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Japanese Maple: Is Mine Too Close to the House?

15 years ago

We recently moved into our new house, which has a Japanese maple growing out front, only 24 inches from the front of the house.

The tree is 8 or 9 feet tall, and the trunk is about 6 inches wide. I don't know how long it has been growing there. My guess is that it was planted by the previous owner who lived here for six years.

In our last home, we had a Japanese maple that had been planted at least 25 years ago, and its roots were long and dense enough to cause problems in my flower bed which was at least 15 feet from the trunk of the tree.

So, I am worried that the current house's foundation will be damaged by the roots of this tree.

Should I have the tree removed?

Featured Answer

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

15 years ago

if you are worried..

then get rid of it ...

you know.. without asking.. that no tree is supposed to be planted that close to the house ...

call missdig.. and make sure there are no utilities in the area if you plan on digging ...

personally .. i would just saw it off at ground level ... and add 2 to 4 inches of mulch over the area.. and save all the work of digging it up ...

i mean really .. you really arent going to go back to that specific spot to plant anything.. its to close even for a perennial ..

good luck

ken

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Comments (8)

Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
15 years ago
It is too close to the house. You can move it, rather than 'remove' it. JMs are very amenable to moving, regardless of size.

Dan
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If your foundation is in good condition, maples won't harm it. If it is old and cracked in places, pretty much any large shrub or tree roots could cause problems. Of more concern is the size the maple could become and how the structure may interfer with the canopy spread. You don't mention the type of maples you planted and I'm not sure what "baby" means - young, seedling trees? Dwarfs? It is best to plant trees with spreading canopies like most maple have at least half the distance of the mature canopy and I'd go a bit more for good measure. So if your tree will grow to eventually develop a canopy that is 30' wide, you should plant at least 15' away from the structure so that branches won't brush up against the side or the roof and be damaged and to reduce the amount of litter, etc. that may accumulate on the roof and in the gutters. And if you live in area prone to brush or wild fires, even further away is a wise idea.
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botann
15 years ago
I would move it. Being that close to the house will cause it to lean and catch more snow than it can carry.
Sawing it off low and burying the stump as Ken says is another option if you don't feel comfortable digging it up and replanting it. I move Japanese maples that size all the time. I will be moving some today, in fact.
leafy02
Original Author
15 years ago
Thank you all for that feedback.

I would be disinherited by my parents if I cut down a healthy tree that could be saved, so I am opting for moving it.

I am wondering if it is something we can do ourselves or if we have to hire professionals. My husband is a fine digger, so getting it out of the ground should go okay. Do we just wrap the rootball in a wet sheet and take it to my friend's house, or is there more to it?

Also, planted right beside it is some kind of pinkish-purple cherry kind of shrub, also about 8 feet tall, that seems to be trying to spread by runners. Will that also cause problems with the foundation or are the roots of those less vigorous?

Thanks!
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
15 years ago
a 6 inch trunk .. means a ball of about 3 feet round..

digging is the small part of that job.. believe it or not ...

thereafter.. you have to hoik it out of the hole.. somehow lift it into a truck... etc.. 200 to 400 pounds ...

is disc herniation a viable option ...

there is no fine line between what CAN be done.. and what should be done ...

you are within days of it being too late to do this ... if it is already leafed out.. do it in the fall ...

the odds of success of a total novice on this size tree. i would put at 25% ... with experience.. 75% ...

i have no clue what it would cost to hire out this job.. but i wouldnt be surprised in NJ.. 250 to $500 ....

frankly .. tell your parents.. if they want it.. they can pay for it ...

ken
leafy02
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks, Ken. My folks live many states away, so it isn't practical to give them the tree, regardless of the cost of having it dug up, but I hear what you're saying ;-)

It is fully leafed out, so I guess we should wait until fall.

Meanwhile, I will go back to being annoyed at the previous homeowner. I don't know whether he landscaped this place himself or paid someone to do it, but ...rrrRRrrr.... if there's an ugly variety of a plant, it's here in multiples. If there's a wrong location for a plant, it's in that location.
undercover_owl
15 years ago
Or...offer it on craigslist for $100. With a photo. But specify that they have to dig it out and take it home.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
15 years ago
also consider what damage might be done to your basement walls ... if any ...

i am of the zen mindset.. that if i plant a new tree.. but kill another.. the net impact on mother earth is net zero ... so i do away with guilt over remedying others mistakes ..

ken

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