We're in the same boat—our willow kept outsmarting the barriers too. Eventually, we tried gravel trenches along with deeper pipes. Seems roots hate open air pockets, so far it's done the trick. Fingers crossed it stays that way...trees are crafty!
"Seems roots hate open air pockets, so far it's done the trick. Fingers crossed it stays that way...trees are crafty!"
Crafty is right. Had a similar showdown with a maple in my backyard a couple years back. The roots kept finding their way into the sewer line, no matter what barrier I put down. Eventually, I dug a trench around the pipe and filled it with coarse gravel—figured I'd give the roots some air to discourage them, like you mentioned. Worked pretty well for a while, but after about three years, the roots found their way around it again. Ended up replacing the pipe with PVC and burying it deeper. So far, so good...but honestly, I wouldn't put it past that tree to find another workaround eventually. Trees are stubborn, and sometimes it feels like they're just messing with us.
Trees definitely have a knack for finding their way around anything we throw at them. I get the logic behind using gravel and creating air gaps, but honestly, I'm not entirely convinced it's a reliable long-term fix. A few years ago, I dealt with a similar issue involving an oak tree near my driveway. Initially, I tried something similar—dug out the area around the roots and filled it with gravel, thinking the open air pockets would discourage growth. It seemed logical enough at the time.
But what I found after about two years was that the roots adapted surprisingly well. They didn't just stop growing; they redirected themselves around the gravel and eventually pushed upward, cracking the concrete driveway anyway. Trees are pretty stubborn, like you said:
"Trees are stubborn, and sometimes it feels like they're just messing with us."
Exactly my experience. Eventually, I had to bite the bullet and install a heavy-duty root barrier made from thick plastic sheeting specifically designed for this purpose. It wasn't cheap or easy, but so far—knock on wood—it seems to be holding up better than my earlier attempts.
Not saying your gravel method won't work in your case, especially if it's been effective so far. But from what I've seen over the years, trees have a habit of figuring things out eventually. They're persistent and adaptive; that's how they've survived this long. So while your current solution might buy you some time, I'd keep an eye on things and be prepared to pivot if needed down the line.
Glad you found something that's working for now. Trees are definitely tricky, and your experience sounds pretty familiar. I had a similar issue with a maple tree near our patio a few years back. Thought I'd outsmart it by just trimming back some surface roots and laying down gravel—figured the air gaps would discourage growth. It seemed logical at the time, right?
But after about a year and a half, I started noticing cracks again. Those roots just found new paths around the gravel and kept pushing upward. Honestly, I was surprised how quickly it happened. Ended up having to redo the whole area and put in a proper root barrier, similar to what you described. It wasn't cheap, but at least now I don't have to worry about tripping hazards or cracked concrete.
Have you thought about how deep your gravel layer is? Maybe going deeper could buy you more time, although I'm not sure if that's practical in your situation. Also, did you use any kind of edging or barrier around the gravel itself? Sometimes that can help slow things down a bit.
Anyway, sounds like you're on the right track for now. Trees are stubborn as heck, but hopefully your solution holds up longer than mine did. Just keep an eye on it every so often—better safe than sorry, right?
"Have you thought about how deep your gravel layer is? Maybe going deeper could buy you more time..."
I tried that route myself, went almost twice as deep with gravel thinking it'd block the roots longer. Worked okay-ish for maybe two years, then those stubborn roots pushed right through again. Ended up biting the bullet and installing a proper barrier—cost more upfront but definitely cheaper than redoing it every couple of years. Just something to consider if you're budget-conscious like me...
