How much spacing do cedar trees need for planting? How deep/wide is their root system? OK to put near septic?
I have approximately 5 to 6 feet width along a neighbor's property line to plant a privacy row of trees or hedges. The area is also next to a raised septic bed. Are cedar trees OK to plant in this area? Will their root system harm my septic system? I live in NE Indiana.
Public Comments
- http://www.arborday.org/trees/treeguide/TreeDetail.cfm?ID=43
- When planting a cedar hedge with 4 ft to 7 ft trees try to space them about 1ft apart. Larger trees will need a bit more room. Any roots from any tree can harm your septic bed. When roots find an area they "like" they will thrive there. You can root prune them about every two years. Just simply push a sharp shovel into the ground as deep as you can. Best would be able to go down 2ft or so and just cut all the roots growing in that direction. Hopefully there is enough room between the cedars and septic to establish a healthy root system. About 6ft will do. It will be about 5 or 6 years before the roots from newly planted trees get any farther. So root prune about 5 ft away from the trees in about 5 years from now. Cedars would likely be best there root system is generally shallow Happy Hedging
