Ficus tree roots

[miamicuse]

I have a massive Ficus benjamina on my property that I have been fighting to keep under control for many years.

Recently I was inside my crawlspace working on replacing an 80 year old section of cast iron drain.  I noticed a tree root about four inches in diameter inside my crawlspace nudging on a PVC drain.  This is the root of the Ficus benjamina that is about 50 feet away.

To stop it from pushing the pipe or swallowing it, I cut the root away from the PVC pipe.

TWO DAYS LATER, I was down there again and I saw new growth from the cut ends.  I was in there Sunday when I cut away the 4" root, and on Wednesday evening, it grew new strands of roots fifty feet away!  What is this - Invasion of the body snatchers?

[Silas_Sancona]

44 minutes ago, miamicuse said:

I have a massive Ficus benjamina on my property that I have been fighting to keep under control for many years.

Recently I was inside my crawlspace working on replacing an 80 year old section of cast iron drain.  I noticed a tree root about four inches in diameter inside my crawlspace nudging on a PVC drain.  This is the root of the Ficus benjamina that is about 50 feet away.

To stop it from pushing the pipe or swallowing it, I cut the root away from the PVC pipe.

TWO DAYS LATER, I was down there again and I saw new growth from the cut ends.  I was in there Sunday when I cut away the 4" root, and on Wednesday evening, it grew new strands of roots fifty feet away!  What is this - Invasion of the body snatchers?

 

46 minutes ago, miamicuse said:

What is this - Invasion of the body snatchers?

Yep,  That's Ficus for ya, esp. there where the soil is rarely dry for long.  

Other than killing the tree, you'll be battling them  .....forever.....

  Barriers?  heh,  ...those tiny little fingers weave or bust right through em'

[Than]

This is the reason my benjamina will stay in a pot for ever, even if this pains me a lot. Ficuses are all stunning trees, shame we cannot plant them in smaller gardens.

[rprimbs]

I do not have much experience with figs.  Are they as invasive as other ficus?

[Silas_Sancona]

3 hours ago, rprimbs said:

I do not have much experience with figs.  Are they as invasive as other ficus?

I myself don't recall ever hearing of problems created by these, but that doesn't mean a really large tree isn't capable of causing trouble either..

[miamicuse]

Another 5 days.

When I have time I will try and trace it backward and see if I can go back say ten to fifteen feet in the crawlspace and cut it off there, that will keep some distance from the pipe and buy me, oh I don't know, a month before it comes to the same spot LOL?

[miamicuse]

So I have a Psedobombax ellipticum about 30 feet from this ficus.  A few Psedobombax ellipticum surface roots about 6-8 inches in diameter, but the ficus roots although much smaller in diameter being that far away, came out of the ground and wrap around the Psedobombax ellipticum roots like a candy cane wrap.  Will these roots "strangle" the big root eventually, should I cut them off or leave them be?

A piece of 4"X8" brick for scale.

 

 

 

 

[Silas_Sancona]

1 hour ago, miamicuse said:

So I have a Psedobombax ellipticum about 30 feet from this ficus.  A few Psedobombax ellipticum surface roots about 6-8 inches in diameter, but the ficus roots although much smaller in diameter being that far away, came out of the ground and wrap around the Psedobombax ellipticum roots like a candy cane wrap.  Will these roots "strangle" the big root eventually, should I cut them off or leave them be?

A piece of 4"X8" brick for scale.

 

 

 

 

Yep, Ficus is reaching out for another victim.   Cut em off..

[miamicuse]

On 8/6/2024 at 11:48 PM, Silas_Sancona said:

Yep, Ficus is reaching out for another victim.   Cut em off..

Is there a way to prevent a cut end of a root from growing back?

What will happen if I paint some glyphosate to the cut end?  Will it end up killing the tree?  I don't want to kill the tree but I want to stop a particular near surface root from spreading.

[Silas_Sancona]

1 hour ago, miamicuse said:

Is there a way to prevent a cut end of a root from growing back?

What will happen if I paint some glyphosate to the cut end?  Will it end up killing the tree?  I don't want to kill the tree but I want to stop a particular near surface root from spreading.

No ...Applying Glyphos. might burn that root back a little, but it will grow back from below where it is burnt. If painting a tiny root would kill an entire tree, i think many people would be using it to kill any specimens causing trouble.  Since Ficus are mainly surface rooters, unfortunately not.  Ficus do their best to divide and conquer to take up as much space as possible for themselves..

If you ever saw the F. benjamina  specimen at Selby ( Assuming it is still there ), it alone covers aprox. a quarter acre, ..if i remember correctly. Could be more..  Some of the other Ficus in their collection have roots that easily spread out 75 - 100ft away from the trunk.