seeking creative solution to pine root damage in driveway
gardnergal
14 years ago
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gardnergal
14 years agolast modified: 9 years agoRelated Discussions
Help me find a tree? Shade, minimal trash, not water seeking
Comments (12)Are you willing to diligently use a product like Roebic Foaming Rootkiller annually to keep your septic lines clear? I ask because my parents moved into a house with a number of trees near a septic field, and figured they'd better treat with copper sulfate to prevent future problems. One or two oak trees died. Normally such a treatment would only kill root ends near the leach field, but presumably this was a case where the tree had infiltrated badly enough that the root damage killed it. This was in the southeast/central Arkansas area; summers tend to be hot & prone to drought. Copper sulfate products I've looked at want to be added to the distribution box; the Roebic can be poured down the toilet. What would happen with a mid-size tree like a paperbark maple, shantung maple or bloodgood Japanese maple if you tried the Roebic once or twice per year to keep the septic lines free I don't know. Richard. Here is a link that might be useful: Roebic Foaming Root Killer...See MoreCreating a bed under Pine trees
Comments (31)Yup, the vast majority of our Hosta garden is under a 1930's CCC Red Pine Plantation, so they (the Pines) are thick. We'd heard the notoriety of Maple Tree root strangulation issues with Hostas, but not so with Pine Trees. Alas, at least with Red Pine, there is a problem. Now having helped friends dig out strangled Hostas under Maple trees, we admit the Red Pine problem is certainly not anywhere near as bad, but a factor nonetheless. Many Hosta, over the last 15 some-odd years, have been just fine. I'm sure that the slow growth of many of them is due to this tree root problem, and not merely the heavy shade from the trees. Some Hosta, though, have regressed, some slowly, some dramatically, from tree roots, some even to death when not rescued in time. Our solutions: some are re-planted in buried pots and are A-OK, many more are in COMMERCIAL GRADE (the stuff that's like thin fibreglass cloth, not the cheaper plastic stuff) weed barrier cloth lined holes. Both systems are working. Now, as to deer, you talk fencing as expensive. We also garden about 3 acres, and use a very cheap electric fence. Works. We have about 4 wires. The top wire is not so high as to preclude them jumping it, so here's the real trick. In the spring we place strips of peanut butter coated tin foil strips every so many feet on the hot fence. This 'trains' the deer to the point that the fence can be turned off after a few weeks. Evil but effective ;-) I learned this 'trick' when we kept goats and I saw a young billy-goat lick the electric fence one day. He gave new meaning to 'break-dancing', yhee-haww. Yeah, every year one doe and her fawn figure out that the fence doesn't extend across the driveway, and they wander in, nibble a little here and there, pick their fave and mow it. Knock on wood, they've not mowed the same one two or more years in a row. With 50-60 deer living in our section, we'll put up with one or two bandits. A parting comment: After years of hearing the 'scrunch' sound when sinking a shovel through the Red Pine surface root mat we started digging up a bed under a Jack Pine tree. Both of us looked at each other with astonishment. No 'scrunch'. We didn't find the feeder root mat, so planted 'bare root'. That bed is one of the healthiest ones here now. Oh, and NOTHING grows under our lone Blue Spruce, no surprise. I'm sure you'll work out the details. It's been worth it here! A yard of lush Hosta sure beats a yard of boring brown pine needles. Best Wishes, hh...See MorePlanting a tree next to driveway for SHADE. What should I plant?
Comments (16)Avoid the following trees because they have shallow roots that push up and crack paving: Norway, Sugar, Silver or Red Maple; Pin, Live or Willow Oak; American Elm; Ash; Beech; Sweetgum; Tulip Tree; Hackberry; Poplar; Cottonwood; Sycamore; Plane Tree; Willow; and River Birch. Tillia Cordata "Littleleaf" (Littleleaf Linden) is hardy to zone 3 and provides dense shade. This cultivar supposedly grows 30 to 50 ft. with a spread of up to 30 ft. Fragrant, creamy yellow flowers in drooping cymes appear in June. Honeydew and bird guano are a constant threat with parking under trees. That does not mean these problems will be overwhelming. Your first problem will be waiting for the tree to grow large enough to cast shade. Make note of where the sun rises and sets. It's much better to have shade in the afternoon when the temperature is highest....See MoreBest option for driveway with significant root damage/beautiful tree?
Comments (5)Cost of paying to have tree removed could instead be spent on at least one session of raising and replacing the drive. Since the drive currently looks somewhat sunken it may be feasible to have the replacement drive sitting a little higher, in order to better accommodate the roots for a time. Of course, tree is not at present a particularly large example of its kind and may fairly soon go on therefore to become even more problematic. And there is another specimen over on the side, that is never going to affect the drive - it may not be necessary to have both present in order to retain the desired ambiance. Also in the first shot the two appear to be conflicting with one another, and the one lifting the drive can also be interpreted as detracting from the house visually. (As are the scraggly looking, window blocking shrub groupings)....See Morebahia
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