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My neighbour is concerned about the spreading of roots from my Eucalyptus tree about three feet from his border fence. I have topped the tree at about 15 feet and the crown is about 15 feet, could the root system cause a problem now or in the future? Would restricting the crown limit the root growth?

Hello John,

As a rough guide I think the roots would have grown as wide as the original canopy. I don’t think that reducing the canopy diameter would reduce the root system diameter, the root tips would continue to draw up moisture and nutrients from the soil without retracting to the new canopy diameter. I think the only way to reduce the root system spread/diameter is to manage the canopy diameter from day one. It may be possible to do some excavation so that some root pruning can be done. However this may destabilise the tree which could be dangerous in a gale. If I were you I would consult 2 or 3 professional tree surgeons for advice. Maybe you could also ask the Forestry Commission for advice, if you do, please let me know what they recommend.

Regards, George.

Thanks George, when I topped the tree the canopy was smaller and has just started to spread so if I keep it to the current size, hopefully that will be OK because it is still clear of my neighbours property.

Many thanks