Digging near a conifer hedge

[Maxnaggle]

Heya all, quick question. I'm going to be building a retaining wall near a conifer hedge ( 20 years old approx, 10 feet high. 6-8 inches dbh..

 

The wall requires me to dig down 12 inches at 1.6 metres from the main stems for about 3 trees length.

 

The hedge is in good shape, put on good growth this year.

 

Any advice I find is based around the drip line of the tree, and as this is a hedge I'm thinking it is irrelevant

 

Any advice would be appreciated

[Maxnaggle]

Sorry the question was - obviously I will be digging up some of the hedges roots - enough to cause lasting damage?

[woody paul]

Seen it done before and the trees blow over in a good wind so I wouldn't do it.

[R Mac]

Heya all, quick question. I'm going to be building a retaining wall near a conifer hedge ( 20 years old approx, 10 feet high. 6-8 inches dbh..

 

The wall requires me to dig down 12 inches at 1.6 metres from the main stems for about 3 trees length.

 

The hedge is in good shape, put on good growth this year.

 

Any advice I find is based around the drip line of the tree, and as this is a hedge I'm thinking it is irrelevant

 

Any advice would be appreciated

 

What height is the retaining wall going to be?

[Maxnaggle]

Digging down 10 inches max. But for most of the wall 4 to 6 inches. Had another look today, the trees at bh have a diameter no larger than 5 inches. Found an equation that says 4 times the circumference = safe to dig. That's 152 cm so puts most of the digging in the green. There is one tree with 8 inch dbh with a couple of surface roots which will have to go. They are approx. 1 inch diameter - my only concern

[Mick Dempsey]

It'll be fine, trees can't read equations.

 

Crack on.

[Mark Bolam]

I'd fell the trees first, just to be on the safe side.

[eagleye]

Digging down 10 inches max. But for most of the wall 4 to 6 inches. Had another look today, the trees at bh have a diameter no larger than 5 inches. Found an equation that says 4 times the circumference = safe to dig. That's 152 cm so puts most of the digging in the green. There is one tree with 8 inch dbh with a couple of surface roots which will have to go. They are approx. 1 inch diameter - my only concern

 

if their below ground level concrete 150mm away from them either side and put a small concrete lintel over them

out of interest how high is the retaining wall

[R Mac]

It'll be fine, trees can't read equations.

 

Crack on.

 

Yeah, what he said, IMO.

[Maxnaggle]

if their below ground level concrete 150mm away from them either side and put a small concrete lintel over them

out of interest how high is the retaining wall

 

That's a good idea! Unfortunately they're literally right on the surface..

 

So, I'm trying to create a level surface at the top of a tiered garden, going up with a 6 inch wall on the out side edge and down with a wall which will step down from 10 inches to about 4 along the inside edge.

 

Thanks for the input guys