Help with trees!

alm721

Last year we moved and in our new house there is a row of 6 ornamental type tress planted along the front of the drive. They are about 8 foot high but don't look great. I've finally got around to digging over and clearing the area and the trees do not seem to have been planted deep enough. They are wobbly if you put any pressure on them and the roots seem very shallow.
Im unsure what I can do if anything to try and sort it. I've considered staking them to see if the roots will naturally go deeper and anchor the tress. Alternativly I've considered digging them up and replanting them although given their size I'm not really sure if this is even possible.

If anyone has any advice that would be great. Thank you

bac86

If it's as you put, there's no harm trying with one and seeing if you can replant. What trees are they?

annie123

you don't want wobbly trees near the house :eek:
If they blow over in a gale your insurance may not cover you.
I found out the hard way, when 5 year old eucalyptus went splat in a gale over the fence, took down a small tree in neighbors garden, caught their greenhouse but just brushed they new expensive conservatory, and discovered my insurance didnt include any damage done by trees that were in my garden, whoever's property they damaged :mad:

I'd stake and replant deeper.

tobit

Sounds like you're not keen to have them anyway - and how close to the drive are they planted? If they do continue to grow those roots will lift the driveway (tarmac?) and the leaves and branches will get in your way when you're getting in and out of the car - especially when it's raining! Nothing like pushing past wet, drippy leaves when you're dressed up to go somewhere special:)

I think that I would advertise them on your local Freecycle web page and see if there's someone nearby, with more space, looking for some trees. And now it's still just OK for transplanting them. Wait another month and it'll be too late for this year.

davemorton

annie123 wrote: »

you don't want wobbly trees near the house :eek:
If they blow over in a gale your insurance may not cover you.
I found out the hard way, when 5 year old eucalyptus went splat in a gale over the fence, took down a small tree in neighbors garden, caught their greenhouse but just brushed they new expensive conservatory, and discovered my insurance didnt include any damage done by trees that were in my garden, whoever's property they damaged :mad:

I'd stake and replant deeper.

Hmmm, now thats got me worried, I have a 40 odd foot larch in my garden not too far away from the electricity sub-station, now if it fell onto that, it would be a costly bill! Think I best check my policy.

alm721

Hi thanks for the replies. Its not that I don't want the tress, when I said they don't look good I meant as in not growing very well, they look at bit spindly etc. Half the trees are prunus serrulata 'royal burgundy' the other half have no name tags any more but are similar but more green looking. They are quite a way from the house, so thats not too much of a problem (not like the laburnham thats splitting but thats another issue!) I would like to keep them if I can but really don't think they'll do well unless they are better anchored in the ground.