Root invasion question

[Treetop_Tom]

Hello, all!

In the midst of me trying to learn about selling & grading timber, courtesy of many of you good folks here, a question has come up about a silver maple, about 50 years old, in my mother's yard.

The maple is situated at street level, about on the line between her and her neighbor (also of about 50 years). The ground slopes away from the road, and the Twp. has concurred with me that the sewer lines run out the back of these homes toward a hollow that runs between her street and the next street over.

Neighbor claims the tree is invading her sewer. This would put sewer-clogging roots about 75 ft away from the tree (about 2-1/2 to 3 x the distance from the trunk to the drip line). Plus the roots would have to have turned the corner of the neighbor's foundation to get even the minimum 75' to the sewer line.

She doesn't want to cut it down. It's healthy and hasn't been a problem other than leaves and "helicopters." It shades her home nicely in the summer.

Anyway, the root invasion thing seems a bit implausible to me. Understanding that y'all are mostly concerned wth the part of the tree ABOVE the ground, has anyone any experience or feedback on this one?

Thanks,

Tom

 

[Tom Dunlap]

If there are roots in the sewer line it means that the line is cracked. Not something that came be blamed on the tree. If the line is solid the roots can't "smell or taste" the water and auger their way into the sewer line.

It's much cheaper to have the sewer line augered rountinely than to whack the tree.

 

[tawilson]

I think the ''roots'' are in the leech field. So you're saying his mother should pay to have her neighbors sewer line augered?

 

[Stumper]

That is a LONG way for roots to be a problem but it isn't impossible. If roots from the maple are there it certainly isn't the tree's fault. Th neighbor should auger and smile as they get on with life

 

[Ekka]

Yeah,

I had exactly the same thing happen to me. We have pvc pipe to the council main. We had a blockage and the roots of the neighbours wattle tree come up our pvc pipe from the council pipe ... blocking our sewer.

We had to get it augered, twice, 3 months apart, so I cut the neighbours tree down free. The plumber said I could send the roots to a lab and have them analysed for species and confirm it was the neighbours wattle and send them the bill!

I didn't worry as the neighbour wanted the tree gone anyway, wattles are crap. If they didn't want it cut down I would have poured a few gallons of round up down the drain straight after augering.

 

[Treetop_Tom]

Once again, thanks all.

No, this is not a leach field, it was a terra cotta 4" line to the city main. The twp. is now requiring all homeowners to replace these with PVC before the home is sold.

For my part, I find it odd. Like I said, the roots would have to go around a house to get at the sewer line, and a solid 2-1/2 times the distance from the trunk to the drip line. Since the line had to be replaced at some point anyway, and since PVC is pretty much impervious to roots (and you can add barrier as well), I can find no reason to think that my mother's tree caused the problem, or, even on the outside chance that it did, caused a problem that didn't already need fixed for other reasons.

I've had PVC under trees along my driveway for 26 years and never had any problems.

Thanks again, will value all input,

Tom

 

[treeseer]

The maple is situated at street level, about on the line between her and her neighbor

Tom, you may look at the rootzone close to the tree and consider ways to improve that. If the roots grow better close to the trunk, the tree can afford to have roots pruned. I agree that going 2.5x dripline and rounding a house sounds unlikely, but didding down and pruning roots that grow in the direction of the pipe should settle the concern.

If the tree is on the line, both neighbors are responsible for its care.

http://www.treesaregood.com/treecare/mature_care.asp