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| Hi all, We have a lovely fig tree about 10 feet from our house. It needs a little light maintenance to keep it from brushing the house, but for the most part it keeps to itself and there's no sign of root intrusion into the basement. It's a great shade tree and super prolific in late summer. The problem is that it intrudes on our deck and makes it half unusable. The deck needs replacement so we are considering options. One option is to drop the deck down around the fig tree so we're well under the canopy. It would allow the deck to flow into the landscape and no longer be an irregular thumb sticking off the house. I have seen people build around trees in the past, but never a fig tree, so I don't know what that would require and if it's worth it. Any advice appreciated. Thanks, |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by yukkuri_kame 9 (My Page) on Mon, Feb 25, 13 at 21:25
| Don't see any problem with building deck around the fig tree. You could just as easily grow the fig tree around the deck as well, as they are quite malleable and can be made into living sculptures. While I hear you say there's no sign of root invasion, I have this uneasy feeling... |
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- Posted by desertdance So.CA Zone 9 (My Page) on Tue, Feb 26, 13 at 10:14
| Replacing a deck is expensive! We need to replace two big ones, and even if you do it yourself, the materials cost a lot! We were in shock when we got the price from our contractor. I'd love to see pictures when you get the deck built around the tree. Probably the hole with supports and facia board should be several inches from the trunk to allow it to grow, but the deck would probably need to be replaced again before that fig grows that wide!! We are considering putting a fig tree next to our deck and about as far from the house as yours, and I was worried about root invasion. Then another forum on figs showed so many photos of figs in other countries growing right out of walls and smacked up right next to buildings with assurance that Ficus Carica roots would go deep. Someone in the California forum gave me a better option for a non-messy, non-invasive shade tree: Acer freemanii AUTUMN FANTASY MAPLE, so that will be what we use. I love figs and the fig will go in another place. I think your idea of surrounding the fig with a deck sounds very creative and amazing! |
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| Thanks for the followups. We were thinking a massive hardscape, but that would be more detrimental to the tree, and occasionally we get a small flood when our neighbors yard drains through ours (only very bad storms do that), but the hardscape would have problems, the deck, not as much. The existing footings are above ground. I'm trying for a two level approach with the lower ground level being around the fig tree. The only wildcard is then how bad the suckers and small replants will be on the new deck. I'm hoping enough leaf litter and water make it down to keep her healthy, but I'm hoping the lack of light will keep suckers and replants from forcing through the new deck. |
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- Posted by hoosierquilt z10a/23 Vista Calif (My Page) on Tue, Feb 26, 13 at 14:01
| arc, if you can post photos of the tree and the area, that might be helpful? Hardscape is so not friendly. No ability for the water to percolate down and benefit your yard. Better to do softscape, like decks, pavers, DG pathways, etc. I'm not a fan at all of wall to wall concrete. Besides the fact that it doesn't look good, it's just not environmentally sound. Post up photos, and we can see the area. Depending on the fig variety, they can be very well behaved and compact, or be very vigorous and need constant pruning to keep in check. Do you know what fig variety you have by chance? Patty S. |
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