I don't think that your proposal will hurt the willow, but in a year or two the willow will push its roots up to the surface again and wreck your Patio!

Patios are usually near the house so can I ask how near to your house is this large tree?

That tree does look a bit of a mess, doesn't it. And Bulbaholic's right, the roots may well wreck your patio. I'd be inclined to remove the tree and, if you still want a tree, replace it with something smaller, or just pave over the area and plant a tree elsewhere in the garden.

I've been thinking about taking the tree out, but it is the only shade I have at the moment. At the very least I should have someone prune all the dead stuff off. I planted an Autumn Blaze maple sapling for the future, you can just see it to the left in the 2nd photo, supposedly it will grow 3' a year but even then it will take years before it's big enough.

Sorry but you only posted 1 photo

its like bulbaholic sais and the willow looks healthy to me.not only will it lift your patio the roots go a long way with a willow so when you have a dry summer it will drink a lot of the soil dry therebye making it shrink so any weight rel;ated to concrete could push the soil down cracking even house footings let alone a concrete patio.the best way would be to lay concrete blocks on there side and build a wooden patio resting on them.then the movement wont mater as wood gives.

eventualy its possible the tree could effect your house though not yet.perhaps cut it down and build a patio with a pagoda over it and either grow a fast climber for shade or maybe roll some of that spit bamboo over the top.it gives a lovley dappled light.like a bar code.you get it in 16` rolls for about £20-£30 depending wear you get it.

Alright, there we go, now my two photos are showing, sorry about that.

Noseypotter, I like the idea of concrete blocks on their side with a wooden patio over, that would do the trick I think. And another friend also has suggested a roof structure of some kind over the patio in lieu of the tree, so I'll probably do that too, eventually. The willow has become an old friend and I feel like I'm betraying it by cutting it down, just not ready to do that quite yet. Isn't that silly? :-)

Thanks everyone for your advice!

If the tree had to go you could have a pergola to provide shade and interest?

If the tree really is as near to the house as you say it seriously needs to go as the roots will undermine the house. The is especially a problem as it is a willow and will go looking for water. Whoever planted it there should not have done so... sorry but at time you just have to bite the bullet!

no it realy isnt silly shackmistress i just think moon grower could be right and that sort of thing you only realise when the damage is done.why not pick a branch with new growth in early spring from your tree.plant it wear its less invasive,water it well in the growing seasen and you will have a clone from your tree.then cut yours down in a couple of years when the other ones grown.under pinning your house is oober expensive.i love weeping willows.infact i did just this a couple of years a go near a river and thats wear my ashes are going when im gone.its doing well.

as allen titshmarsh sais a weed is a plant in the wrong place.

A clone is a lovely idea! I love willows too, in fact having this tree in the back yard was one of the reasons I bought the house. Unfortunately, I don't live anywhere near a water source, it only survives at all because I water it, so a clone would be the same way. Plus the yard is so small I can't get it far enough away from the house, I've heard willows will send roots out hundreds of feet. I haven't noticed any problems with the house foundation yet, but it's surely just a matter of time. I would just be making the same mistake again. Perhaps one of my friends who lives in a more willow-friendly spot would like one. Thanks everyone for such great ideas!

No tree should be within 45 feet of your house - and especially not a willow, the worst of the lot. Good luck with it, I think you should bite the bullet and do the sensible thing...

me to your willow has no doubt found the water table with its tap root .i think there is a couple of weeping trees you could have closer than 45 feet but not a willow perhaps.there are hundreds of trees round my estate closer than 45 feet including 2 huge poplers about 100 foot tall that have been there since ive been here .id say they were hundreds of years old.a lot of maples all planted bye the council.sycamores excuse my spelling.sorry to disagree with you bamboo but there are loads every wear wear i live planted when the estates were built if not before.id say a lot of conifer types would be ok as bye nature they have a comparitivly small root ball.willows would make lovley prezzies next year for the right people in pots.

45 feet! Bamboo, you must have quite a luxurious & spacious garden/yard. :-) In my case 45' would mean no trees at all. Urban lots like mine in Portland are typically 50' x 100' with the house about 15'-20' in from the street. With the exception of a willow or similar tree with water-seeking roots, I'm okay with trees up to about 10' from the house. The previous owners of the house made a number of ill-advised planting decisions that I've already corrected. There was a Sitka spruce, which I imagine started as a living Christmas tree, but then was planted 5' from the corner of the house and right next to the deck, they must not have realized that Sitkas grow into huge trees! This one was about 12' tall and already starting to encroach on the house, when I gave it away to someone with many acres out in the country. If it's a small to medium tree at maturity, I think it's okay closer to the house.

I don't have a garden of my own at all, now, lol, just a balcony! But those are the rules for planting trees if you're a professional, and for amateurs if they want to check - it's all about the house foundations and the possibility of subsidence caused by tree roots, which is not uncommon over here;-)

well there are many council planted trees around all the estates in norfolk not hurting a thing .i doubt there would be any trees on the hole of my estate if your 45` rule was right.ill do a blog of photos if you want just to show you.shack is right it depends on the tree itself.pine trees have a root ball of know more than 6-10` i live in the middle of the biggest man made forest in england and they take the pines out on a 50 year cycle .they then before they plant new ones pile the roots , stump etc in a row to rot down and they arnt more than 6 foot hight with soil.my estate is called fir road and has rows of them within 20` foot of the garden and there older than the 50 year old houses bye far.the only trouble they have is the needles or the odd one gets blown over as bye nature they are forest trees and take there food etc from the top soil.i still dont agree with bamboo.willows yes .all trees no.

i will quote the worlds smallest type of tree is a type of willow.
The Dwarf Willow, is that tree, reaching staggering heights of 5 cm when fully grow, although it does tend to spread itself out over the ground.

do you suggest a 5cm tree should be 45` away from your house ?

Of course not Nosey, and interestingly, old trees that were in place before new housing was built are left in place wherever possible - removing them can cause subsidence and drainage problems, so building a house near an existing, mature tree is not an issue; planting something like a large willow nearer than 40 feet to a dwelling could be, and in particular with Willow, as they're such thirsty trees. that's why people with smaller gardens always look for smaller trees.

ow i have always agreed about the weeping willow . this is the worlds smallest tree there are others bigger yet not huge and they propogate trees to not grow very big. the same as there giant trees that way hundreds of times more than a weeping willow but i will quote your very words bamboo .

No tree should be within 45 feet of your house

if you had taken the time to read what other people including me wrote you would know this.thank you bye for now.

Ho hum x

you contradict yourself in your own words

that's why people with smaller gardens always look for smaller trees.

ofcourse they do but you said know trees within 45` thats all i disagree with as you aparantly do.sorry to be a paine but i wont agree with something i dont agree with.