Outdoor Living & Lifestyles - Help Installing a patio

I would like to install a patio, but have many large ground level roots. I have read that it is not good to cut them out. I was wondering if anyone had any ideas or had encountered this problem? The tree is very large, and I do not know what kind it is. It was here when I purchased my home and appears to be quite old because of the size. I dont want to remove the tree, but wanted to plan the patio around it. Any advice???? Please help!

Hi Rhonx5,

Pictures would certainly help, but my first thought would be a slightly raised deck instead of a patio on the ground. A raised deck would allow for water to flow to the roots, keep foot traffic from compacting the soil and allow for air circulation. You would need to be careful where you put the footings so you don't destroy tree roots.

Here's some ideas.
http://www.4dgardendesign.co.uk/#/2008raiseddeck/4531401355
http://vjorgenson.com/deckphotos.html

Newt

Thank you so much Newt. I also thought of that as a possibility, but unfortunately, I could tackle the patio on my own, but as far as a deck, cutting wood, etc....I'm pretty sure that is a little beyond my skill level.

Thanks again!
rhonx5

You are so very welcome! If you do decide to install some type of patio you might find these sites about protecting your trees helpful.
http://www.treesaregood.com/treecare/avoiding_construction.aspx
http://warnell.forestry.uga.edu/service/library/index.php3?docID=118
http://www.treehelp.com/howto/howto-prevent-construction-damage.asp

This site lists which trees are tolerant of root disturbance and which aren't.
http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/housingandclothing/DK6135.html

You did mention that you don't know what type of tree it is. Maybe you could either take a leaf to a local nursery or post some pictures for id. It would also help to know where you live.

Newt

Hi Newt. I went online to try to identify the type of tree in my yard, but because the leaves haven't come out yet, it's hard to tell. I don't know your tree knowledge, but this tree, in the Spring, blossoms with these clusters of small red buds with small leaves that all fall to the ground. (they actually are a mess to clean up!). Then, a large leaf fills the tree. Could this possibly be some type of an Oak? I live in Connecticut. Not sure if this helps. I have no pictures of the tree itself.

I tend to doubt it's an oak as they rarely have large surface roots. What you are describing could be some type of maple as many of those develop large surface roots over time. What you are probably seeing drop to the ground is the bud scales. Take a look at these to see if they are familiar. Some maples have smooth buds and some have hairy buds that are red. They all have those winged seeds. Here's some info on different maples.

Red maple aka Acer rubrum
http://www.uwgb.edu/BIODIVERSITY/herbarium/trees/Acerub01.HTM

Silver maple aka Acer saccharinum
http://www.uwgb.edu/BIODIVERSITY/herbarium/trees/Acesil01.HTM

Sugar maple aka Acer saccharum
http://www.uwgb.edu/BIODIVERSITY/herbarium/trees/Acesug01.HTM

Box elder aka Acer negunda can be a real pest but has smaller leaves then many of the other maples. The flowers are much larger.
http://www.uwgb.edu/BIODIVERSITY/herbarium/trees/Aceneg01.htm

Norway maple aka Acer platanoides is considered a junk or weed tree and is not native. You can see the buds in this first pic on the right. On the left is a sugar maple. The second link has more pics.
http://www.uwgb.edu/BIODIVERSITY/herbarium/trees/acesug_acepla_buds01.jpg
http://www.uwgb.edu/BIODIVERSITY/herbarium/trees/Acepla01.HTM

There are many more maples, but those are the most common I think you would see where you are. I also noticed you don't say anything about any berries, fruit or nuts, so that is why I'm guessing some type of maple. An oak would leave you with acorns in the fall.

Let me know what you think.
Newt

Newt, I can't thank you enough for all of your input. I looked at all of the links, and the closest one I could find was the Red Maple. I thought the Red Maple had red leaves, mine are green?

Anyway, I'll let you know how things progress. Thanks Again!

Rhonx5, again you are so welcome! It's been a pleasure. I love trees, so doing this was a labor of love.

I thought the Red Maple had red leaves, mine are green?

It's the leaf petiole (stem) that's red. They also tend to have vibrant red fall color and sometimes the newly emerging leaves have a redish tint. Go figure.

If it is the red maple, at least it's tolerant of root severence and root disturbance more then most.

Newt