Help with landscaping wall

[Exterous]

The previous home owners had put up a couple of landscaping retaining walls around the house. Unfortunately one was very close to a tree. Three fairly substantial roots are causing the wall to shift in the back.

I'd rather not do anything to cut those roots as I would imagine that would be a pretty big shock to the tree and I want it to keep growing for the shade.

Any other options other than:
Do nothing
Remove the wall

 

[highland145]

Expand the planter

 

[NoTine42]

Remove the landscape blocks (use them for a fire pit elsewhere?) then add dirt and make the existing dirt a larger raised landscaping mound.

 

[NetWareHead]

Thats a pretty big root in relation to the trunk of the tree. I'd also not cut that as it looks like it feeds a significant portion of the tree.

You could either expand the ring or partially disassemble and notch the bottom of one stone so it would lay flat on the root. You have tulips in there so try not to disturb the bulbs and roots.

 

[utahraptor]

It might be hard to find the same type of block to expand it and they would not be of the correct angle anyway. If I were tackling that I would find a brick of a color you like and use them as spacers between the existing wall rocks so that the entire circle would have a larger diameter. The width of the brick you select would determine how much larger the circle would become. Just take one of those to a hardware store with you so you get the right height.

 

[Vdubchaos]

Remove the landscape blocks (use them for a fire pit elsewhere?) then add dirt and make the existing dirt a larger raised landscaping mound.

Best answer, that or get more blocks and increase diameter.

 

[Squisher]

You can cut the roots, just not all at the same time. Rule of thumb is 1/3 of the roots in any one season to suffer no damage. Best time is spring and fall, so 1/3 now, 1/3 in the fall, and the last 1/3 next spring.

 

[Markbnj]

I also like NoTine42's idea. Never been a big fan of hard walls (other than retaining walls) in landscaping. The earth moves, the wall doesn't want to, always the same outcome.

However, I will disagree with the others on the danger to the tree of removing that root. I'm no expert, but I've never heard of or seen any negative consequences to removing surface roots like that.

 

[utahraptor]

You can cut the roots, just not all at the same time. Rule of thumb is 1/3 of the roots in any one season to suffer no damage. Best time is spring and fall, so 1/3 now, 1/3 in the fall, and the last 1/3 next spring.

I would not cut the roots. That is like cutting fat out of your waist instead of buying new pants when they get too tight. The tree will thank you for leaving it intact.

 

[skimple]

That's not a landscape wall. That's a few blocks stacked in a circle.

 

[spacejamz]

I would not cut the roots. That is like cutting fat out of your waist instead of buying new pants when they get too tight. The tree will thank you for leaving it intact.

I have had the exact same issue as the OP for the past several years...I have been cutting the roots with a chainsaw and the tree is still thriving...11 year old oak tree..

Moving the tree ring further out is only delaying the problem...the roots will eventually get to it...

 

[Markbnj]

I would not cut the roots. That is like cutting fat out of your waist instead of buying new pants when they get too tight. The tree will thank you for leaving it intact.

If you have structures around trees sooner or later you're going to have to cut roots.

 

[Markbnj]

Purdue says I'm wrong about the damage to the tree:

http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/treeroots.html

But they do grant an exemption for structures like sidewalks.

 

[Squisher]

Purdue says I'm wrong about the damage to the tree:

http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/treeroots.html

But they do grant an exemption for structures like sidewalks.

That article is geared more toward mature trees. The tree in the OP looks to be less than 10 years old. Younger trees take to cutting much better.

Common practice for transplanting trees is to root prune close in 1/3 of the way around a tree or shrub in the spring. This will force the tree to grow the fine feeder roots close in to the trunk in that 1/3. Then in the fall cut the rest of the way around the tree and transplant. This way you'll have that original 1/3 of close in fine feeder roots nourishing the tree.

Once a tree gets closer to that 10 year mark your success will diminish.

 

[Exterous]

Expand the planter

The tree roots run along the surface for quite a ways - likely to the mostly clay ground - so this unfortunately wont work. The rest of the root is hidden by the grass but it extends off the picture.

The two other slightly grassless lines radiating off the planter area are form the two other roots

That article is geared more toward mature trees. The tree in the OP looks to be less than 10 years old. Younger trees take to cutting much better.

Its right around 9-10 years old. I might look into cutting the roots over a couple of years but I also like the notching of the brick idea

It might be hard to find the same type of block to expand it and they would not be of the correct angle anyway. If I were tackling that I would find a brick of a color you like and use them as spacers between the existing wall rocks so that the entire circle would have a larger diameter. The width of the brick you select would determine how much larger the circle would become. Just take one of those to a hardware store with you so you get the right height.

Its by far the smallest of the three walls in front so if the brick doesn't match it might look odd. Last year I called around and I found one place that still had that style about 60 minutes away

 

[Exterous]

You can cut the roots, just not all at the same time. Rule of thumb is 1/3 of the roots in any one season to suffer no damage. Best time is spring and fall, so 1/3 now, 1/3 in the fall, and the last 1/3 next spring.

Hmmm - 1/3 of the roots in question or of the circumference of the root area? At the very least it sounds like I could cut that big sucker on the right of the picture now - the one in the middle in the fall and the one on the left next spring?

 

[utahraptor]

Well here is the obvious solution then. Simply cut a notch in the stone that is being pushed u by the root. The wall won't have to be adjusted. The tree won't have to be injured.

"OMG What if at some point in the future the diameter of the root increases?!?!"

Cut a bigger notch or remove that stone.

 

[Squisher]

Hmmm - 1/3 of the roots in question or of the circumference of the root area? At the very least it sounds like I could cut that big sucker on the right of the picture now - the one in the middle in the fall and the one on the left next spring?

1/3 of the circumference, but You might as well do as little damage as possible.

 

[momeNt]

Chipping landscaping bricks should work. Stone facades on houses when they are being installed need to be chipped to fit correctly occasionally. I'd maybe buy a brick or two from your local store to practice on before chipping out the bricks on the wall.

 

[Exterous]

I'll give the chipping a try and go from there. Thanks guys