Advice on how close to plant tree to house.
ruthycpr
Posts: 4
We moved in to our house 2 years ago and have a large garden. The grassed area is probably the size of a public swimming pool and it extends further than that with patio areas and decking.
The house is old with a new extension and all the surrounding gardens have very mature trees in them (think a few hundred year old oak, mature cherry etc.)
Sadly all these mature tree were removed from our garden at some point and the previous owners planted some fruit trees, and we've planted some 'forest trees' since moving in - leylandi, golden leylandi, ash, maple etc. but these are only around 4-5m.
I discovered looking at old aerials there used to be a huge walnut tree that was next to the house which was taken out a few years back when the extension was built. I thought this very sad and decided to replace it (though not in same place as the previous site is now patio). It's just been put in the ground and starting to bed down for winter but I'm now worried it's too close to the house and wanted to get some advice. Some places are saying 5-8m and some are saying 14m away from the house. It currently is probably approx 5-6m away from the end corner of the house, and probably a similar distance from the neighbours (probably further to be honest). On their side they have a very old Cherry which is probably around 10m across or so which is a bit further away on their land than our new walnut tree.
Should I consider moving it before it takes root or will it be ok at this distance? The soil is a mixture of clay and other soil types, but i had thought that as until about 5 years ago there was a huge walnut tree not too far away from where this one is planted, any effects on the soil etc. would have already been caused (and the nearby mature cherry and very old very mature oak are probably causing their own changes to the soil anyway)
I know that it will grow very tall and wide but for me the idea of sitting under neath the branches is more appealing than the sun (and it will be many years until it is anywhere near mature, assuming I'm still around!). It will probably affect the neighbour's light but again not for a good couple of decades and the cherry will probably be blocking any remaining light first. I did want to have some screening from it from the neighbours which is why I chose this position.
Thought best to find out now before it's roots have decided to grow anywhere and while winter is on it's way and it's dormant. Please note it's an 'English' walnut, not a black walnut and i bought it at 4m but think it's probably nearer 5m now I've seen it,
Last edited: 10 October 2016 21:26:54
Posts
lol! re. the leylandii, we have a lot of space and where we've put it won't cause issue to anyone and we wanted something that would grow big and fast, it's only a single specimen too
Thanks for the feedback, I bought it from Barcham and they called it a slow growing tree but interesting to hear it grows that fast, does change my perspective a bit!
The roots of the walnut also exude a substance which prevent many other plants from growing near to it, so her ever it grows, be prepared for a bare patch around it.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I'd move it. There aren't any foolproof rules about how close a tree can be to a house, but it's better if the canopy doesn't overhang any part of the house, partly because, as pansyface says, the roots tend to extend about as far as the crown, partly because you'll be always cleaning leaves out of your gutters and mostly because a tree causes the ground to move - to heave when the tree is growing and to subside when the tree is removed. It is absolutely NOT the case that the old trees that have gone will have already affected the soil so a new tree will make no difference. It's not a condition issue, it's simply volume displacement. The roots grow, they push the earth out as they go. When the tree is cut down, the roots die, rot and collapse and the ground falls in to the space. A new tree in the same place probably will not have the same pattern of roots, certainly will not have the same extent of roots before the mature tree roots die.
Hopefully, when the old walnut was taken down, most of the roots were taken out when the footings for the foundations went in and those footings are good and deep. If you think about how long it would take a thick piece of walnut to rot if you buried it, 2 years is not long for all the effects of that removal to be seen. And equally, the mature trees that are there now - especially oak which can continue to grow for centuries - will still be changing.
I just wouldn't want to be adding yet another complication into that mix.
I'd move it so it's as least as far away as the maximum crown width for that tree is expected to be plus a bit in case it grows wonky. Then enjoy it without ever having the doubt cross your mind again
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
Aside from the roots issue
walnuts are quick growing after the first few years. The one I grew from seed about 20 years ago already extends 4 or 5 metres from the trunk. Trees don't look gook if you have to keep chopping at them to stop them hitting the house. It's a big tree, let it have the space to shine.
chuck the leylandii, ugly things, and put the walnut there. It will give you more pleasure.
Native trees will give more to wildlife (and you) than alien conifers
In the sticks near Peterborough
Most house insurance companies ask if you have any trees within 7m of the house......
Agree with what others have said .... the root spread will be approximately the width of the tree when mature.
Replant it away from the house at least the distance of half the ultimate spread when fully mature .... or further if possible.
When deciding where to relocate it bear in mind that your ash (and your maple - depending on type) will also become big trees.
Before you do any digging I would measure your garden and draw it roughly to scale ... add on your house. Then cut out some circles which equal the ultimate spread of the trees you have. You will then be able to place them out seeing what room they will each need.
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In the sticks near Peterborough
Thanks everyone for the great feedback. I'll move it back a good number of meters ?
The leylandi etc are at the bottom of the garden so probably about 20m or so from where the walnut is at the moment, I do want to keep the conifers down there as hoping it will eventually block neighbours windows after they took down a massive row of laurel down the bottom but we have plenty of nice natives coming further up the garden, if I could I'd be making the whole garden a forest but my husband won't let me ... or have chickens ?
How near is your neighbour's house to your trees?
Side neighbours, oak and cherry are on their land, the walnut will probably be around the same distance as their cherry once I've moved it so around 7/10m Once they've built extension. prob 12/15m ATM
At the bottom of the garden I'm guessing around 15/17m For the conifers and 16-20m for the maple. They previous had laurel and very large conifers in their garden which they took out to improve light (we've planted in a positions that wont effect light as put to the side, and either side of our garden and theirs are a row of mature beech. As I say our garden is the only one without mature trees.