Installation and potential tree root damage?
Hi. After getting several estimates, I finally picked an installer about a month ago and got placed on their waiting list. This company uses the "trenchless" installation method. None of the installers I interviewed seemed to have any reservations about tree roots and one guy even offered to have his team hand dig if they need to run a line near a tree.
Earlier this week I had a certified arborist do some work on a couple of my trees and while chatting I mentioned that I was looking to have a sprinkler system installed. This gentleman very strongly urged me to reconsider and said that installing a system would cause substantial root damage to my trees. The trees in question are primarily 10-15 year old river birch, a crabapple and a few aristocrat pears (street trees).
So, on the one hand, I have an arborist urging me not to install a sprinkler system. On the other hand, I have the sprinkler companies who've installed thousands of systems between them who don't seem to be concerned about root damage.
Another wrench in the gearbox: the arborist, in turn, recommended a landscaping company that does drip system installation. This company uses an "air knife" to blast away dirt with compressed air without harming the tree roots. Here's the catch: the owner of this landscaping company used to work for the arborist (and is, himself, a certified arborist) so I'm not sure if there's a conflict of interest going on here.
I'm seeking experiences from anybody who has installed a sprinkler system in a yard with already-established trees. Were the trees damaged? How did the installer deal with tree roots?