What is it that you wish to plant, and how close?

Petunias? or another large tree?

EDIT: crikey.. missed that bartlet part .... gotta change some of the pear anger comments.. lol]

hopefully it will ... lol .. [no.. not on a fruit tree .. i was thinking bradford]

you know ... we have nothing good to say about this tree ... [see above]

regardless ... the problem with cutting roots... is that it causes the tree.. to regenerate new.. MORE AGGRESSIVE roots into the same area ... what we might call.. feeder roots ... ... you never really win this battle ....

it might take a few years.. but it can.. and will.. reclaim that area ... [unless it falls over because you took too many main anchor roots]

so yes.. you can do it...

the question is more along the lines.. of how long it will last ...

as noted.. thats where the ID of what you are planting under there comes into play.. can it have enough time to get moving.. so it can survive.. once the tree makes its move

also.. if we were to use logic... i bet you are thinking.. wow .. there is a bare spot under that tree ... its the only spot i have left ... well ... the reason that there is a bare spot there.. is because the tree killed everything else.. mostly due to water competition.. and lack of sunlight [depending on its canopy, of course] ... so .. logically... planting something there.. means that new plant.. will have to out-compete the massive tree with little or no water.. and no sunlight ... and that rarely works... easily anyway ...

this is what hosta people deal with.. ad nauseum.. trying to play with plants under uncooperative trees ...

ken

ps: since i am focused now on the fruit tree... what can you plant under it.. that will take the dead weight missiles that fall from height in fall ... that wont get damaged ... i almost got knocked out once by such ... freakin tree ... lol

This post was edited by ken_adrian on Tue, Mar 18, 14 at 9:58

Ken, thank you for the reply. The tree is 5 foot from the fence and I'm planting green giant arborvitae every 5 feet to block out the neighbors. I wanted to plant a green giant arborvitae 2.5 feet from the tree, one on each side and 4 foot from the fence. I have manage to plant one 7.5 foot from the tree one on each side leaving 15 feet with no privacy. The tree is just to big to cut down and dig up so I am thinking of some kind of container for my green giant arborvitae but I haven't come up with anything yet.