Hello r/arborists,
I'm seeking some advice on a tree in my small front yard. I live in the Nashville, TN area.
I have a 5-year-old American Sycamore tree that was planted by my home builder. At the time, I didn't think much of it, but in hindsight, I'm concerned about its long-term viability in such a compact space. I really like the tree and ideally would keep it however I'm worried it was a poor choice for this location.
My front yard contains several critical utilities that are in close proximity to the tree:
• My main irrigation line (a root is already pressing against it, in attached pictures)
• The main water line
• The sewer line (my foot is pointing to the sewer clean out in the picture)
• The driveway and sidewalk
My concern is that while the tree is relatively young, it will eventually cause significant damage to this infrastructure. I'm trying to be proactive and avoid major, costly repairs down the line.
What is your professional opinion? Given its mature size and known root system, would you recommend removing it now and replacing it with a more suitable tree?
Thank you for your insights.
by Admirable-Bear1921
10 Comments
Grow up
It’s way too close, remove it and replace it.
Too much tree for too small of an area. Personal experience speaking.
The tree roots aren’t going to directly damage any of the infrastructure that you’ve described. That said, if you do have issues with that infrastructure, the tree roots may make maintenance more difficult.
If you like the tree, it’s absolutely possible to move forward with both the tree and proper maintenance of your property.
It’s fine
I don’t know why you’re being downvoted either.
But, even those trees will eventually cause problems in the sewer lines, water and irrigation. Any of them with naturally grow towards them and try and infiltrate trying to find moisture
How high does the sycamore grow?
If you cut it down, then you’ll never know…
An arborist can take an air spade and remove any problematic roots.
That tree is beautiful!
Be sure to consult an actual arborist not a landscaper, not a tree removal service.
Part of the issue here to is likely soil quality. It’s very common for builders in cook cutter developments to remove all the topsoil. When the building is complete the landscape by adding just a few inches of sod.
This causes roots to stay shallow. The only nutrients present are in the sod. And they is little organic material available in the fill to retain water.
Unfortunately, the only was the soil quality improves is the trees and deep rooted grasses.
Many sycamores are planted in urban settings in smaller spots than this