How Many Square Feet of Soil Does a Texas Ash Tree Require?

Space Recommendations

• Texas ash tree is recommended for lawns, near decks and patios, on buffer strips around parking lots and in highway medians. Allow 100 to 200 square feet for a parking lot island containing a Texas ash. A tree lawn for the tree should be 4 to 6 feet wide. If the roots of a Texas ash tree spread in a circle with a diameter or spread of 40 feet, they would take up 1,256 square feet of soil. Get that number by multiplying Pi (3.14) times the radius of the circle of root spread (20 feet) squared. If you planted the same tree inside a square that is 40 feet on each side, the space is 1,600 square feet of soil. Get that number by multiplying 40 by 40.

General Spacing Considerations

• How far apart you space two or more Texas ash trees determines when their growth slows. If you plant them close together, each tree will grow straight and tall with fewer branches than normal on the low portion of its trunk. When their branches touch, each tree's trunk diameter will not grow to its normal full size and you may have to prune some branches. If you plant them farther apart, each tree will grow more branches on its trunk and its crown will be larger.

Spacing in Residential Areas

• Special considerations apply to spacing a Texas ash in a residential area. Although no planting distances cover all tree species, some general recommendations can be followed. For example, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation recommends planting trees a minimum of 5 feet from a fire hydrant, 7 feet from a curb or driveway, 25 feet from a street sign, 30 feet from a stop sign and 40 feet from a street intersection.

Planting Space and Stress

• Trees growing under stressful conditions need more space for their roots than other trees. Trees growing in their natural growing range receive less stress than those growing in inappropriate climates. Texas ash is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 9a. Trees in a yard receive low stress. Those planted on streets in residential areas and intensive-use parks receive moderate stress. Trees growing in parking lots and downtown areas receive extreme stress.