Question
We have moved into a house with at 2 year old weeping willow (the 'curly' vaiety), planted 10/15m from the house.  It is lovely, however our neigbour has raised concerns about its roots.  We are reluctant to remove it and were wondering if we were to restrict its growth to a certain height, would it prevent the roots from spreading too far?  We do have a drain running under the garden perhaps 5m from the tree too.  What would you recommend?  

Answer
Amanda, I think if the tree is planted 10-15 meters from the home you should be ok. As a general rule tree roots can only cause damage to a homes foundation if it is already damaged, having cracks or crumbling from age. Restricting the height of the tree will do nothing to stop the roots from growing. I don't think you will have a problem assuming the foundation of the home is in good shape. There is two things you could do if you are extra worried about the potential problem: 1. You could redirect the drain away from the tree and this will slow it's growth 2. You could have a professional Arborist apply a growth regulator called Cambistat or paclobutrazol. This product is applied as a basal drench around the base of the tree and suppresses growth 50% -75% for 2-3 years. It is effective and fairly inexpensive. I hope this helps. Good Luck!

       Happy Halloween, Gary Overton