Ten Signs that a Tree is Planted in the Wrong Place
University of Arizona Pinal County Cooperative Extension
Planting a tree in a location where it will fail to thrive, or where it will become a nuisance, can be a costly mistake. Trees, shrubs and bedding plants provide many benefits to a residential landscape, including beauty, shade, and a welcoming feel to outdoor living areas. A handsome, functional landscape also adds value to the home and can put extra money in the pocket when the home is sold later on. In order to maximize these benefits, it is important to properly plan, install and care for the landscape.
Unfortunately, far too many mistakes are made at planting. In horticultural terms, it is a mistake to plant a tree where soil or environmental conditions will not favor good growth, where it will eventually need regular and heavy corrective pruning, or where it may need to be completely removed within a few years.
Heavy corrective pruning destroys the natural form and beauty of the tree and opens it up to possible infection by plant disease organisms and insect pests. Removing and replacing a tree results in the loss of the plant’s immediate value. It also means a loss of the valuable time required to bring the tree to maturity. By taking the time to do the project right the first time, the owner or manager of a valuable landscape can save both time and money.
Here are ten common signs that a tree has been planted in the wrong place. If you are getting ready to install a landscape, a good first step would be to take a drive or walk into any residential or commercial area and learn to recognize these mistakes. Then, as you plan your landscape, make sure that they do not show up in your yard:
Sign #1: The tree is growing into a power line. Tree limbs growing into electrical lines strung from power poles can be dangerous hazards to people and property. Maintenance crews regularly trim out branches that grow into and around these lines. Trees that have been trimmed for safety often have their natural form, and their value, either seriously damaged or destroyed. Many times these trees end up being removed completely. When siting a tree, place it in a location where it will can grow in its natural form without danger of growing into power lines.
Sign #2: The tree branches grow into the street. Planting a tree too close to the street will cause the tree to spread its branches into a place where bicycle, car, and truck traffic will either hit, or swerve around, the branches. In either case, the tree becomes a safety hazard that will need to be severely pruned or removed.
Sign #3: The tree limbs and branches grow over the fence into the neighbor’s yard. If the neighbor doesn’t mind the tree or the shade that the tree provides, this may not be a problem. More frequently than not, however, the people next door would prefer that a tree not invade their space. The hassles, problems and potential conflicts that could occur are easily avoided by planting the tree in a location where it will not cross property boundaries.
Sign #4: The tree branches rub on the exterior walls or the roof of the house. Branches blowing too and fro in the wind can scrape and damage brick, paneled, or stucco walls. They can also rip asphalt shingles or break tiles on the roof. Plant the tree away from the home to avoid expensive repairs.
Sign #5: The trees grow into each other. Trees planted too close together compete for water, air, nutrients and sunlight. A lack of proper nutrition or sunlight will often stunt plants and weaken
their trunks and branches. Branches that cross and rub against each other can easily be damaged and ruined.
Sign #6: The tree is damaging water, sewer, or natural gas lines. Some trees have aggressive, fast-growing roots that can overpower and damage underground utility lines. Sewer pipes are particularly vulnerable, for example, to the invasion of mulberry tree roots. Depending upon the type of line, the damage can range from a mere frustration to one of real danger. It's important to know where the lines are on the property, and avoid them.
Sign #7: The trees shade out lawns and flower beds and make them unproductive. Dense shade from large trees will often prevent lawn grasses, bedding plants, shrubs, vines and other trees from properly growing as they shade out their smaller competitors.
Sign #8: The tree is in a place where it can heave and buckle sidewalks and fences. The roots of large trees, if they grow too close to the surface of the soil, can push up sidewalks and fences. This type of structural damage can be difficult, as well as expensive, to repair.
Sign #9: A caliche layer or structural hard spot in the soil causes the roots of trees to grow up close to the surface of the soil. Shallow, improperly rooted trees can more easily blow over in a windstorm. This problem can be avoided by checking the percolation of water through the soil prior to planting and by properly preparing the planting hole.
Sign #10: The tree cannot be properly irrigated in a timely manner because water on the property is unavailable or is too expensive for the budget of the person paying the water bill. Trees will become seriously damaged, or even die, if they do not receive the proper amount of water during the growing season.
Planting a tree in the wrong location is one of the more obvious and expensive mistakes that is all too commonly made during landscape planning and installation. By taking the time to plan and install trees properly, major landscape mistakes can be avoided. This will result in savings of both time and money. See the Related Publications on how to plan properly.