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Poplars close proximity to house

malraffmalraff Posts: 16
in Plants
hi all

so as a novice Gardner i went to a local garden center and come home with a bunch of different trees, 1 breed happening to be Candicans Aurora which looked nice when i googled them :)

so i plant them, 1 of which is approx 15m from the front of my house



should i move them?

mal
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Posts

  • pansyfacepansyface Posts: 22,729
    Oh dear,

    Poplar trees, although slim,  grow to about 20 metres or more tall. In order to support this tall thin superstructure they grow enormously strong roots. Your (or worse, your neighbour’s) sewer and drainage systems will soon be invaded by fine roots, followed by thicker roots. An expensive choice of tree in the long run.

    What other types of tree have you planted?
    Apophthegm -  a big word for a small thought.
    If you live in Derbyshire, as I do.
  • malraffmalraff Posts: 16
    i live in the countryside so neighbors really are not an issue - well not unless the roots go beyond  40 to 50 m??
    i planted some silver birch and copper beech as well as a few evergreens that i am not 100% sure on the name!

    should i get rid? i thought going to a local independent store that i would at least be advised, i was going to buy trees regardless!

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 29,846
    They blow over in strong winds too.  We had 27 along a stream bordering a paddock in our last property.  Woke up after one storm to find we had 25.   Not good near your house or neighbours.

    Your variety is more ornamental and could maybe be kept pruned to shrub size, say about 6' high which would keep it under control and would mean you get to see the foliage close up.  If you don't, when mature it will have a bare trunk and foliage much higher up where you can't appreciate the variegation.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
  • pansyfacepansyface Posts: 22,729
    Sorry, I got confused when you said that one was only 15m from your house....
    Apophthegm -  a big word for a small thought.
    If you live in Derbyshire, as I do.
  • malraffmalraff Posts: 16
    pansyface said:
    Sorry, I got confused when you said that one was only 15m from your house....
    hi pansyface, neighbors are 40-50 meters away front of my own house is around 15m from the closest poplar
  • malraffmalraff Posts: 16
    hi obelixx

    so if i kept them at around 6 to 8 ft maybe the roots would be ok?

    mal
  • DampGardenManDampGardenMan Posts: 1,054
    Personally I'd get rid of it while you can. If you ever come to sell, surveyors and mortgage companies might raise eyebrows and make life difficult. There are plenty of nice trees to be had that aren't so damaging (avoid willows BTW!).
  • malraffmalraff Posts: 16
    i wouldnt dump them for sure! i think i might see if they will exchange as where just bare root planted 2 weeks ago!
  • pansyfacepansyface Posts: 22,729
    A good rule of thumb when thinking about plant growth is the saying “As above, so below”. In other words, if a tree’s natural height is 20 metres, its root system will also naturally grow to 20 metres in all directions.

    Cutting the top off a tree only cuts the top off. The roots keep on doing their thing. Unless you root prune it. Which in this case would be ridiculously impractical.

    Here is a photo of what you can expect if you plant trees close to drains. So do make sure that you know the line of any sewer pipes before you plant and keep the trees a good 20m away from that.
    Apophthegm -  a big word for a small thought.
    If you live in Derbyshire, as I do.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 29,846
    What else do you have?  Is it all planted as a hedge or a woodland? 

    The general rule with tree roots is that they reach out as far as the canopy plus a bit more so, at 15m distance from your house yo don't want any tree with an eventual spread of more than say 12m max and you don't want anything that will get tall enough to fall on your house in strong winds so 15m max for eventual height.

    The other consideration is what tree roots will do to things like sewer and water pipes and also the surface of your drive as well as competition for other plants for nutrients and water and then there's interference with overhead cables for electricity/phones/internet.........
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
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