What are your thoughts on my driveway problem?

Is it possible to move your driveway and just let the tree have its way with that piece of land?
Note: I have seen people move their driveway – but probably not because of a tree. Just a thought.

I don’t think that the driveway and the tree can co-exist.

@tom_g I don’t believe so. It goes straight in to my garage. I’ll upload a pic tonight.

@marinelife Thats what I was afraid of.

I’m not certain that it’s a solution, but you might investigate pervious concrete (that allows water to drain through). That would support the tree, I’m thinking.

We have a live oak and a water oak at our home in Florida. The water oak’s roots are very destructive. There isn’t anything you can do to prevent the roots from destroying your driveway. Most root systems go out about three times further than the tree’s canopy.

10 years isn’t bad if you love the tree. But, if you have to take down the tree in 10 years it will be much taller, more expensive, and more difficult. Difficult choice. I don’t think there is a magical solution, I think you just have to decide what is important to you weighing the pro amd cons. I lean towards getting rid of the tree now and planting a different one. Unless you plan in moving in less than 5 years. I want to remove 4 trees and my husband keeps telling me no because we want to sell.

@JLeslie I am not opposed to moving, but I like the house too. I have never been the type to stay in one place long… but Id o enjoy this house. I always said when I turned 30 I would move to Chicago… thats 2 years.

But I like this house, so I might not. :) But the tree, I’d bet, is already 50 years old. It is huge. But if it is oak, will someone take it away for the wood?

@bkcunningham :(

@picante Googling it now.

Oh, 50 years and huge. Hmmmm. I think you can’t make a bad decision either way.

My vote is for “tree stays, driveway moves.”

@jca I like the idea, but where does the driveway go? :)

@JLeslie Yea I was afraid of that. Who chops down trees? Will someone do it if it is a desirable wood type?

One possible solution would be to put down crushed rock with flagstones instead of concrete. It would be a lot more expensive, but it would make it very easy to simply lift the flagstones as required and in-fill with more crushed rock to make it level. It would also look pretty snazzy.

Surface roots on some trees such as maple and oak normally go deep into the soil when possible – and when required because of lack of “surface water”. If you have a high water table in your area, then the roots are prevented from going down because, strange as it seems, the roots won’t go “into” water. That is, the root system needs to transport water to the tree canopy, but the roots will rot if they’re in water. So they spread out into the “normally dry” soil and pick up moisture there. Obviously, a rock ledge or other impermeable strata in the soil can prevent deep tap roots, too.

When the high water table (or rock ledge, etc.) in the soil prevents the roots from going downward, they spread outward instead. This makes for a potentially unstable tree. That is, likely to blow down – or even simply “fall down” – at some point.

I’m not saying that’s the only reason for a tree to have surface roots! But it’s a very common reason, and worth looking into.

I’d call that arborist if I were you. He may advise that the tree is already unsafe and should be removed.

I like older trees, too, and keep them whenever possible. I also have a very large oak near the street end of my driveway. Fortunately, there is zero surface disruption from the root system, and this tree has been well tested with wind and snow loading. I’ve seen other trees in my neighborhood that did fall during our early, wet snow last October. Trees with 2’ diameter trunks simply fell over – and they often had the type of shallow root system you’ve described.

When I was much younger we had a “swamp maple” next to our summer camp. That thing had a trunk that had to be over 3’ in diameter. One winter it simply toppled into the neighbor’s yard (fortunately it fell between their house and garage). Because of its location on the low point between the two properties (next to where we used to have a well, in fact, that was only about 6’ deep), it also had a shallow root system.

I’d definitely look into this if I were you.

My driveway is crushed rock and is bordered by several huge Oak trees. It is long lasting, only needs to be topped off with a new layer of gravel every few years and no issues with tree roots. Maybe tear up the concrete and go for the crushed gravel.

Coloma: How many loads and how much per load? It can be expensive. I have to fill and grade my hilly and curved drive from time to time and it is costly and also hard to get the guys to come when you want them.

The longer you wait, the larger the mighty oak will get. How about a bridge or a causeway or a ramp on hinges? Otherwise, the tree should go. People will pay for oak, if it is indeed oak.

@gailcalled Oh gosh, well, my driveway is about 50 feet long and I’d say it takes a couple of truck fulls of gravel, not bad, maybe $200 or so. Once it is packed down it only needs occasional filling in for low spots and the occasional pot hole. Usually caused by people that spin out in going up the driveway. haha

Had a similar problem and we swapped the concrete driveway for a brown creek gravel driveway. Now, everyone is happy.

The creek gravel will give so much more than concrete.

The tree is saved and so was our sanity.

I vote for save the tree. If you live without snow/ice, go with crushed rock or river stone or whatever you think looks nice and allows for growth/movement. If you live in an area with ice & snow, then call the arborist and go with a more traditional driveway.

