hello

please hit the link.. and flip thru a bunch of the pages.. and see what the potential for this monster is ....

i dont really understand what this conifer has to do with your water meter ... other than access for them to look at it... is there any other concern ...

the annual growth rate on this thing could be a foot.. give or take ... i would be more concerned about my house in general.. rather than just the water meter ....

do you already have the plant .... if not.. there might be other plants be suited to your limited space ...

if you do have it.. can it be returned???

and finally.. where are you, generally speaking ... is the soil an issue ... and what zone ...

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link

My time zone is 8, Seattle Wa.
I do have the plant, and would really like to plant it. The real question is about the conifer's root system I should say. My concern is that if I plant it in the spot I picked for it, it would be far enough from my house (I hope), 14 feet. But it puts it about 1 or 2 feet away from the water meter.
The house is on a lot with a slope, the soil is not the best - sort of rocky, not fertilized at all, but will be well drained.
I do know these trees can grow up to 60 feet.

my water meter is computerized... those peeps never have to come near it ...

is yours???

or is your concern that in 10 years.. they cant get back there...

i dont see how roots are going to get inside sealed water pipes ... or else you have one heck of a big leak ...

am i just missing something here???

14 feet sounds like a good deal ... otherwise ...

i am also wondering how aggressive the growth rate will be in your neck of the woods .... might be more than i noted previously .... since plants in my woods.. are frozen for 4 months of the year ...

ken

My meter is flash with the ground level. I'm not sure if the actual thing is computerized, but I have heard of several instances where a tree would get killed when the roots get into pipes. As far as I know, these pipes can be 100 years old. Old pipes do leak and what's not.
It doesn't get that cold here, maybe only few weeks of snow... I never had a plant to dye from cold weather here....
I'm clueless if the roots of big trees can somehow mess up a water meter, I'm clueless about water meters as well.

are you on a well???

do you mean your well head????

city peeps have pressurized water meters ... that isnt what it sounds like with you

i am really trying to help .... not just trying to bug you ... i just cant understand how a meter.. which measures water flow .. can have leaks in it .... or spaces.. where roots can grow ...

ken

Liliya

I would say that while water pipes are no threat to a trees' root system, the reverse can be true. But in cases where roots get into water lines, it is because the lines are old and faulty. Replacing your water lateral-another name for the pipe that runs into your home-while not inexpensive, is the best route to go sometimes. And typically, water pressure at the tap increases very nicely when this is done.

But I digress. I guess I'm just a bit confused about your situation. Is the meter not attached to the house?

+oM

The meter to my house is in the ground, 14 or so feet away from the house, flash with the ground. It isn't attached physically to the house.

I'm not on a well. The property is on a hill though...

Yes, wisconsitom, I realize that the reverse can be not a good situation for the tree. That's the reason I'm posting to the forum.

The pipes can be very old/antique, but I don't know how old.

I just wonder, this may seem silly, but would it make any difference, accounting for a steep hill, to plant the tree after the meter, downhill, instead of before the meter, ie the roots would unlikely to grow up the hill and meet the water pipes.
Maybe I'm taking this too far, but it seems like I should make sure the location is good before planting the cypress.

As you have said this species often becomes a full-sized tree, that fact should be the dominant consideration. If there is anything present in or near the intended planting site, including utilities, views or existing plantings that could be adversely impacted by the presence of a large tree... One I still have was planted out of a 5 gallon pot, grew easily 2' if not 3' per year for some time after it was in place awhile. It may still be maintaining a comparable rate, it is tall enough now that what the leader is doing is not as easily viewed as it once was.

Another cultivated example, located in Tacoma was determined to be 74' high with an average crown spread of 25' during 1990. Nearby wild specimens are much bigger. One in Olympic National Park measured 124' high with a trunk circumference of 37'7" (about 12' thick) and an average crown spread of 27' in 1994. Of course, this ancient behemoth is growing in an optimal environment, and is perhaps more than 2000 years old!

Water meters in Seattle are computerized - the only time I've ever seen utility workers at a household meter is to clean out one that was clogged with silt and debris, etc. And I doubt you have much to fear from the tree roots disturbing the piping - what you are describing is a very common planting situation. There are all manner of large trees in front yards all over the city and they continue to be planted on a daily basis. The concern about tree roots and underground plumbing seems to be centered with either irrigation or sewage pipes - water lines are big, hefty pipes. If you have concerns regarding the age of your pipes, call Seattle Public Utilites - they will know. Similar concerns regarding foundation issues are largely unfounded as well - if the foundation is structurally sound, the tree/root system will have no adverse impact on it. And the roots of this tree are not overly aggressive in any regard.

And while they can get tall, I've not found the growth of these trees to be overly rampant. A line of 6 planted nearly 25 years ago is only in the 30' range. IME, the very narrowly weeping selections like 'Green Arrow', 'Van den Akker' or 'Strict Weeping' seldom ever exceed 30' in height and are immensely suitable to be planted relatively close to a structure. And these tend to be the types of cultivars most often offered in local nurseries and most frequently planted in urban gardens, specifically because of their narrow profile and modest size.

Two examples of an extreme form with almost no branches except for a basal skirt grew quite tall at Stevens Memorial Hospital in Lynnwood, WA. According to a member of the family perhaps the largest easily seen examples of the one grown and sold originally by A. Van den Akker as 'Pendula' and later dubbed 'Van den Akker Weeping' (or a similar combination), probably by T. Buchholz are at Overlake Hospital. I have not looked for these yet.