Can I stop tree growth?

aussie11

Hi to all
About 12 years ago I planted what I thought was a small fig tree, that should grow to around 16 foot tall which was perfect for my needs.
I planted it in a front garden bed that runs parallel to my front fence which is arc welded mesh fence. The garden bed is raised about 30cm.

The problem is the tree is now around 25 foot tall and around 30 foot wide and starting to grow into the power lines. I did plant other tress and shrubs near this tree because it was not supposed to grow too big, but periodically have to remove the other plants because the amount of room just keeps shrinking. It seems the tree just powers on and keeps filling the gaps.

The roots have also become exposed on the nature strip, I suppose because the ground is around 30 cm lower. It is causing problems with mowing the nature strip.

How can the roots be contained? Or even remove some of the exposed ones, without doing damage so that it falls over.
Is there anything that can be done to trim and then stop the growth - vertically and horizontally. I have heard all sorts of stories about painting the cut end of branches with tar and other mixtures, but would like some reliable advice.

Any help would be much appreciated
Regards
Ria

Eric Frei

Surface roots are a real problem with that species.

Size is a very real problem with that species......

..... what were you thinking.

Getting the right species for the right location doesn't happen very often I assure you.

Whilst I could administer growth reduction treatment the fact is that trees will always try to attain their genetically coded sizes. Growth reduction treatments do slow growth but not halt it. In your case it may have taken 12 years for the tree to get that size and with growth regulator treatment it might have taken 25 years, the thing it growth is an integral part of tree survival. To eliminate growth you have to kill the tree.

Some processes of containment even include things like bonsai where both the roots and the canopy are trimmed.

Personally I would say cut it down and replace with more appropriate species which at mature size fits the location.

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