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Hedge / Tree Root Advice

  • 14-09-2021 10:57am
    #1
    karlitob
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,594 ✭✭✭


    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

  • #2
    Doctors room ghost
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,837 ✭✭✭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.



  • #3
    looksee
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 29,095 ✭✭✭✭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.



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