# Anyone in here a tree expert?



## jkfox624 (Jun 20, 2009)

I've got a huge triple birch in my front yard. Its a very key piece to the look and privacy of my front deck. The tree is on the corner of the steep bank. Probably a 45 degree angle to the road on the front, and to an old driveway on the side. I want to fill the old driveway in to bring it up level with the rest of my yard. My fear is burying the root system of this tree and killing it. Is it a valid concern? I can post a pic if anyone wants. Theres like no tree guys around here that know how to keep them alive, they just want to cut them down.


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## cleveman (Dec 28, 2007)

If you bury it, it will die. You can leave a large area around it if there is no other option. You should plan on it not being around someday anyway.

Look into a Bradford pear.

The company that manages my 401 K is in Bradford. If you ever meet any of them, get something up their arsches and break it off sharp.


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## jkfox624 (Jun 20, 2009)

Lol what company is it? I didnt know anyone managed anything around here except how to get on drugs and welfare and stay there for life.


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## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

jkfox624 said:


> Probably a 45 degree angle to the road on the front, and to an old driveway on the side.


:blink: Sorry, not quite getting the picture. But as I'm sure you know, the root system basically mirrors the branch layout. So if there's a pretty good batch of branches over that driveway, filling it in is probably a no-no.

General rule of thumb is that anything more than 6-12" is likely to cause trouble, depending on the species.


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## woodchuck2 (Feb 27, 2008)

The reason why guys want to cut them down is they are not trust worthy to have around a home. While they look nice birch tree's are noted to be as unsafe as a large pine. I wish i had pics of some of the tree's my old man and i cut 20 some yrs ago but i remember him cutting down a birch about 32" in diameter that was right next to a home. The tree had typical dead branches here and there but was full of green leaves. He climbed the tree cutting the limbs as he went, topped it out, climbed back down and cut off the butt. The tree was totally hollow at the butt and for a good 5-6', there about 3" of solid wood on the exterior of the butt and that was it. The rest of the tree was severely rotted in the heart, black and mushy. After seeing that i never trusted a birch again, they rot from the inside out and will live for a long time showing no sign dieing.


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