This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.
Planting over electric cables?
samgreener1
Posts: 2
We've recently had some armoured electric cables put in underground (in a protective tube) for a hot tub, however it's had to be positioned running alongside a fence and I had wanted to plant some privacy hedging and shrubs along this fence for privacy.... will this still be possible? Would the roots be a danger and make this a safety hazard or will the cables be fine protected in its tube?
The plants I had in mind were Red Robins, Conitus and Ceanothus.
I'm a very novice gardener, so any advice or recommendations on what best to do here would be much appreciated.
The plants I had in mind were Red Robins, Conitus and Ceanothus.
I'm a very novice gardener, so any advice or recommendations on what best to do here would be much appreciated.
0
Posts
I have about 120ft of it running along hedge - I do occasionally come across the cable whilst digging, but it's been there for well over 20 years and I've not electrocuted myself - yet and the leccy still works down the garden.
You have sensibly also run yours inside a protective tube for added protection - I didn't
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
However, it's not something I've ever done, so someone else might be able to offer better advice
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I'm not sure whether the work should have been certified (although l would have thought so, if only for your own peace of mind).
https://www.outdoorlivinghottubs.co.uk/blogs/installation-guides/hot-tub-electrical-installation-guidelines
As for the planting, if you know the cable is at least to that depth and it's exact location ,when it comes to planting you should be fine. Depending where you are in the UK , bear in mind that ceanothus can be tender. Red Robin is a pretty tough shrub, so should be okay
Our builders dug the trench in preparation and the electric work completed by a qualified electrician (and we have the certificate), but it was only after this was all completed that I started thinking the plants could be a potential hazard and didn't know the tube could also affect the plants themselves either.
Frustratingly, the tube runs about 50cm parallel from the fence, which was where I'd hoped to plant, but will just have the plants further away from the fence than originally planned.
I have this some problem with my pipes. In fact fences give shelter from the rain, so it's no bad thing to plant a little further away. It will be less dry and the shrubs will grow backwards towards the fence. When I first moved in I did plant a dwarf apple tree right over the pipe. It look a longer while to establish (and it wasn't a good place to plant) but it got there in the end.