At the heart of any good landscape are its trees, but you don’t want them too close to your home.
At the heart of any good landscape are its trees. These plants are perfect for catching the eye, giving you some shade, and increasing the value of your home. As always, we do have some recommendations regarding health, safety, and maintenance, and part of that is avoiding planting trees too close to your home.
We love when people want to add a tree or two to their property, but we also want to make sure you’re doing it correctly. Considering a new tree near your home? Just make sure it’s not too close. Let’s take a look at why you should avoid planting trees too close to your home.
The Problems With Trees Too Close to Your Home
Trees have roots that can reach deep into the ground. While they’re a fascinating part of tree biology, they’re also quite important—and can grow to be larger than you might expect. Even if they have plenty of space, they will continue to spread out beneath your soil. In certain conditions, this can end up causing structural damage; tree roots can break up driveways, sidewalks, or even foundations of homes. It’s not uncommon for roots to damage utility systems either, like pipes or electrical lines.
Poorly planted trees can cause damage to your roof or gutters as well. This is because tree branches may hang over your roof when they’re too close, scratching your roof, gutters, or even risking storm damage in inclement weather conditions. Scratchy tree branches can ruin your exterior paint as well.
Finally, the most important reason to avoid planting trees too close to a home is that they pose a safety risk to you, your family, and visitors. Dead branches are never predictable. They could fall off due to weather or just over time and end up hurting someone.
Alternative Planting Locations to Consider
If you shouldn’t plant trees too close to your home, how far is far enough? Typically, we recommend anywhere between 10-20 feet away. This depends on the type of tree, with larger trees that will grow to 70 feet or higher requiring that 20 feet distance. On the other end, smaller trees that only get to be 30 feet high should be at least 10 feet away from your home. Ask your arborist if you’re concerned about how close your tree is to your home.
Tree Care and Maintenance from Harford Tree
Ready to have the beautiful yard you have always dreamed of? Harford Tree Experts & Landscaping, Inc has been in the business for decades, providing customers with quality work and quick responses all at the right price. We service the areas of Harford County, Baltimore County, Baltimore City areas including Bel Air, Fallston, Perry Hall, Towson, Essex, Parkville, White Marsh, and Middle River. For service during business hours, reach out to us or give us a call at 410-592-7321. We offer 24/7 emergency service as well, just give us a call at 443-250-6649. For updates about our business and more informative tips, follow us on Facebook and Twitter.