pollard heavy reduction on sycamore to stop roots expanding?

[mattyboy]

Customer has asked whats best to do to stop semi mature sycamores roots that are very near a stone wall from in the future bending and disfiguring the stone walls appearance.

 

Best to fell kill stump and replant suitable species?

 

coppice?

 

or pollard and maintain every 3 years?

 

or reduction every 3 years?

 

They would like to keep some sort of tree there ideally.

 

Letters on a postcard!

Edited September 18, 2016 by mattyboy

[Mick Dempsey]

Post a picture.

[tree-fancier123]

if there's room for the trunks to expand and a big canopy above, maybe the trees would live if you severed just the big roots going towards the wall - bit of digging and a few old chains. You could say kill or cure.

There is a big horse chestnut outside where I live and several big roots have been hacked to keep them out the drains, this tree still going strong, but your sycamores could be the unlucky ones that get fungi into the wounds and its done for

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

Post a picture.

 

 

Difficult to express a view otherwise...

 

Maybe just as likely the roots could take a path under / around the wall if it's sound??

[mattyboy]

Ok will get a picture tomorrow chaps

[treesrus]

dig a channel alongside the wall and put in a root barrier. or remove the trees.

[Arctostaphylos uva-ursi]

If its a drystane wall then I think the wall will probably be able to absorb any root growth with negligible effect on its appearance> However the beauty of drystane walls is that they can easily be rebuilt. At the other end of the spectrum, a wall with modern cement mortar may not fair so well due to the "stiffness" of the construction and its inability to absorb movement. However, as with all things to do with trees, there is seldom an easy answer as there are so many variables to consider e.g. wall construction, foundation type/depth, soil type, tree proximity, tree growth stage, tree stability, exposure, etc.

[10 Bears]

None of the above.

 

This is the best solution in my opinion - assuming this is a garden wall or similar...

[andy perkins]

None of the above.

 

This is the best solution in my opinion - assuming this is a garden wall or similar...

 

cut the roots we do it all the time

[Stubby]

If its a drystane ........

 

 

 

Never let your stains go dry . They will go crispy