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Right Plant - wrong place

boatwrightsmithboatwrightsmith Posts: 2
in Problem solving
Dear Monty, We planted a small Liquidambar tree ((less than a metre high) too near a building. It has grown to over 5 metres in just under four years. It is only 3.2 metres away from the foundations and will no doubt cause huge problems in future years as I gather they can grow to over 12 metres tall.  Is it possible to use a pruning method to keep it small e.g. some type of overall cutting back, or is there a bonsai treatment or even a pollarding method suitable for these trees?

Or should we aim to try and dig it out and move to somewhere else in the garden - if so what time of year? Looking at the beautiful pictures of the huge tree at Kew I am not sure where else we could put it for it to become truly majestic : (

Alex Smith, Peasmarsh, East Sussex

Posts

  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    Welcome to the forum @boatwrightsmith .  :) Personally, l would take the plunge and try and move it, it seems shame to keep pollarding it and prevent it growing to it's full potential. This may be of some help 
    https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=293
    There maybe someone else on the forum who has done this and can advise.
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    I don't think Monty has much to do with this Forum. ;)
    Devon.
  • Paul B3Paul B3 Posts: 3,154
    I have one of these which I keep to around 3.5metres with a biennial pruning .
    I have no choice as the shade it would cast if left would inhibit growth on the plants beneath .
    Top-pruning doesn't slow root growth very much .

    Agree with AnniD though ; if you wish it to grow 'as it should' , take the plunge and attempt transplanting it ! (Wait until the leaves have fallen until you try it).

    You'll inevitably cause root-damage during the process , but hopefully minimal .This should heal during dormancy .
  • treehugger80treehugger80 Posts: 1,923
    If you trench around it this year about 1m from the trunk, dig the trench to as deep as you can really, this will chop the outward growing roots off 1m from the trunk, then back fill with really good soil/compost.
    Next autumn you can re-dig the trench which will be filled with fine feeding roots grown from the cut roots the following summer, you then undercut the root ball and move it next year with a nice solid root ball
  • boatwrightsmithboatwrightsmith Posts: 2
    Thank you so much for your comments to date - some very helpful advice...
    I will have to have a discussion (hopefully not too heated) with my husband and we can start whatever process we finally settle on this autumn once the leaves have all fallen. I think I will take a large number of cuttings just in case!
    Any other opinions out there for me to add in to our hopefully not-too-heated discussions? (That's what 40 years of marriage does for you!)!!!
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    Tell me about it !  :) l will bump this thread up for you @boatwrightsmith in case anyone has anything further to add. Failing that, good luck in whatever you decide to do with it !
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