In that area (say a circle around the tree) you could go with a flagstone, and then the driveway could be concrete or asphalt everywhere else.

photos would help

BTW: We have a large Honey Locust at the corner of our home, next to our garage. Our asphalt drive needs to be re-done in the next couple of years. Currently, we have a mulch bed in a crescent shape at the base of the tree. When we re-do the driveway, we plan to give the three even more breathing room.

A landscape designer could help you work out a plan that would help your tree and still allow for a functional drive into the garage.

@SpatzieLover When I get home I will upload one.

Driveways with big trees nearby do not mix. It is like the people on my street that plant a tree the will be huge, right under the phone and power line. Then they complain to the power company when they trim down or give the tree a “flat-top”.

Like others have suggested, I would remove the concrete and put in a gravel or crushed rock drive. If local ordinances require your drive to be paved, then I am afraid the tree will have to go.

If it is oak or another hardwood, people would definately want the wood. Artisans use it for making furniture, it is great as charcoal or even just plain firewood for outdoor cooking.

The cost of re-doing the driveway makes me want to poison my big old water oak. They are protected trees where I live and can’t be cut unless they became a danger. Even then it isn’t easy to cut the bastards.

I have no idea how to upload a picture. :)

- Click here
– click “Computer” in the “upload images” box
– select the image you want to upload
– click “start upload”
– when the upload is complete, copy the link labeled: “link” or “Direct Link”

http://imgur.com/M0X5j

I took a bunch of pictures and it is hard to see it, but it is pretty bad. You can see in front of my car where it is kind of pushed up.

That tree is a little close to your house. I have a tree like that right outside my window. I heard it’s not good to have a tree growing so close to your house.

The roots can not only lift up the driveway but infiltrate your foundation, not to mention fall on the roof, even if its only a large branch.

Although, to be very honest here, it’s a very rare root that will fall on your roof. The chances of that happening are vanishingly small. I wouldn’t lose any sleep over that.

@CWOTUS: Only those to whom it has never happened can say that in such a nonchalant way. (From one who has been there.)

I think the tree shall go. That is an oak right? It has the little helecopter seeds.

Its a maple. :( There goes someone taking it for free!

Maple wood is very valuable! Maple is one of the hardest woods, I believe. Maple cabinets, maple flooring, hello!!!

Maple? Where do you live, I’ll be over with the truck.

Even if it is a silver maple?

No, quality silver maple should go to an instrument maker first.

@WestRiverrat Who do I look up to have it chopped down that wont knock it on my house or car?

I had my 350+ year old cottonwood taken out by a local tree trimming service. It was a tough job because it was between my shed, the neighbors house and had power lines on the only side accessible by their truck. My 100’ tall tree with 4ft by 5 ft trunk at the base cost just under $2000 to remove. Much cheaper than what it would have cost if a limb had fallen on the neighbors house.

I looked in the phone book under Tree Services and picked the one that was bonded.

If you were in my neighborhood I would recommend Wade.
But a good tree service / surgeon should be okay and get written estimates from more than two services and DOUBLE CHECK they have enough insurance to replace your house if they drop it on the roof. Wade does and he can “chew” a tree from the top down in eight foot pieces.

Large, old growth trees are literally irreplacible. New growth is a net consumer of oxygen; only old growth gives off more oxygen than it consumes. And there’s no way to age a tree than just waiting a few decades or centuries. Futhermore, it looks like this tree provides substantial amounts of shade, which saves you a large amount of money on cooling in the summer. If you get a tap and a bucket, you can also avail yourself of maple sap for making syrup. I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but rising temperatures have resulted in a sap-running season so short that there’s a continent-wide shortage of maple syrup.

I would encourage you to reconsider chopping down the tree. Replacing your drive with crushed rock (or even ornamental stones) and flagstones will be cheaper both in the short and the long run than cutting down the tree.

If all this isn’t enough, you need to think of the ethics of the situation. You don’t “own” the tree. You are temporarily in possession of the land where the tree happens to grow. The tree belongs to everyone in the neighbourhood whose lives are touched by it, and by the generations yet unborn who may never get the opportunity to experience it. Cutting it down for the sake of convenience in parking your car seems… not especially selfless.

As rarely as I agree with @SmashTheState, this is one of the times. I like his thinking on the topic at hand. I agree that we aren’t really owners of the trees on “our” land in any more than a legalistic sense (which is real enough, I grant). We’re stewards of these beings who simply cannot move.

However… I stand by my earlier reservation about large trees with extensive “surface roots” and what that means for the long term stability of this particular being. This tree may be near the end of a long life in any case. It would be better for you to get advice from a tree professional (consult someone whose interest is in preservation rather than chopping down) and have it done in a controlled manner in the springtime rather than during a winter storm… on top of the house.