Should I remove my eucalyptus tree?

[21again]

I had a eucalyptus tree in a patio pot for a few years, didn't do much, grew to about 3' and was very spindly.

When we made over the garden I planted it in the corner, away from the house, next to the fence.

It has grown really quickly since planting at the beginning of the year and is now about 8' to 9' tall.

I am going to keep it cut to about 11' or so.

However, I have just been reading that they have strong root systems.

The question is, should I dig it up or leave it if kept to a decent height.

It is about 14' from the house and the soil is clay based.

[Kristen]

The root systems of Eucalyptus trees, now planted out but which have previously been pot-bound, are usually not sufficiently anchored to support a subsequent full-sized tree, but that shouldn't matter if you pollard it regularly to 11' (and alert any future owner to that issue too) (advice on Eucalyptus trees is to plant them out very small so their roots establish in-situ and grow in the right shape to properly anchor the tree. Even so, they are still inclined to drop branches so not ideal as small-garden trees, although the fact that they grow quickly is a benefit of course)

Sorry, dunno about its roots and the building, in particular the situation where the tree will be pollarded which will restrict its size - and perhaps the vigour of its roots too??

[Glutton4...]

My friend had to remove a beauty, as the roots were undermining their neighbours' patio. Therefore, I would suggest moving it further from the house.

However, I have another friend who has a big one growing about ten feet from their house. It would have been further, but the house has been extended, so the roots would have been severed where needed.

Better to be safe than sorry, I reckon.

[21again]

Thanks for your advice folks.

I think I will have to uproot it just in case. God knows how deep/long the roots are.

Hopefully they won't be too hard to get up, it has been in the garden about 6 months.

[marchogaeth]

Just keep chopping it down to the size you want it to be - it'll be fine and so will its roots. We've got some whoppers (30' plus) growing against walls that are higher than the ground next door and nothing is happening in terms of moving the walls or growing through them after about 18 years. Different eucs respond differently to pollarding so unless you know what type it is it's hard to say exactly how it will shape up to this treatment, some thrive others just cope.

[21again]

Many thanks for your advice.

I have had it a few years and have lost the label but it the leaves are blue/silver coloured.

Looking at a few pics I think it may be a Silver Dollar Eucalyptus.

So if I keep it cut to about 7' keep it well watered, and trim the side branches, should that keep the roots to a decent length, as they won't need to search for water?

[21again]

Well, I got talking to someone this morning who said they had a 'bush' from the garden centre years ago, not knowing it was a eucalyptus tree.

They let it grow to twenty odd foot and the roots started to unsettle the paving stones in their greenhouse which was by the side of it.

She got a tree surgeon in and it cost them nearly £300 to have it cut down and the stump killed off!!!!!

Well, that did it for me.

I went out with the intention earlier of trying to dig it up (if I wait for my husband to to it ......).

Got the tree out in about 10 minutes if that!

When I put my full weight (10st) against the trunk it started to come out of the soil, so I trimmed a few of the roots around it and just lifted it out.

There was quite a thick root ball on it and most of the roots were about 18" long and 3cm thick.

I have mangaged to pull all of the roots out of the ground bar one. Most were only a few inches deep but the last one looks to have gone down a bit further and under my weed suppressant.

Will it be ok to leave a root in the ground, will it just rot?

I have a plastic dustbin that I have put the tree in for now. I've trimmed it down to about 5' and cut back all of the roots so that it easily fitted in the bin.

I didn't like the idea of just chucking it away and it would be nice for the birds to sit in if it is a manageable size.