Trees You Should Avoid If You Don’t Want Yard Debris
Trees with lots of debris or invasive root systems are hard to maintain and can cause damage to your foundation, basement, crawl space, or sidewalk.
Certain trees are capable of producing messy, obnoxious debris that can be a nuisance to maintain consistently. Along with that, wide or invasive root systems can be the cause of serious issues to your home’s foundation, basement, crawl space, or sidewalk. There are some trees you’ll want to avoid planting on your property if you want an easier time with overall home and lawn maintenance.
When it comes to lawn maintenance, the type of trees you have planted in your yard can make all the difference. Some trees have simple maintenance such as watering, whereas others may require more attention. Cleaning up yard debris can be a lot to handle, depending on which trees you are dealing with.
Here are some of the trees that may give you an abundance of lawn maintenance, or worse, issues with your home’s foundation:
- Eastern cottonwood
- Sycamore
- Silver maple
- Sweet gum trees
- Bradford pear trees
- Southern magnolia
- Chinese flame trees
- White mulberry
- Gingko
- Mimosa tree
If you have any of these trees planted, you can expect quite a bit of maintenance. Most of these trees have weak branches that fall off easily, wide root systems that can create foundation problems, and messy flowers that blow in the wind and leave seedlings scattered around your yard.
Some of these trees, such as the sycamore, are also prone to pest infestations or fungal diseases that shouldn’t go ignored. If these things are not taken care of, you could be dealing with a much bigger mess later on. If you’re looking for the best trees to plant in your yard, take a look at our tree and bush planting guide.
Yard Debris Maintenance
Maintaining a clean yard that is free of debris is going to take some work, depending on which trees you have planted on your property. If you have trees in your yard, pruning, raking, watering, and regular lawn care should be on your list of priorities when it comes to overall lawn care health.
It may not seem important, but some trees can grow over 100 feet tall, which leaves you with a lot of surface area to maintain. You can expect to regularly clean up leaves, flowers, and seedlings that fall off the trees seasonally. It’s important to note that some of these seedlings blowing around in the wind, such as those from the eastern cottonwood, can trigger or irritate seasonal allergies.
Overall, it’s recommended that you plant trees that are easier to maintain, won’t irritate allergies, and won’t cause foundational issues for your home down the road.
Here are some common, low-maintenance trees that people typically opt for:
- Dogwood
- Spruce
- Arborvitae
If you are someone who loves the look of beautiful trees in your yard, these require almost no maintenance and will provide you with a better lawn care experience.
How Can Trees Cause Issues for Your Foundation?
Not only can some trees leave you with more lawn maintenance than you’d care to deal with, but they can also leave you with foundation problems. Over time, wide root systems can expand and invade places like your basement, crawl space, sidewalk, or your home’s overall foundation. It’s important to keep this in mind, as keeping your foundation in good health is just as important as keeping the rest of your home and lawn in good health.
Unfortunately, if there’s a problem with your home’s foundation, you are bound to run into bigger issues if it’s not addressed immediately.
Here are some signs of foundation damage you should keep an eye out for:
- Vertical, horizontal, or diagonal cracks along the bottom of your home
- Sinking or broken concrete
- Bulging, cracked, or damaged foundation walls
Without getting these warning signs looked at, you could be dealing with irreversible damages to your home’s foundation. Don’t wait to contact the professionals in your area to make sure your tree’s root systems are not causing any damage to your property.
How To Avoid Foundation Damage
If you want to avoid any foundation damage to your home, it’s best to stay away from trees that have invasive roots. Wide roots that can spread through your yard have the potential to damage your foundation and can also cause issues with your sewer lines—not to mention the mess that some of them can leave around your property, creating more areas for you to maintain.
If you are experiencing any damage warning signs, such as cracks along the outside of your basement or sinking concrete, don’t wait to contact your local foundation, basement, and crawl space experts to get a free repair quote. Your local professionals will make sure your home’s foundation is in good shape and give you tips on how to avoid further damage.