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Jul 18, 2017
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Damage to the foundations is a worry, some trees aren’t as bad as others. This ones strange. Look at the massive girth of the trunk and look at the low wall in front of it, just a small crack in top. 35 years ago it was a twig!

View attachment 1075

I imagine it has a tap root which goes straight down.


John

Edit... Just looked it up, not a tap root but they ar3 shallow and don’t cause the damage that some trees do.

Trees with tap roots not too bad, but trees where the roots grow outwards or along the surface are a big problem. If next to a drive way they will crack gthe the drive. Terrible removing that type of tree as you need to lift the drive and make sure all the roots are removed otherwise the tree grows again.
 
Jun 16, 2020
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Hi Jcloughie That one will not get big when it gets to 5ft it will get a cut we do not want a big tree .

The way palms grow from the top, makes them difficult to keep down as all the growth happens there. Look at my second picture. I am waiting for the centre branch to get higher so that I can cut down the one overhanging next door. Got to plan 2 or 3 years ahead.

Same with the one close to the house. It gets lots of branches starting at about 4 feet, most are pulled off, but a few are being trained to replace the big ones when they get too out of hand. Its been above the gutter in the past. As soon as you turn your back it takes off. Keeping them trimmed doesn't stop the trunk from swelling. But touch wood, Ours has done no structural harm.

They have recently started to get more and more flowers. You can still see them in the pictures. For a few days in the autumn the birds love to attack them. Years ago I had to cut the flowers off as soon as they appeared as the oily smell made my next door neighbour at the time ill.


John
 
Jan 3, 2012
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The way palms grow from the top, makes them difficult to keep down as all the growth happens there. Look at my second picture. I am waiting for the centre branch to get higher so that I can cut down the one overhanging next door. Got to plan 2 or 3 years ahead.

Same with the one close to the house. It gets lots of branches starting at about 4 feet, most are pulled off, but a few are being trained to replace the big ones when they get too out of hand. Its been above the gutter in the past. As soon as you turn your back it takes off. Keeping them trimmed doesn't stop the trunk from swelling. But touch wood, Ours has done no structural harm.

They have recently started to get more and more flowers. You can still see them in the pictures. For a few days in the autumn the birds love to attack them. Years ago I had to cut the flowers off as soon as they appeared as the oily smell made my next door neighbour at the time ill.


John
Next door neighbour gave it to us when it was small but thanks for the advice we will make sure we keep on top of it (y)
 
May 7, 2012
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Tree damage depends very much on the type of soil you have and the type of tree. Basically the chalky soils of the South of England are the biggest problem as the expand and shrink far more with the water content. so great care is needed with trees. The roots will normally spread roughly the height of the tree in most species, but there is some variation. The safe option is never plant a tree nearer your home, than the height it will grow to.
 
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Nov 11, 2009
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Tree damage depends very much on the type of soil you have and the type of tree. Basically the chalky soils of the South of England are the biggest problem as the expand and shrink far more with the water content. so great care is needed with trees. The roots will normally spread roughly the height of the tree in most species, but there is some variation. The safe option is never plant a tree nearer your home, than the height it will grow to.

When we were looking at home insurance quotes one asked if a tree was within a defined distance of the house. That one got binned as the knowledgeable builders/ developers had stuck a horn beam about 3 metres from the side wall of the house. By the time we sought the quote the horn beam was 20+ years old in clay soil. It came out shortly after anyway.
 
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Jan 3, 2012
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We have someone not to near us got a conifer as big as her house the neighbour who lives next door has often told her to cut it but only a trim each time .
 
Jun 16, 2020
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Mortgages can often be refused if the survey shows a tree is to close. I have known people to then obtain tree surgeons report stating it is safe due to the tree type. And the mortgages have been granted on that basis. But the ones I am thinking of took them down to be on the safe side anyway.

A friend bought a house with a massive Oak way down the bottom of the garden They are not allowed to cut it down, (not that they want to), as it has a preservation order on it. But it costs them a lot of money to keep it under control.

John
 
Jan 3, 2012
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Mortgages can often be refused if the survey shows a tree is to close. I have known people to then obtain tree surgeons report stating it is safe due to the tree type. And the mortgages have been granted on that basis. But the ones I am thinking of took them down to be on the safe side anyway.

A friend bought a house with a massive Oak way down the bottom of the garden They are not allowed to cut it down, (not that they want to), as it has a preservation order on it. But it costs them a lot of money to keep it under control.

John
Hi Jcloughie i would say it to close to her house but she only trims it now again
 
Nov 11, 2009
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When we were looking at moving home three years ago we stayed well clear if any houses that had a TPO on them, or any that had trees that might gain a TPO too. No point in making a rod for your own back.
 
Jan 3, 2012
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i would agree with you otherclive with my wife job in total we have had 10 houses from a semi detached to a detached home & bungalows we always made sure none had a big tree
 
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Nov 16, 2015
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We had a silver birch, probably about 10 years old and about 25 ft tall and 25 ft from our house. After another 10 years I had to have the top lopped down to about 25 ft . When the brick wall next to it started to lean, I got a local company to come and remove it and three Poplars at the bottom of the garden, thankfully the wall returned to vertical again.
 
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Sparrohawk waiting for breakfast. Thinking about Annie Humphrey song on Southend News Network found on You Tube under ” **** it’s snow”
EC55101B-4369-4604-BF8C-CB8FF54176AB.jpeg
 
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