Abstract

HAMILTON, W. DOUGLAS. 1984. Sidewalk/curb-breaking tree roots. 2. Management to minimize existing pavement problems by tree roots. Arboric. J. 8: 223-234.

Improved watering practices and the reduction of the total amount of water applied is probably the most effective and cost-effective means of minimizing pavement distortion caused by tree roots. By covering the area around the base of a tree with mulch, to eliminate weed growth, surface root expansion can be reduced. Root pruning, using a large specially designed circular saw is expensive and provides only a temporary relief to the problem. While caustic materials like creosote or pentachlorophenol kills live tissue and possibly penetrates the bark of live roots, their action is difficult to control. Combined with reduced watering, the most practical solution is the redesign of the affected sidewalk. Unfortunately this approach is generally unacceptable and meets with considerable opposition. When a tree has become a safety hazard or outlived its aesthetic usefulness or has become an economic burden, cost/benefit analyses invariability conclude that the tree has to be removed.

• © 1985, International Society of Arboriculture. All rights reserved.