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Tree too Close to House


Gabe
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Originally posted this in the Gardening section but would like to expand the query a bit  in this section:

We have a Horsechestnut within three metres of our house. It is very mature although not too tall (c. 5m) as it's height has obviously been controlled in the past. My concern is what long term effect it is likely to have on the foundations of the property and what I can do to avoid any problems. If I "prune" the top each year will this restrict the growth of the roots or will it make no difference at all ? If I cut off too much of the foliage will the tree die ? If I cut down the tree, are the roots going to rot away and cause a subsidence problem and can this be avoided ? If not am I looking at underpinning, if so any advice relating to this ?

Any thoughts/advice very welcome.

Gabe

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HI, painterman's wife here,

Horsechestnut trees as you probably know grow to a good hundred feet tall if left to their own devices. Does it have a large girth for its tree trunk? That way you'll be able to guess at the size of its tap root. The other anchoring roots usually would only extend outwards to approximately the edge of the leaf canopy if the soil is rocky but usually these roots are quite deep too.

 Usually, one third of the tree is above ground and two thirds of it are below ground as the roots.

 If you chose to chop it down, you need to check with the Mairie's Office if you need permission if it is a very old or protected tree.

 If you prune it hard, this must be done when the tree is dormant, but winter pruning encourages new growth, whereas summer light pruning (and sealing of the wounds which will bleed needs to be done) will help to restrict growth. You would have to prune at least every few years though if you wanted to try and keep it small. If it is only 5metres tall, then it is a baby still unless the girth of the tree shows otherwise. I have some Bonsai horsechestnut trees - I gave a few away to a friend a few years ago but they neglected to prune the roots..... and thought they were being mean by keeping them in such small pots...so they put them into larger and larger ones..... and so they grew and grew. So from having 50p sized leaves when I gave them away, they had dinner plate sized leaves in no time at all. Pruning is therefore a large chore when they grow in the ground. 

Does your property actually have foundations?  The long term effect upon house walls should not be a problem. We had an old horsechestnut tree of some one hundred feet near a neighbours house (within 23feet of it) and there were no problems with their house - very deep roots. House and tree had been there for a couple hundred years or so- UK though. Maybe you could check out the RHS website for info? 

 Not sure about subsidence problems though if you chop it down. Roots would take a long time to decompose and usully a large tree has to have part of the trunk and bole ground away by the tree feller to stop it from regrowing at the base of the trunk. You need specialist tree advice on this if you want to cut it down.

Still you will not need to worry over it too soon. If you prune it this summer, you still have time to find a tree specialist.

Mrs B.

 

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I have two limes next to a house in the UK. The advice given to me by 'arboreoculturalists' (!), architects and tree surgeons was always: don't chope down, don't leave to grow. Prune every other year to take the growth back to where it was. This way you avoid roots dying under a house and causing subsidence, or conversely a tree growing under your house and causing 'heave'. Judicious pruning, as it's called maintains the water concentrations under your property.
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Thanks Mrs B and Ernie,

You have put my mind a bit more at rest. The height of the thing belies it's true age, the trunk is about 2 ft in diameter (guessing), so I am assuming that it must be a fair age. It obviously has had it's height checked in the past but has been left to grow in the last two years. I will give it a reasonably light "prune" this summer and think about it over the winter. Once again thanks for your advice..

Gabe

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