# can you plant trees near your well?



## mountainwmn (Sep 11, 2009)

I was told not to plant fruit trees near my well. It makes sense that the roots might no for the water, but what if you live in the woods anyway? And how far would a tree need to be from the well not to cause trouble? Is it true, or something that just sounded plausible? Help!


----------



## oneokie (Aug 14, 2009)

What is the static water level in your well? If more than 20 feet below the ground surface, I wouldn't worry about the roots.


----------



## mountainwmn (Sep 11, 2009)

I'm not sure, I know the well is 300'. I think the static level is 50' or so.


----------



## foxtrapper (Dec 23, 2003)

Beware the lines as well. I've had to dig my well up more than once to get tree roots out of the line going to the house. 

Generic rule of thumb is that a trees roots extend the width of the tree canopy. You want to keep the roots away from the lines. Applies to sewage lines as well.


----------



## Old Vet (Oct 15, 2006)

Is your well lined? Or is it a dug well. Drilled wells are lined and tree roots will not make any deference as long as it is 5 feet from the well.


----------



## ronbre (Apr 26, 2009)

dont' know..my well is among trees..so i guess it must be ok....as our well is fine


----------



## rambler (Jan 20, 2004)

It would depend on the type of well.

In any case, you should be fine to keep the trees far enough away so if an adult tree of that type is cut down, it won't hit the well. In other words, as far away from the well as an adult mature tree would be tall.

I would not want a tree planted over or near the water lines, or the electrical lines that go to it. Leave yourself a path for that sort of thing if it ever needs to be replaced.

--->Paul


----------



## ChristieAcres (Apr 11, 2009)

Gosh, here the well and the lines for everything were put in between roots as there were 2nd growth Cedars pretty thick. All this good info has me thinking about the changes we will be making around here.


----------



## Shagbarkmtcatle (Nov 1, 2004)

I wouldn't. Because one day, if you have a submersible well pump, you will have to replace it and you have to pull it. Which means you need clear access to it. We have had to have homeowners clean around their well head so we could even get to it before we could work on their pump. Then, if your pump is set pretty deep, the line has to be pulled up and laid on the ground as far as the pump is down. We use a pump puller if it's deep and we need to be able to get up to the well head. Less headache if there is nothing around it. For everyone


----------



## fordson major (Jul 12, 2003)

friend of ours had a beautiful blue spruce in his front yard! started looking for the well and guess where he found it! don't plant above the water lines, under the power lines (shrubs that will go no where near the lines are fine) or on the tile bed !


----------



## shelljo (Feb 1, 2005)

We're having to put in a new windmill and submersible pump due to tree roots completely filling the well.

Trees--elm trees wre planted about 30 feet away from the windmill. Over the years...they've grown and this summer, when we had to pull the well to see why it wasn't pulling up water, discovered that tree roots had broken through the casing and had completely infiltrated the well. 

I'm not sure how old the well was--it's been there for more than 50 years.


----------



## mountainwmn (Sep 11, 2009)

Thank you everyone! I just replaced my well pump, so I know to leave room for that, but that is a very good idea! My place is mostly clear, but there are several trees growing about 25' from it already. I wanted to put a couple of pear trees about 15' from it. I definitely don't want well problems again, having no water for 3 weeks while getting money for a well pump was horrible.


----------



## ChristieAcres (Apr 11, 2009)

What a bummer, 3 long weeks... mountainwhmn- Two months after we moved in, our well pump went out, too. It was stormy, was pouring out, there was a power outage, and I guess DH figured that was it. This was on a Saturday, so he got a hold of a private little business that also sold well pumps, bought an industrial one discounted, and came home with it. The well is 85 feet deep, so considered shallow around here (most are 200+). DH cut down 3 alders, and made a tripod from them, then attached his winch (big one that was a barter deal- how he got it), fired up his large welder/generator (power was out), and that is how he got the well pump out. I was very nervous the whole time he was out there; my job at the time I guess. He had to replace pipes that were in bad shape, replaced the pump, and then used his welder/generator to power our home long enough for hot water and a shower. That is the reason DH replaced the well pump; we literally couldn't scrape up enough to pay to have it done. The tripod is still there... I'd like to get a handpump in time.

Around three sides of the well, there are towering cedars, a few within ten feet. After reading this, I'd sure like to remove those... There was one large tree, about twenty feet from that, but one that could have taken out this side of our home/messed up my orchard gate, crushed fruit trees---that one made me nervous (2nd growth 90+feet)... 

When you have lived through a tree coming through your roof, I don't think it is over-reacting to worry that it will happen again (rather not get crushed, thank you). That big tree came down very recently when Larry, who lives up the road, came down to check on us (he is 83 & a retired Logger, always so sweet/helpful). While we were standing out front, I asked Larry, "Don't you think that one should come down before Winter?" He winked at me, and told DH, "Let's get that one down. She is right." That very afternoon, he brought down his tractor and they attached a guy wire (sp?), before laying it down (a bit tricky as it had to come down directly in between other trees and far enough away from our well head & pump house.


----------



## Windy in Kansas (Jun 16, 2002)

We had trees close to the wells on our family farm and they never did create problems in 100+ years. 

The reason was that the wells were hand dug and about 5 feet in diameter. The roots simply hung into the wells hanging down along the sides in attempts to get to water. Water at 75' and 85' deep.


----------



## RosewoodfarmVA (Oct 5, 2005)

I wouldn't plant any tree within 50' or so of a well because over the years the roots will go atleast that far and have a habit of searching water and breaking any pipes or linings to get to the water it can 'smell.' Having said that we have an old homeplace and there's a Maple tree within 20 ft of the well (actually 2 wells as the newer 60s drilled well is just a few feet from the old hand dug rock lined original well). Not just any old maple, it was planted when the house was built in 1820 and is now over 4' diameter. So I guess if anything could have gone wrong it would have by now! I've had to dig roots out of septic lines before so I hope that never happens to the well!


----------

