Strong, healthy trees are a beautiful addition to your property that can boost value and street appeal, add privacy, shade and provide fun for kids. However, choosing the right spot is just as important as choosing the right tree. Tree planting needs to be done with care and consideration, as a tree that is planted too close to your home, driveway, shed or pool for instance, could leave you dealing with damages and costly repairs down the track.

Here are our top tips for safe tree planting that will help set your home and your tree, up for long term success.

What Can Happen If Your Tree Is Too Close

If you plant a tree too close to your home or to other structures, it can lead to a number of problems ranging in potential severity from annoying to dangerous.

Here are some of the main issues that poorly considered tree planting can result in:

• Total tree failure onto roofs, cars or other structures
• Heavy limbs falling onto roofs, cars or other structures
• Falling branches, leaves, flowers, seed pods and fruit in places you don’t want them!
• Attracting pests
• Fire hazard risk
• Disruptive, damaging roots
• Too much shade, not enough natural light
• Blocked gutters
• Damage to foundations

Damage to power lines, pipes, sewerage lines and other services

What You Need To Consider

1. The Size Of The Tree

The most important thing to consider is what the tree’s mature height will be. A tree that looks small today could grow into a 10 or 15 metre giant with an aggressive root system that could damage your home’s foundation, so make sure you get this right.

As a very general rule:

• Small trees under 6 metres tall should be planted at least 3 metres away from any structures
• Medium trees 6 to 12 metres should be planted at least 5 – 8 metres away
• Large trees over 12 metres should be planted at least 10 metres away

Do note that it’s always a good idea to check with your Arborist about your specific tree species and your space.

2. The Tree’s Roots

Another major consideration is the size of the tree’s root system, which can quietly cause major damage. Roots spread out in search of water which often leads them directly to underground pipes and drainage systems and aggressive roots can crack foundations and other structures. There are quite a few common tree species which are none to have particularly invasive, fast-spreading roots such as figs, liquid amber, poplars and some eucalyptus.

If you are planting your tree near to your home, driveway, pool or other structures, choose a species known to have more compact, non-invasive root systems. Your trusted Arborist will be able to provide you with the best advice on what species would be best for your space and conditions.

3. Your Home’s Foundations And Services

Before you plant a tree, it’s good to know what’s below where possible. Tree roots can infiltrate pipes, cables, undermine foundations and other services that aren’t visible above ground if planted too close, so knowing exactly what is underground and to be avoided is critical when planting a new tree.

4. Other Structures On Your Property

While your home is an obvious structure to avoid planting to close to, other structures such as fences, driveways and sheds also need to be considered. Trees that have been planted too close to fences can cause them to lean outward as the canopy grows and expands, causing damage and pressure. Roots can crack concrete driveways and lift pavers overtime and don’t forget your pool! When in doubt, it’s always best to be cautious and give more room where possible.

5. Ongoing Maintenance And Safety

Planting a tree close to roofs will result in more leaves in the gutters, more pruning and more risk if there’s a severe storm. A well-positioned tree shouldn’t need to be constantly cut back to keep it off the house or off powerlines. Similarly, if you’re planting a tree known to drop a lot of leaf litter, flowers, fruit or seed pods you probably don’t want that dropping onto your roof at 2am or into your beautiful new pool.

6. Check With Your Local Council

It’s a good idea to check with your local council as to whether there are any restrictions on tree planting in your local area. Certain tree species are considered as weed species or could be particularly invasive, so you may want to make your decision with this detail in mind.

Hire An Arborist

Deciding which trees to plant and where to plant them can be tricky. Take the guess work out and ask your trusted, qualified Arborist to give you some advice. They can assess your property, recommend safe planting distances, recommend the best species for what you’re after and help avoid costly mistakes.  

If you have already planted a tree and have noticed signs of damage or the tree’s health looks to be in decline, get in touch with your Arborist who will be able to advise the best course of action and help prevent further damage or possible tree removal. Speak to the team at Aussie Tree Solutions for a free quote on our professional tree consulting, care and maintenance services. We provide a full range of tree services, so whether you need beautiful mulch supply, tree pruning or Consulting Arborist services, you can rest assured that our team of professionals will give you and your tree the very best in care.