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Concerned about hedge roots

skyandsun01skyandsun01 Posts: 3
edited July 2021 in Problem solving
Hello everyone,

I have a bungalow with a small garden. Ten years ago or so when I moved in, I planted hedge seeds around the edge of the garden under the supervision of my dad who seemed to know what he was talking about! The hedge has Hawthorne and I am not sure of the other species - there were about three, it was a wild British hedge.

The hedge has now grown to about 2.5m, which is the height I keep it at, and is providing the privacy I wanted. However I suddenly thought about roots and causing damage to my property. While there is no evident root damage at the moment, the hedge is very close to my conservatory and the trunk is quite thick. I believe I am on London clay soil and the property was built in the 1980s.

I am concerned I should take up the hedge along the side of the garden for safety, but this would spoil the privacy of the garden. However I want to be safe.

Any advice? Thanks!

Posts

  • SkandiSkandi Posts: 1,723
    If you're really worried you can dig down by that wall and install a root barrier, you'll also see if there has been any damage while you are doing it.
  • skyandsun01skyandsun01 Posts: 3
    I guess I am not really worried - I just don't know because I am not an experienced gardner. So I was hoping people here could reassure me or suggest if I need to do anything! Thanks again.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    I really don't think you have any need to worry about your house foundations or the conservatory.  The hedge is not that big really. 

    If the house was older I might be worried about the roots infiltrating any cracks in old  drainage pipework ... but I'm pretty sure that the pipes used by then would be strong plastic and unlikely to be damaged by roots.  I think you can sleep easy  :)

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • jonathan.colejonathan.cole Posts: 221
    I wouldn't worry. Can't see anything with very invasive roots there, nor is the hedge particularly large.

    Might be a different story if it was an Alder tree or something.
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    I wouldn't worry either, but if you really wanted to, you could take out the nearest one and let the others grow wider above the fence height.
    There's something in there that looks like beech or hornbeam (I'm not expert enough to tell the difference) and maybe something maple-ish (the palmate leaves on the right in the first pic) - maybe field maple? As long as you keep on top of the clipping and don't let them grow up into trees, I think they'll be fine.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • skyandsun01skyandsun01 Posts: 3
    Thanks everyone for the reaasurance. I'll leave them as they are and keep on top of pruning.. I'd be unhappy to lose it as the birds love it!

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