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Q&A: Tree Roots Buckle Sidewalk
National Gardening Association
Question: I have two oak trees in my front yard that are causing the
sidewalk to buckle, as well as making it very difficult to grow a
decent lawn. Someone suggested that I replace them with more "root
friendly" trees and that this would resolve the situation. Is this
true?
Answer: Oaks aren't usually considered shallow-rooted trees -- where conditions allow, they send their roots deep. There may be an underlying factor that's causing them to favor the soil surface, such as a shallow bedrock layer under the soil, high water table, soil compaction, and the like. If this is the case, any tree that you plant will grow shallow roots. I suggest that you have a landscaper or arborist take a look at your site and assess what kind of tree is likely to be compatible with the conditions in your yard before spending a lot of money and energy in tree removal and replacment -- it'll be worth the front-end investment!
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Posted Comments:
10-25-2009 08:20
Jackie Olson wrote:
Oak Trees
I had a laurel oak in my front yard and my grass was very sparse. When an arborist told me the tree was at a stage 3 of dying I had it cut down. Low and behold, my grass started coming back and now it looks great. The oak tree was taking all the moisture and leaving nothing for the grass.
11-05-2008 20:42
wrote:
Oak trees planted in urban settings often will destroy sidewalks. Yes, they are deep rooted but because of Sewers and other underground utilities there is less room for the root systems
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