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Aegisthus · Jul 26, 2010, 03:35 AM

There is a deodar cedar tree in my rear garden, planted about 35 years ago, which is now one and half times as high as the (two storey) house. It is located 5 metres from the rear wall of the house at the top of a sloping garden which is terraced. It is also about two metres from a drainage inspection point and I believe the drain runs very close to the tree. Unfortunately, neither the council nor Thames Water have plans showing the drain run. The wall retaining the first terrace, on which the tree stands, is a metre high and the top of the wall is about a metre from the tree. About four years ago the wall was rebuilt because a 2 cm wide vertical crack had developed in it and the patio was renewed to cover roots which were coming to the surface. A new crack, which is now also about 2 cm wide, has appeared and the patio stones have again started to lift.

When the first crack appeared, I sought approval from the local council to remove the tree and replace it with a smaller one, more suitable for a small back garden. The house is in a conservation area, and the local tree officer immediately placed a TPO on the tree, which was subsequently confirmed by the council, despite the arguments which I put to the planning committee at one of its meetings. A new crack, also 2cm wide, has now appeared in the wall and the new patio stones are beginning to rise,
I would like information about the root system of the deodar cedar, which I can put to the council to justify my case for removing the tree and replacing it with a smaller one.

KUXJ · Aug 8, 2010, 12:07 PM

Originally Posted by Aegisthus

There is a deodar cedar tree in my rear garden, planted about 35 years ago, which is now one and half times as high as the (two storey) house. It is located 5 metres from the rear wall of the house at the top of a sloping garden which is terraced. It is also about two metres from a drainage inspection point and I believe the drain runs very close to the tree. Unfortunately, neither the council nor Thames Water have plans showing the drain run. The wall retaining the first terrace, on which the tree stands, is a metre high and the top of the wall is about a metre from the tree. About four years ago the wall was rebuilt because a 2 cm wide vertical crack had developed in it and the patio was renewed to cover roots which were coming to the surface. A new crack, which is now also about 2 cm wide, has appeared and the patio stones have again started to lift.

When the first crack appeared, I sought approval from the local council to remove the tree and replace it with a smaller one, more suitable for a small back garden. The house is in a conservation area, and the local tree officer immediately placed a TPO on the tree, which was subsequently confirmed by the council, despite the arguments which I put to the planning committee at one of its meetings. A new crack, also 2cm wide, has now appeared in the wall and the new patio stones are beginning to rise,
I would like information about the root system of the deodar cedar, which I can put to the council to justify my case for removing the tree and replacing it with a smaller one.

Hi! Aegisthus, welcome to AMHD :)

Are you in Canada? I can give you what our USDA has on it.
plants.usda.gov deodar cedar

From this site: arhomeandgarden.org Deodara_Cedar

Deodara cedar should have a good, fertile soil. In a good soil it will be fast growing while young, often making two feet of growth a year. Be careful when locating a planting site for this tree. Give it room. It is best used as a specimen tree where the attributes of such a big tree can be shown to its full potential. This is definitely not a plant for the foundation planting, as you sometimes see it used.

As a Street or median planting, (but not in a terraced application such as yours. (My words not the U of Florida's)) here: ufl.edu Deodara_Cedar

Use and Management
The species has been successfully used as a street or median planting with lower branches removed. It appears to tolerate compacted, poor soil but declines in areas where smog is a problem. Plant on 20-foot-centers to create a canopy of blue foliage over a small residential street. This is probably the best true cedar for the South.

I did find this from the city of Toronto. The second one looks like it could give you a leg to stand on:

Permit Exemption
A permit is not required if a tree is confirmed by Urban Forestry staff to be:

100% dead
Imminently hazardous: a destabilized or structurally compromised tree that is in imminent danger of causing damage to property or injury to life.
Terminally diseased Please note: There are various diseases that affect trees, however not all diseases will lead to the death of a tree. The intent of the by-law is to exempt those trees that are terminally diseased in order to expedite removal to minimize risk to other trees and/or injury to persons or property. A permit is required for trees that are in poor condition.
The Private Tree By-law was adopted to preserve significant trees on private property in the City of Toronto, to assist in sustaining the urban forest in the City and to educate individuals with respect to tree protection measures and alternatives to tree injury and destruction. The permit process is designed to help increase our city's canopy cover from its current 17% to 30-40%. Permits to destroy trees are issued conditional upon planting replacement trees. Permit exemptions do not require a replanting plan, fee or application form. Although the replanting of trees is not a condition of the exemption, we encourage property owners to plant a new tree on the property to replace the one being removed.
The quickest and easiest way to receive exemption confirmation is to submit an arborist report and digital photographs of the subject tree via email to the appropriate Tree Protection and Plan Review District office:

toronto.ca/trees/private_trees