Planted elms 4 ft from house. Stupid or no?

Saint Petersburg, FL

Two years ago I planted two native winged elm trees 4 feet from the house in our side yard for quick shade. That's as far away as I could get them as it's a narrow space. I'd read that they are great for narrow areas (commonly used in parking lots, etc.) and shouldn't effect the foundation. Now I'm reading otherwise and wonder if I should definitely take them out while I can. There's no room for them anywhere else in our yard as we have tons of electrical lines in just the wrong spots so I'd have to give them away. But, I LOVE them and hate to part with them. Opinions?

Thumbnail by kitchyjenny
Beautiful, BC(Zone 8b)

I'd be more concerned about the roots and the foundation of the house or the path. I'm more interested to know what year of Chevy you've got there. Nice white-walls.

Scott County, KY(Zone 5b)

Figured that was growin's truck on a road trip...

Northumberland, United Kingdom(Zone 9a)

Depends on what sort of soil you have. If you are on clay soil that can shrink when it dries out, then remove them, as you have a high risk of subsidence damage to the foundations. On other soil types (sandy, etc) or if the foundations go down to bedrock, then you should be OK. Best to seek local professional advice from a consulting arborist (NOT just a tree surgeon!).

Resin

Beautiful, BC(Zone 8b)

VV, I gave up maybelline after ending up in the hospital with CO poisoning. Someone removed the manifold gasket with a screwdriver and I didn't notice.

Saint Petersburg, FL

Thanks, everyone! They are in extremely sandy soil here in Central Florida, so maybe they'll work after all. There's no foundation on the path, just some stones, so maybe that won't be an issue either? The truck is an early 60s model, though I'm not sure the exact year. My husband has had so many different ones, I forget all of the specifics! Growin, I can't believe you had to deal with a bad mechanic sending you to the hospital! Sounds like a nightmare.

This message was edited Mar 25, 2013 12:21 PM

Saraland, AL(Zone 8b)

It's a '65 or '66. My father had a sky blue 66.

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