Parking under trees?

Can I park between two huge sycamores without damaging them? A distance about 12 to 15 feet from them, maybe more. I just pulled out a horribly neglected, half dead hedge, and with a teeny bit of grading and gravel, would make a perfect parking space.. But I love those sycamores, and wouldn't do anything that would damage them.

Any soil compaction or elevation change around tree roots has an impact. If you're talking about enough gravel for a single car, without much other grading or any drainage changes, it won't be very significant. Sycamores are more tolerant of root abuse than many other trees -- but that doesn't mean they like it.

The grading will be less harmful if it slightly raises by a few inches, rather than excavates, the soil in that part of the root zone, and if you use all gravel or other porous material instead of adding clay. Sycamores are adapted to siltation in their natural riparian habitat and can adjust to minor grade increases.

Guy S.

Thank you. I've seen sycamores growing in rowhouse neighborhoods on the strip between sidewalk and street, so I had a feeling they could take a small spot between them covered with gravel.

Four years ago my husband had a path leading down to the river widened to accommodate his truck. The soil was pushed over the edge covering 5 Sycamore tree trunks with about 6 feet of soil. I fully expected them to die. Today, they are still as healthy as they were four years ago. It's not something I would recommend, but it shows how resilient some trees are. If you value your trees stick to the least intrusive method: that suggested by StarhillForest. I have seen driveways made of alternating squares, about 6" to 8", of concrete blocks and grass and edged by a narrow length of concrete. This allows plenty of water and air to reach the roots.

BettyDee

Thanks, BettyDee. That will make my husband so happy. He loves those sycamores! They really are nice, they shade our whole house in the summer! There isn't any grass under them, it's dirt and a few scraggly english ivy. It's really dark under there! Do you think gravel would be okay? I was thinking wood chips but heard some bad things about them and mold spores close to the house.

Razzie,

I would stick with gravel. Wood chips degrade over time. How soon depends on the kind of tree used to make the chips. You would have to add new layers as the bottom ones rotted. I have seen mold growing on wood chips if they remain wet for long periods. Do your sycamores produce a lot of seed pods? Having them drop from the tree might damage the paint on your vehicles.

BettyDee

Ha, ha, BettyDee, my old truck just isn't going to care! That's what I'm putting there.