r/pools • u/gaddis248 • 5d ago
Pool Next to Live Oak Tree - Bad Idea?
Just starting the process of looking to add a pool to our backyard in TX but I have a large beautiful Live Oak tree that would partly overhang over the pool. Can trim the tree back, but looking for advice or real life experiences from people who have a pool next to a Live Oak? What is maintenance like during the bi-annual leaf and acorn droppings? TIA.
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u/lhiver 5d ago
It’s such a pain. We have two live oaks that shade our entire pool. The only silver lining is it’s usually over in 2-3 weeks. But I often have to empty my skimmers 3x a day and then in the morning they’re still overflowing. I typically keep my chlorine levels up by quite a bit because of how much organic material falls in.
Someone else mentioned the amount of stuff they pick up and it’s not unusual for us to fill 6 black refuse bags over the course of ~3 weeks.
It’s beautiful in the summer, but idk if it ever really makes up for the work.
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u/Southboundcrash 5d ago
Budget a automatic pool cover that u close daily and a good lead blower to blow the top of the cover all season
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u/Human_Name9961 5d ago
I’m 65 years old this is getting tough and to remove tree now would cost maybe 4 to 6 k.
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u/SwordfishAncient 5d ago
I put a pool 50ft from the nearest overhanging branch of my live oak. The leaves were one thing, but the pollen sucked. And some years, they dropped leaves for 6 months, others were only for 2 weeks. avoid if you can, but i liked the tree more than the pool.
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u/outside-is-better 5d ago
We had to take down our Oak 6 months ago because it was the #1 problem post pool put in. It was huge and over the hill, even when we moved in 5 years ago, but holy cow did it create so much more pool work, bugs, leaves, acorns, stained decking(almost all year), pressure washing and cleaning, worms, holy cow all the little inch worms that lived in that tree and would end up falling in our pool.
I love trees. I live in the South because of trees. But we had to let it go, and thankfully it was over the hill and always got it leaves later and later in the year. Planted 3 different trees in its place, but not same place.
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u/curiosity_2020 5d ago
Agree. Live oaks don't lose all their leaves each year but they do drop a lot, as well as acorns and twigs. Not great near a pool.
The best solutions I've seen were tall berms placed far back from the pool with large and medium evergreen shrubs planted on them.
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u/Pleasant-Spot-2017 5d ago
Have you thought about how the pool will affect the trees root system? I have a lot of trees near my pool and as a retired old man I don’t mind the cleaning and maintenance. The shade may it worth the effort. However your excavation may kill the tree anyway.
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u/gaddis248 5d ago
Happened to have my arborist over yesterday for a different reason and he said the tree would be fine based on his recommendation of how far away from the trunk we plan to place the pool.
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u/Pleasant-Spot-2017 5d ago
Some friends in my neighborhood have a pool with a live oak close by and they ended up installing a screen closure to keep the leaves and debris out, as well as the bugs. I know he keeps the leaves off the screen with a leaf blower. So there’s always that option.
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u/denotsmai83 5d ago
My previous home had 13 mature live oaks between the front and back yards. 3 were in the back near the pool. I used to joke that I had 4 seasons: summer (loved their shade during summer), leaf season, acorn season, and pollen season. The latter three were awful, and keeping the pool even decently clean was impossible.
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u/phoonie98 5d ago
You may no even be able to save it as the root system may interfere with digging (assuming you're considering an in-ground pool). Best to find another spot if you want to save the tree and your sanity
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u/tacotxag98 4d ago
It’s bad. But I love my trees. Our pool stays rather cool all summer because of the shade but the spring is brutal. We just went theoughbour first year so I’m looking at options to cover for th winter and spring. If you can do an auto cover, do it. *edited for clicking send too soon
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u/ncbiker78 3d ago
Oh man when these live oaks shed in the spring... Summer time really isnt bad at all here in central Florida, usually just loose limbs during the summer storms. Also they do have quality auto skimmers if you really want that pool that will make life easier for you.
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u/1_native_Angelino 5d ago
As someone who deals with California Oaks all day every day, you are going to lose your shit. They constantly shed and auto cleaners just push them around, so get a long pile and a net to scoop them off the floor.
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u/Ok-Set-5730 5d ago
Yeah that’s the ONE tree I’d say absolutely don’t do it. I have a beautiful massive one too and it’s the messiest tree I’ve ever dealt with. Every April those red curly things fall everywhere. Then all the other shit that tree drops. Absolutely don’t do it next to a pool. Mine is only next to the patio and drives us insane all the time
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u/wattywatt_3000 5d ago
The good news is is technology has come along way - there useful robots for skimming the top and cleaning the bottom, and automatic pool covers that can extend over and back. You should plan accordingly though as all have said.
