway divider out on the sides. The tree is thirty years old and still going strong. I really do not want to cut it down but if the parkway divider cannot be pushed back in on the sides then I may be forced to. This arborist is a part of ASCA and ISA. They seem knowledgeable but I say it still doesn’t hurt to get a second opinion.

[@Leaflimb]

There may be other alternatives for how to solve your problem without cutting down the tree. Check out this helpful guide from Seattle. Solutions start on page 32: www.seattle.gov/documents/Departments/SDOT/Trees/TreeSidewalksOperationsPlan_final215.pdf

[@ijustwanttosay7417]

@@Leaflimb Thank you for your reply. I looked at the document and the I’m not sure what you are referencing, exactly, as my solution. Can you elaborate more on what you mean?

[@Leaflimb]

@@ijustwanttosay7417 I'm not sure of your exact situation, but that document may have some solutions

[@ijustwanttosay7417]

@@Leaflimb Okay, thank you.

[@flvflv4712]

I love trees.

[@djtomtrain2015]

I do irrigation for a living and i peraonally fix and reroute pipes near trees bc they crush pinch and sometimes completely wrap around pipes for up to 10 feet.

[@Leaflimb]

Sometimes roots damage pipes, but it's not the norm. The research shows that roots are to blame in less than 20% of cases.

[@djtomtrain2015]

@@Leaflimb i absolutely believe that. I should have mentioned my pipes have cold running water in them thus the grou d moisture collect on the pipes and the roots love that.

[@server1ok]

@@djtomtrain2015 More common reasons --> 1. Frost. 2. Old pipes. 3. Natural movement of the ground + frost movement in the ground. 4. Bad connections and low quality product.

[@djtomtrain2015]

@@server1ok absolutely. I've seen it all. But roots are an issue. 20 years of Coldwater causes condensation witch obviously plants love. And a tree will exploit that. May take 10+ years but ive seen over a foot of 1.25 inch pipe 100% encased in roots. On more than 1 occasion.

[@mtaylor9055]

I would really really love to plant a pink lady apple tree (it's supposed to get 8 ft wide and 15 ft tall) but I live in Southern California with a tiny front yard. I would have to plant it about 3 ft from the water pipe and I don't know the age or condition of this pipe. There is a tree planted about 4 feet from it a little farther down that was there when we moved in and we haven't noticed any issues and we did remove a few giant palm trees from the yard due to roof damage, but those never seemed to affect the water pipe either. How dangerous would it be to plant the apple?? Are there things I can do to minimize roots going in that direction?

[@Leaflimb]

It's hard to say without knowing more. If the pipe is not cracked and has been installed properly, this should be fine

[@jeannefischer3868]

Yeah I have huge on the neighbors side tipping my retaining wall and also starting to crack the asphalt driveway. So I was thinking the cut the roots on the side where the wall and driveway are. Is there a special way to do that? without harming the tree of course. Also I don't know what kind of tree it is, not evergreen , not oak or maple and it's good size. So if you cut roots is there something to put on those cuts to help the tree from bleeding out water and nutrients

[@Leaflimb]

It's complicated to help without being able to see the specifics of the site. My best advice would be to find a company that has ISA Certified Arborists with Tree Risk Assessment Qualifications who are part of a company that do not glorify or prioritize tree removal. They should be able to help with you a project like this (and will likely charge a consulting fee + service fee for the work)

[@rebeccacook7924]

Thank you for this! 🌳

[@thebubbacontinuum2645]

If people didn't plant trees in stupid places, they would prevent a lot of unnecessary problems. A friend of mine bought a house with a courtyard that had a big tree in it. Incredibly dumb idea. My own house once had a big water oak around 8 feet from the foundation. The people who built my house put three citrus trees 8 feet apart. A citrus tree needs to be 40 feet away from the next tree. I cut them down. I just spent $7500 cutting down about 20 big oaks around my house. Now I will never need hurricane insurance. I'll save thousands every year, and I will never have to worry that a tree will demolish my roof, ruin things no insurance can replace, and drive my family out of my house while I wait for busy post-storm contractors to do repairs. Friend of mine spent months living in a trailer with her three sons, her elderly mother, and three dobermans because somebody didn't cut trees beside her home before a storm. Trees aren't sacred. They're vegetables, like cabbages. If they're in the way, rip them out.

[@Jenura01]

Good to know! Thanks.

[@wemuk5170]

Are you saying that a sycamore tree planted too near my house is safe in general - no matter it’s size and height?

[@Leaflimb]

Generally, yes. But if there are cracks in pipes or the foundation, the roots will take advantage of these

[@bigeee3123]

I disagree. My neighbors tree roots grew under a wrought iron fence and slowly began lifting it until it snapped the fence at the weld.

[@Leaflimb]

@@bigeee3123 It's not to say that roots never cause issues. Rather, it's not the norm. Our hope is to help inspire people to take a closer look at the situation rather than just remove an entire healthy tree. In most situations, there are other factors at play that caused the issue and/or better and cheaper solutions than removing the entire tree

[@TheArboristPT]

Awesome video!!!

[@wadewilson-xi1zs]

This is such bull sh**! The previous home owners planted trees over our water lines & our neighbors, these trees have grown through (broken) 3 water lines in different spots, I have pictures of the roots growing through & next to the pvc pipes & breaking them. Our plumber told us this is common when a dumb dumb plants trees over water lines.

[@douglascrawford3896]

thank-you was going to cut down 2 of our trees bc they are so close to our well ,which we rely on very heavily !!!!!

[@scottparrish2422]

Fix the hardscape over and over as the tree keeps getting larger? Bad advice

[@rowenaagustin7077]

No offense but are you qualified to talk

[@BaDiLi2L]

You are here to listen about tree, not your hardscape or landscape design. He is talking from tree perspective.

[@yogihk9657]

so roots make 100times worse effect but on an exusting weakness. still big effect on poor mans house foundation. oppression of poor.

[@simpleminded5215]

While you might be correct in tree roots don’t break pipes to enter it they do enter sewer pipes after the water and nutrients. Once inside the pipe they multiply until they cause an issue with the pipe carrying sewage away. In this instance I would say they actually do break the pipe as they expand in the entry point of the pipe, typically a joint, and the pipe breaks. I’ve excavated numerous sewer pipes where this has occurred. When you expose the failed joint many times the root entering it is 1/2” or larger in diameter with thousands of hair size roots inside. Recast assured they was not a 1/2” gap in that joint from construction. Nor was it installed broken.

[@dickybyrd6865]

Not my experience. Roots lift foundations and water pipes. The lifted foundations crack and the foundations become uneven. The lifted pipes, if at a connection will break in time.

[@server1ok]

When lifting it depends on the cross section and the speed of growth. If it grows slowly ? it will displace the earth instead of the pipe. The earth has movement even with zero plants, because of frost and natural pockets, so you need pipes that can move regardless and all pipes have a certain lifetime of operation. If you live in Arizona desert you can put pipes on top of the earth cause it won't freeze, you will probably not use the desert as a football field and it's much cheaper n easier to fix.

[@dickybyrd6865]

@@server1ok I’m in Northern California, I deal with damns, large irrigation pipes, vineyard irrigation pipes, houses, barns, concrete pump pads and trees throughout the properties. I have sidewalks cracked, walkways heaved, dam water leaks, irrigation pipes strangled and cracked, as you mentioned roots lifting irrigation pipe to the surface, and a barn presently with a concrete floor cracked and lifted. Roots of trees damage many things. It’s the price you pay if you love trees.