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Can an Oak tree destroy a porch?

8 years ago

There is a baby oak tree trying to swallow up the bush right beside the front porch. If it's swallowing the bush, will it destroy some of the porch? Or will the porch hinder it? The foundation of the porch is brick.

Just concerned about both the tree and the porch. If it will mess up the porch then how do I get rid of it? It's got bark which probably means the roots are well grounded, right?

I will try to post a picture tomorrow when it's light outside.

Featured Answer

poaky1

8 years ago

I don't think it is an oak. In one pic it looked like Sawtooth oak bark, (where you see the striped bark) but the last pic's leaves don't look anything like an oak to me. Unless Live oaks get those big leaves of 3 in the shade, not likely. I sowed an oak acorn about 20 ft from my foundation and was going to let it grow, but then I came to my senses, and I am thinking of moving it or just culling it, it likely has roots too deep to just dig it up and move it. Mine is Q. Alba tree acorn. I would just keep the top cut back til it runs out of energy. Poaky1

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Comments (6)

krnuttle
8 years ago
Dig it up and plant it at least 30 feet from any structure. Some day it will be an asset to the property.
ma_delgobbo
8 years ago
I agree
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parker25mv
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Yes. It is not that an Oak tree's roots are especially bad, but they do stretch outwards quite a bit. If the tree is still young enough to be moved further away, it should be moved now.

Oak trees can eventually become very big as they age. The brick porch might hinder it for many years but eventually it is going to give way.

The oak tree should be planted at the very least 16 feet away from your house (and even that is likely to lead to potential problems 20 years down the line). Oaks are majestic trees but unfortunately many people really do not have the adequate space for them on their small property lots.
wantonamara Z8 CenTex
8 years ago
I have oaks that are 20' from my 2 floor shop wall and that is not far enough. WE are trimming these trees into ugly things. They were really small when we built this shop. I had a huge argument with DH (D might stand for something other than normal) I brought out gardening books, sited info from online but it is an argument that I lost. Now he wants to chop all the trees down. We do not have the trees to spare and trees grow slow in Central Texas. If you don't move them now, You will be cutting them down when they are much larger and more beautiful an it will hurt you more.
merida72
Original Author
8 years ago
Thanks all for your responses! Very helpful! My grandmother used to have a huge Oak tree in her yard. It used to scare me as a kid as it was so tall and I couldn't even wrap my arms around it. Eventually they had it cut down as it was rotting and posed a threat or something. Now it's still a stump...huge stump there.

I have some photos...tell me what you guys think. I'm actually unsure whether or not it is an Oak now that I've had a better look at it in the daytime.

This was found laying beside it-- I think it fell off of it:

This is a leaf I picked off the branch that is sticking out:

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