Gabe Posted May 30, 2006 Share Posted May 30, 2006 We have a Horsechestnut within three metres of our house. It is very mature although not too tall 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 ?Any thoughts/advice very welcome.Gabe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hastobe Posted May 30, 2006 Share Posted May 30, 2006 I think that whether or not removing the tree will cause problemsdepends on the type of soil. My understanding is that, if youhave clay soil then you may be more prone to problems with subsidenceif you remove the tree. You can check your soil type and hencethe risk of subsidence hereYou just enter the name of your commune and it will give you a link tothe 'risk' map. (Btw the maps are hosted on a site calledwww.argiles.fr - which seems to be having problems atm so you may needto wait a while before checking.)Kathie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori Posted May 30, 2006 Share Posted May 30, 2006 Hastobe - very good website. Thanks for posting the link. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaligoBay Posted May 30, 2006 Share Posted May 30, 2006 Well, I didn't manage to find my soil type (it's so dry, I don't think it matters!), but I did find that my commune is at risk of:RisquesInondationAvec enjeu humainFeu de forêtsAvec enjeu humainTransport de marchand dangereuseavec enjeu humainWe've had the inondations, we've had mini feu de forêts, all we need now is something to go wrong with the marchand dangereuse that's being carried around the place! [:-))] Wonder what it could be........ radioactive andouillettes? Excellent site, Hastobe! It's like reading a medical dictionary, I'm frissonning all over, I didn't realise life was quite so dangerous. [:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabe Posted June 5, 2006 Author Share Posted June 5, 2006 Thanks for that,Does anybody have any thoughts on the "cutting it back" approach, rather than the cutting it down ?Gabe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 Hi GabeYou could try asking on this other forum where I know a number of tree surgeons hang out!http://www.gardenlaw.co.uk/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=2Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catalpa Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 Three metres from a house for a horse chestnut is a bit close as far as I'm concerned... and I'm someone who happily plants trees fairly close to my house but I'm selective about what I plant and will fell them if they get out of hand. Horse chestnuts are thirsty characters but they only take what they need so restricting the number of leaves will restrict the water uptake and therefore root spread. If you love the tree and it provides welcome shade, continue to manage the tree and you should be okay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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