How close to my house can I plant a tree?
In our combined 90 years of tree work, we’ve noticed that basement foundations are rarely ever damaged by tree roots; on the other hand, slab-on-grade foundations are sometimes at risk of heaving, if a large tree is planted too close. The eaves of a home are also important to take into account. Generally we recommend planting trees at least half of their mature width away from the house, to protect the eaves (and slab-on-grade foundation, if applicable).
How close to the pavement can I plant a tree?
When trees raise pavement, it’s usually over the course of 20 years or more, as their structural roots have expanded to support their maturing canopy. The bigger the tree, the bigger the roots, and the farther you should place it from concrete slabs. As a general rule, we prefer to plant larger-growing trees (40+ ft tall/wide at maturity) no closer than 10 ft away from cement. Smaller-growing trees can often be planted closer than that, depending on final size. Trees that don’t reach any taller than 20 ft generally don’t push cement much at all, but we recommend planting them 5 feet away or more, just to be safe.
How close to underground utility lines can I plant a tree?
Depending on the type of utility line you’re working around, you can often plant within 5 or 10 feet of it. Just remember that about 80% of a tree’s root system tends to grow in the top two feet of soil, and bigger trees will form larger roots, so smaller trees are often a safer bet around shallowly-buried lines (less than 2 ft deep). Deeper lines (2+ ft deep) don’t usually pose problems, but without digging to find a line, it’s hard to know how deep they’re actually buried.
How far apart should I plant my trees?
It depends on how much space you want between them when they reach mature size (20-30 yrs after planting). If you want them to barely touch, add half the width of each to know how far apart they should be planted (for example, a columnar tree that reaches 10 ft wide [5 ft radius] and a shade tree that reaches 40 ft wide [20 ft radius] would be planted about 25 ft apart). Depending on what you’re trying to accomplish, you could plant them either closer than that distance, or farther apart.
How do I keep my new tree’s trunk from splitting?
Trunk damage can occur for many reasons. It’s most common in new trees, but some trees (such as maples and sycamores) are more prone than others, and are susceptible to some degree even after they’ve established a good root system. Try to avoid planting sensitive trees in hot spots such as parking lots, parkstrips, etc. If your new tree belongs to a species that is susceptible to winter damage, (1) wrap the trunk in early Fall for at least the first 3 years, and (2) if the weather is dry during Spring or Fall, water once or twice a week to ensure that your tree’s roots will stay moist.
