My neighbor has a tree with a big surface root coming under the fence, and into my yard. My neighbor could care less about the tree, and expressed an interest in getting rid of the tree. The surface root is raising the fence and Iwant to retard the growth of this root so it does not bust the fence. Can I drill some holes into the root and pour something in it to kill the root and the tree...
what would work??? thank you in advance
I had pine tree roots lifting my sidewalk.
I lifted up the sidewalk and used a hammer and wood chisel to cut out the roots.** The following year, I decided another square was in danger from other roots and I just chiseled away at the edge of the cement, no lifting first. A 1 1/2 or 2 inch root didn't take long.
I tried to figure out a power tool to use, but none seemed safe.
I certainly didn't want to kill my tree, and I think all that was required was to cut the roots that were hurting me. It has other roots going lots of other directions.
**The chiseling took quite a while, an hour or two, and there might have been an eaiser way, but I sort of enjoyed it and it got out my aggressions for the month. I didn't take out enough -- I was afraid I woudl take out too much -- so it was still high after I put the sidewalk square back, and I had to do it two more times. After the first time, when a friend helped me, I learned how to use levers etc. to move the square myself. The second square wasn't as bad and I did right the first time. The third square I didn't have to lift at all.Don't know if I needed it or if it helped, but since they were going to be in the dark, covered by the cement, I used that tar stuff to patch the root where it was cut off for the first two squares, but the third was open to the air and I had no more tar stuff. A neigbhor, who might know nothing, said I didn't need the tar stuff. But I have several trees and he has none. :)
Background: Before this, the sidewalk guy here for the community sidewalks gave me a high price for replacing two or three squares, and a much lower price if he did it that day. I asked him about cutting the line between two squares, and he said he woudl do that for free. He meant he would have an employee do it, so I tipped the guy after he finished. Once the two square piece was in two pieces, I was able to lift it with help from a friend, and later with three 4x4 fulcrums and
8 or 9 short and long 2x4s.Don't try to move the cement with your legs. I thought I was safe because I was sitting down and hitting the cement perpendicular to my spine (now why would I think that was safe?) but my back hurt for about 2 years. It's ok now. I couldn't move even the 1/8 square chip with my feet anyhow. It must have been stuck on something.
mm wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:
I hope you aren't the jerk of a neighbor we had around here a couple of years ago. I had a big tree in my yard that was there before I moved in. Then 15 years later the jerk moved in. One night I smelled gasoline. Come to find out the jerk dug a hole in my other neighbor's lawn and poured the gasoline in the tree root. It killed the tree and in a wind storm the tree fell and took down power lines with it. That guy was such an A-hole. I sent the police to his house to ask questions.
innews: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:
Why not adjust the fence, you might kill the tree adjusting roots, but it sounds like you only care about your lousy fence. Tree benefits are numerous.
innews: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:
And if you kill the tree, then what? Have you thought that out? A dead tree isn't very attractive to look at and at some point it's going to start falling down. If the tree has to go, do it right, cut it down.
When the tree falls on your neighbors house, you could be held legally liable if you did this.
You could offer to pay half the cost of having the tree removed.
Bob
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.