How close can you plant a tree to a house?

If you are landscaping around your home, you may be wondering how close you should plant your trees to your house. Planting trees in your garden adds gorgeous colour, shape and texture, as well as some more practical benefits including added privacy, shade and natural cooling. But if you plant a little too close to your home, you may find that your trees can quickly become a nuisance.

As professional arborists, we are no strangers to all things tree related. In the following article, we break down why choosing where to plant your tree matters, how far you should plant and what to do if you’ve planted too close to your home.  

Problems of planting trees close to your house

When determining where to plant your tree, there’s more to consider than the aesthetics. Planting your tree too close to your home can introduce a myriad of problems from attracting unwanted pests to disrupting the foundations of your house. 

Falling branches & Leaves

If your tree is in close proximity to your home, you’ll quickly find that your gutters and roof will be filled with debris. Not only are leaves, sticks and branches a pain to clean out, but they can also create problems during heavy rainfall or fire season. A falling branch can also do serious damage to your home, such as destroying your roof or smashing windows. 

Fire hazard

Australians are no strangers to the devastation of fire. If you are in a high risk fire area, you’ll need to consider carefully where you plant your trees and what type of species you plant. Planting your tree too close to your home poses a substantial fire risk, providing fuel for the fire to quickly spread to your home. 

Attract pests

Is there anything worse than hearing a bunch of possums fight on your roof while you’re trying to fall asleep? Planting trees close to your home can provide easy access to a range of pests, such as possums, wasps and ants. You may find that you’ll be woken early every morning due to birds nesting in the tree right next to your bedroom window. 

Disruptive roots

Tree roots are known to spread rapidly in search of more room or moisture and can cause significant damage. From cracking the foundations of your home, bursting and blocking utility pipes, and causing a slight slant to your floors, removing tree roots can be expensive and difficult. That’s why we recommend ensuring you factor in root growth when deciding how far to plant your tree. 

Shade

If you plant your tree a little close to your home, you may run into the issue of blocking natural light. This shade means you won’t have as much natural light in your home and can create issues with mould and drive up your electricity costs. 

How far from your home should you plant your tree?

Now that you know why you shouldn’t plant your trees right next to your home, here’s how far you should plant your tree. 

The general rule

While there are a range of factors to consider how far to plant your tree, you can use the following as a general guide to deciding where to place your trees. 

 

Tree height at maturity Distance from building
Below 8 metres At least 3 metres
8-15 metres At least 4-6 metres
Over 15 metres At least 10-15 metres

Size of tree

The size of the tree is more than just its height. You also need to consider trunk size and tree canopy when deciding how far to plant it. If your tree has a canopy size over 6 metres in diameter, you’ll need to plant at least half the size of the canopy away from your home to enable it to reach full spread. 

Root network

As mentioned above, disruptive roots can cause some serious problems. It’s important to consider the spread of the root network and the type of roots when choosing your tree species and where to plant it. Trees with lateral tree root systems, such as Moreton Bay Figs, have a wide root spread so they’ll need to be planted further away from your home to avoid issues. Other root systems like heart (oblique) roots tend to grow deeper opposed to wider so you’ll need to ensure that you are planting them over utility pipes or other vital underground infrastructure. 

Tree species

Every tree species is different! While some species may grow incredibly fast and tall, others may be slower growing and more compact. When it comes to choosing what type of tree to plant, consider whether the root system is invasive, the height and canopy size of the tree at full maturity, and other related factors such as fruit trees attracting birds and pests. We recommend planting trees such as Tuckaroos and Crepe Myrtles. 

What to do if you’ve planted too close to your home

If you’ve made the mistake of planting your tree in close proximity to your home, don’t fret! There are some solutions to mitigate the issues caused by the trees and roots. The first is regular tree pruning to ensure that the tree branches maintain a safe distance from your home as well as keeping the tree in good health. In some cases, it will be best to remove the tree entirely. Do not attempt to remove a tree by yourself as you may risk damaging your home or even yourself during the removal process. 

 

However, if you are having issues with the tree roots you can hire a professionally trained arborist to cut the roots. As this can be a highly difficult task and sometimes damaging to the tree, you will usually remove your tree as well as the stump. It’s essential that you do also remove the stump, otherwise the roots can continue to grow and cause issues. An experienced arborist will be able to grind the stump and create wood chips and mulch for the rest of the garden, recycling the green waste. 

Unsure where to plant? Ask the experts!

If you are worried about planting too close to your home, then it’s ideal to ask the experts. At Jim’s Trees, we’re happy to advise you on all tree related matters and can provide professional arborist advice about how far to plant your trees in relation to your home as well as providing any other necessary tree maintenance. 

 

Get in touch with our friendly team today!

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