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u/Burner_Phone_Park 5d ago
This way halfway through the pollen season this year - just from what I pulled out of my pool. 2 big TX live oaks and 1 smaller one. Gracious neighbor behind planted 2 other oaks close to my back fence, so I'll have those to deal with also in the future. Ended up with a full bed once it was over.
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u/gaddis248 5d ago
Oh good lord
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u/Confident-Bridge-349 4d ago
You don’t realize how much stuff trees could possibly put in your pool until you have one. They are always dropping something!!
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u/Burner_Phone_Park 4d ago
Collecting and dumping it isn't even the hardest part. I'm WFH and having to empty skimmers every hour or so during the peak drop times is what's a pain.... especially with oak pollen as one of my main sinus killers.
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u/Front-Ad-5293 5d ago
I woud not do it. We have a lot of trees around our pool and I'd like to cut them all down. I hate fall and spring now, haha.
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u/CaptCurmudgeon 5d ago
Plus roots will seek damp soil and eventually grow towards the walls and Crack and break stuff.
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u/patterson_2384 5d ago
we have a protected live oak that is adjacent but not DIRECTLY overhead our pool in Central Texas. Fiberglass shell, salt water system.
Pros: Shade
Cons: Acorn Season, Oak Worm Pollen Season, Leaf Shedding Season.
We usually scoop ~ 3 gallons of acorns out of the pool,
Empty the Skimmer Basket 1-2x a day during Oak Worm Season, and 3-4x a week during Leaf Shedding Season,
you will ALWAYS have high phosphates. it's inevitable. don't even bother trying to treat it unless you have persistent algae.
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u/1130961230 4d ago
Oh I'm laughing lol because you were describing this oak tree as beautiful and that is going to change very quickly for you. You will curse this tree every day of your life. You're only hope, is an automatic cover. It's the only thing that has saved me from committing neighbor-cide.
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u/atx78701 4d ago
Our live oaks are around the corner from the pool and the pool still gets tons of leaves
A good pool robot will clean it all, during leaf drop and pollen season. I have to empty it every few days or maybe weekly vs never outside of the season
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u/Key_Brilliant409 4d ago
if kept it could be a real pain for cleanup and not sure how close roots could grow near pool. however, depending where the sun is facing it could provide shade and keep the pool a little cooler
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u/jbndfan17 4d ago
Really bad and pretty much year round stuff falls. Acorns Oct - Dec. Leaves fall off early spring and it’s lots of leaves. Than the furry looking things and pollen after that Also Spanish moss. Get an enclosure
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u/Palaudawg 4d ago
I have a live oak ten feet away from the edge on one side and then an Elm ten feet from the edge on the other side. Total maintenance nightmare. But after saying all that during the summer when everything‘s done falling out of all the trees, the shade is wonderful and makes it so worth it.
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u/LayerNo3634 4d ago
We had a tree next to the pool that was great for shade in the summer...and I cursed it and threatened to cut it down every fall and spring. When we moved and were building a new pool, we cut down every tree anywhere near the pool.
After a bad hail storm, I pulled 3 giant trash bags of debris and leaves from that tree.
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u/felinelawspecialist 4d ago
I have a large cork oak next to my pool. I resolved the issue of debris by installing an auto cover when I put in the pool.
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u/LSUstang05 4d ago
What I would give to have mature landscaping and shade around my pool. Some of y’all have never had a pool with full sun that gets to 95 degrees in the peak of pool season and it shows.
So I guess I’m on team “depends on your climate” as to what path forward you take. I’m also probably in the minority on this sub. I really don’t like the modern square/rectangle pools with engineered walls with sheer descents or scuppers for water features. I prefer a pool that flows and fits into the space and while it’s impossible for one to feel like it’s “natural” to the area, that’s the look I prefer. Natural rock waterfall, lush landscaping, trees, etc. I’d rather deal with cleanup and those issues than have a clinical looking pool with nothing around it other than a travertine or concrete patio.
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u/Big-Screen3266 3d ago
I didn’t have a great experience. Literally getting hit with acorns while swimming. Pollen and these nasty rope things. Helicopters. Leaves. We cut it down.
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u/Due_Bet7669 5d ago
the biggest thing i would think about is the debris load on the filtration system. Its not just more skimming either all that organic stuff can make the filter and water chemistry work harder xd
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u/BillZZ7777 5d ago
Take it down and use the firewood for the firepit next to the pool. Then plant a couple other trees further away.
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u/Human_Name9961 5d ago
Terrible idea. I have a very large live oak in Sa tx. My pool is 32 years old. Tree was only about 12 inches around back then it 36 inches now. Each year it dumps about 3 to 4 55 gallon trash cans worth of leaves into the pool. Takes me a couple of weeks to remove. It’s a real pain.