Question
We have a Yoshino Cherry Tree planted next to a house with a full basement.  It grew quickly to 20 feet.  Will we have foundation problems with the tree planted 5 feet from the house?  Should we remove the tree to be safe?

Answer
This tree is entirely too large to have 5 feet from the house. It has a spread width of 25-49 feet when mature. Which means the limbs will spread out from the trunk 10-20 feet and will be rubbing the house soon if not now. The roots normally spread about 1 1/2 time the width of the foliage but the wall of the basement will stop the growth that way. normally cherry tree do not have a problem with roots and foundation so I would not think that will be a problem. It is best plant as an open planting away from the house. You can keep it pruned back to keep the limbs off the house but this may defeat the shape and beauty of the tree. IF you are going to move it now is the time before it get much larger.

Deciduous plants may be moved in the spring as soon as the frost is out of the ground, up until the time when new foliage is partly unfurled. In the fall, they may be planted once the leaves start to turn color up until the ground freezes. For flowering cherry I would move it this Fall.

When you want to dig up a tree or shrub for transplanting, retain as much of the root system as possible. Deciduous trees can be successfully moved only if a ball of soil is left around the roots. The exposed roots should be protected with moist burlap or newspaper or with polyethylene sheeting. Every effort should be made to reduce root exposure to wind and sun, keeping the ball as moist as possible. It's best to prepare the hole before digging up the tree you wish to move.

Size of the root ball and size of the hole:

For deciduous trees and shrubs the soil ball should be:

Width = 9-12 in. in diameter/every 1 in. of tree diameter
Depth = 6 in./every 1 in. of tree diameter

For example: A tree trunk 2 inches wide would need a soil ball of 18-24 inches wide and 12 inches deep.

Keep in mind this will be a big job.

Dig the new hole twice the size of the rootball and as deep and fill with good top soil or potting soil. Mulch around the trees with not more than 3 inches deep of organic mulch not piled up on the trunk.