Acer Roots problem

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Hi, first time posting and hoping for some advice.

We have a beautiful Acer which I estimate at 20 years old and around 8m height. The problem is that it is about 5m from our house and have recently noticed some surface roots which have reached the property.
Obviously our primary concern is not causing any property/foundations damage, but can anything be done to save the tree as well or will it have to be destroyed?

Many Thanks
 

cpp gardener

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Is it Acer palmatum or Acer something else? If it's palmatum it shouldn't be a problem at all. You can cut through the roots about 2-3' from the house and not affect the tree in a significant way. Do that every 5 years or so and never have to worry about it.
 
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Hi, thanks so much for the response. Yes it is Acer palmatum.
Do you think cutting the roots could destabilise the tree (concerned about it falling being relatively close to the house)?

Great news that we might be able to save it :)
 

cpp gardener

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As long as you cut at least 10' from the trunk, there will be sufficient intact roots to hold the tree. Only cut on that side, not all around.
 

oneeye

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No need to prune the roots of an Acer most especially a 20-year-old Acer palmatum tree. No the roots of Acer palmatum trees are generally not invasive. Their shallow, compact root systems are less likely to cause damage to foundations or sidewalks. I would leave it alone and not worry about it at all.
 

Sean Regan

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Some acers can put up with their roots being messed about.

This is the larger of our two acer palmatrums, (photo taken last year).

P1020199.JPG


In 2021, because we now had several hedgehogs visiting our garden, I decided to get rid of our little frog pond. Several years before, one had died in it, although there were rocks in place that enabled tiny young frogs to get out it could have found as they can swim.

I removed the liner, then remembered, that it had developed a leak some ten years before and I'd fitted a new liner on top of the old one and replaced the coping stones. As you can see, this thirty-odd year old acer's roots had grown between the two liners.

P1050449.JPG


Then part of the root had grown out again, up between two coping stones and under some rocks at the top of the picture!

Here the roots are in the sand I put between the old and new liner.

I carefully removed the second liner and some of the coping stones that were under the acer, cut off the bit of root that was growing out of the pond, re-arranged the main tap root, then filled it with a mixture of compost and top soil, tamped it all down and gave it a good watering.

This was in July!


A month later, it was no worse for its experience.


P1050464.JPG
 

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