Texas-z71
ArboristSite Lurker
I have a 25-30 year old beautiful 40 ft bald cypress tree in my front yard. It was on the bare lot when we bought it. I had to add about 2 ft fill around it to bring the lot up to the required grade to build in. I know this is not the recommended way to do it but the lot had too many trees to build root wells around. Anyway the tree is healthy as can be.
I have a drip irrigated aerobic septic right next to it. This is not like a conventional septic with big pipes in a gravel bed. This is like a zigzag soaker hose in amended soil.
Anyway three years later now and the root knees have already surfaced in the septic field. So now to my question: root barrier or cut down and replace?
The local arborist told me that the roots are usually in the top 2 ft. But since the tree has 2 ft of full around it it stand to reason that they have grown up and out at an angle to get into the drain field. If I install a root barrier I can go down a couple feet but I don't know it it would be enough. And even if it was enough this year will I regret it in a few years if the roots get around it?
The attached photos show the situation. The bottom of the drainage ditch is roughly the level of the base ground that the tree grew in. The septic lines start directly under the edge of the canopy on he opposite side of the ditch.
I had several of these trees on the lot. It was a tree farm before. I donated many, kept many, and cut down many. I have learned to hate them as much as I love them due to the knees. I want to keep this one since it is so big and nice but I'm not going to let t ruin a $15k septic either.
Any thoughts on this situation are appreciated. Thank you.
I have a drip irrigated aerobic septic right next to it. This is not like a conventional septic with big pipes in a gravel bed. This is like a zigzag soaker hose in amended soil.
Anyway three years later now and the root knees have already surfaced in the septic field. So now to my question: root barrier or cut down and replace?
The local arborist told me that the roots are usually in the top 2 ft. But since the tree has 2 ft of full around it it stand to reason that they have grown up and out at an angle to get into the drain field. If I install a root barrier I can go down a couple feet but I don't know it it would be enough. And even if it was enough this year will I regret it in a few years if the roots get around it?
The attached photos show the situation. The bottom of the drainage ditch is roughly the level of the base ground that the tree grew in. The septic lines start directly under the edge of the canopy on he opposite side of the ditch.
I had several of these trees on the lot. It was a tree farm before. I donated many, kept many, and cut down many. I have learned to hate them as much as I love them due to the knees. I want to keep this one since it is so big and nice but I'm not going to let t ruin a $15k septic either.
Any thoughts on this situation are appreciated. Thank you.