Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Hedge / Tree Root Advice

Options
  • 14-09-2021 11:57am
    #1
    karlitob
    Registered Users Posts: 2,589 ✭✭✭


    Hi all,


    My question is: what can I put under new hedges/small trees that might aid in preventing roots damaging underground piping?


    I'm about to start a long overdue revamp of our drive and patio.

    Drive. In the drive, along the right hand border, there is a privet. This will be ripped up and a new red robin will go in there. The sewage pipe for a number of houses goes under this border.

    Patio: In the patio, along the right hand border, I will be putting in a sewage pipe, water and electrics for a planned garden room. As I would like to partially block and overlooked view from the neighbour, I plan to put in some small trees - at the moment, I'm thinking of cupresses.


    I've rooted quite a lot of trees (big boys - 9m/10m x ~10) from all around the garden over the past two years. Under some of the trees, I noticed that the previous owner had slate tiles underneath. Who knows for what reason, but got me thinking, is there anything - however effective - I could put down to give some protection.


    Thanks all.



Comments

  • Options
    #2
    Doctors room ghost
    Registered Users Posts: 4,820 ✭✭✭Doctors room ghost


    The slates and tiles were probably only buried there with a track machine to get rid of them when the house was built and lawns were done.

    I never heard of anyone putting anything under tree roots.just dig them in and give them a bit of multi purpose compost around the root in the hole and heel them in.



  • Options
    #3
    looksee
    Registered Users Posts: 28,429 ✭✭✭✭looksee


    https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=225

    The book Tree Root Damage to Buildings by Biddle P.G (see Further reading) contains a useful table of tree water uptake, listing trees with the lowest demand (posing the least risk) to the highest demand (posing the most risk). Low water demand trees include; [broadleaved] Catalpa, Corylus, Liquidambar, Liriodendron, Magnolia, Morus, Sambucus, [conifers] Abies, Araucaria, Ginkgo, Larix, Picea and Pinus. High water demand trees include; [broadleaved] Eucalyptus, Populus, Quercus, Salix, [conifers] Cupressus, Chamaecyparis and x Cuprocyparis. Quercus (oak) accounts for the highest number of subsidence cases in the UK. Other species generally have an intermediate water demand.

    Most shrubs - like red robin or privet will not cause any issues with pipes - unless as the article above says elsewhere that the pipes are damaged.

    I doubt that any sort of barrier would make a difference, just be aware of the trees listed above when deciding what to plant.



Advertisement