No. In six years of controlled use, there has been no indication of damage caused from the spike or cross member entering the root ball. Any piercing will, at worst, cause the roots to grow around the impediment.

Tree Staple™ stabilizers hold a tree's root ball firmly in-place. The longest prong, (see diagram), provides vertical support and serves as an anchor below the root ball. This minimizes shifting in the soil. The cross member stretches across a portion of the root ball, applying downward pressure. This allows proper movement of the tree in the wind. The shortest prong restricts twisting, further reducing ball movement and firmly locking the root ball in-place.

Yes. However, they are designed to be left behind. The labor involved to retrieve the devices once installed may far exceed the cost of new products. And of course, you would have to find them first…

Tree Staple landscape products eliminate the need for subsequent maintenance or retrieval, saving the labor and disposal costs associated with those activities.

Tree Staple landscape products offer the best opportunity for working through adverse soil conditions. The steel construction stands up to tough physical conditions. The sharp, narrow entry is angled to easily penetrate hard soils and is even effective in shale. The angled cuts of the prongs are designed to deflect off rocks in such a way as to give the Tree Staple™ the best chance of remaining effective.

Yes. Contact us and speak with one of our in-house landscape experts to learn more. See How to install. Copyright © 2003 Tree Staple, Inc. All rights reserved. Tree Staple™ is a trademark of Tree Staple, Inc.

Build decking or benching around trees, to relieve pressure on the roots. Install other plants around the base of the tree to divert traffic. Put in more trees and spread out the love!

When homeowners suspect they have a blocked sewer line between their home and the main City sewer, they should contact Toronto Water for assistance: 416-338-ROOT (7668). First response to sewer line blockage, inspection and emergency repair service will be provided by City staff 24 hours a day, seven days a week. After normal business hours, response will be limited to emergency situations where the sewer service lines are completely blocked.

Recommendations to remove trees because of the risk of structural damage or subsidence caused by roots have become more common. This is a highly specialised area of concern to engineers, surveyors, arboriculturists, insurance companies, homeowners and others. The risks will depend upon a number of factors including tree specie, condition and location, soil type (shrinkable clays pose the greatest problems and are not common in Hart District) and foundation design.

Each home or commercial building has a separate connection to the public sewer main called a sewer lateral. Under current Municipal Code, Section 14.36.050, it is the property owner's responsibility to maintain and repair the sewer lateral up to the point of connection with the public sewer main. This includes both the portion on private property and the portion located beneath the sidewalk and street.

Most people know that tree roots stabilize a tree. However, that is only part of their job. Most people don't realize that roots absorb oxygen out of the soil. Tree roots absorb air, water and nutrients such as nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus from the soil then convey these elements to the rest of the tree. All of these are essential for the trees growth and overall health. Tree roots also store starches that are produced during the growing season.

It is very unusual for roots to physically break drains and associated pipe work. However, tree roots are opportunistic and if an old pipe with poor joints is leaking into the surrounding soil this will attract the roots that may then exploit the existing weakness. Then, when repairs are required, a proliferation of tree roots often leads to the blame being placed with a nearby tree.

The growth characteristics of many species is to develop surface roots. Silver maples are one example. Many times, surface roots occur when the tree roots are looking for water, the soil is too hard, or the soil is saturated with water. Surface roots can impact sidewalks and driveways.

Generally, tree roots get into sewer lines because they are old and leaking and need to be replaced or repaired. It is rare that tree roots will crush a sewer line. If this occurs, please call the Urban Forest Section to have someone inspect the damage.

Tree roots can normally grow to that of two and one-half times the height of the tree. The area under the canopy of the tree is commonly referred to as the critical root zone. The amount of critical root zone lost is directly related to the amount of die-back in the crown of the tree. In an oak tree, if more than 30 percent of the critical root zone is lost, the tree will die. However, soft wood trees, such as box elder, can tolerate far more root disturbance.

Most insurance companies will pay for the removal of trees (generally up to a $500 limit) that have fallen on your home but they won't pay to remove trees that have fallen but haven't caused damage to your home. They won't pay to replace trees, shrubbery or lawns that have been damaged in a storm.

No, the wetting and drying of the clay soil causes the initial cracks. After these have developed, tree roots will grow into the cracks for moisture.

Roots grow toward water vapor or moisture, by a continuous process (hydrotropism) occurring at the very end of the root. The root grows one cell at a time enabling it to enter the small cracks and joints, which may be present in your pipe. After a root enters a pipe, it divides hundreds of times to form a large mass of tender root ends. This root mass will accumulate a thick coating of grease which will collect up on the root mass until a blockage occurs.

Cracks in the driveway may be caused by water and age in addition to roots. PBC Forestry recommends that the surface be removed so the roots can be inspected before condemning a tree. Frequently the cracks are caused by small surface roots that can be removed prior to the new surface being laid.

Tree roots are opportunistic. While they will not crack a sound sewer service or water line, they will exploit cracks or failures in the lines. The best defense against having tree roots in lines is to make sure that your lines are in good condition and that they're not cracked. If you suspect that tree roots are growing into your sewer line, you can have the roots cut out using a process called "rodding".

Local hardware stores have a chemical for removing tree roots. This will kill the roots that are in the service line.

In general, palm tree roots are no bigger than your finger and do not swell up like oak or pine tree roots, therefore they will not push up on your concrete, etc… and break it.

Tree roots do not cause drains or sewer pipes to break, but they will invade and clog drains that have pre-existing cracks and resultant leakage. Drains are usually six to eight feet below ground level, while tree roots grow almost exclusively in the upper two feet of soil, because they not only need nutrients, but also oxygen to survive.

Tree roots will certainly contribute to sidewalk failure, but they are not the initial cause of heaving. There are a number of factors that contribute to sidewalk failure: the method of sidewalk construction, type of soil under and surrounding the sidewalk, proximity of the sidewalk to the tree's buttress roots, and others. There are several things that can be done to repair the sidewalk and maintain the health of the tree.

Usually the damage is just cosmetic. The University of Minnesota has found that up to 40% of the tree can be defoliated without being seriously injured.

Wizzfox is a supply only kit but is simple to install. However if you are time short or require installation we recommend you use your local handyman who can be found under Services and Trades in your local paper classifieds (Local Sydney Papers – Cumberland Group)

Although tree hooks will not affect the health of a tree, they will leave a hole on your tree. Tree straps provide an alternative to tree hooks and allow you to move your hammock very easily. Also, tree straps allow you to adjust the height of the hammock without putting holes in your tree.

That depends upon the amount of insulation beneath the floor and the conductivity of the flooring material. If heat loss downward is entirely wasted, more insulation is indicated than if the heat is just misdirected.