Question
The previous owner's of our home planted 12 ficus trees along the perimeter of our backyard (which accompanies a giant Alder tree).  Our back yard is beautiful and always cool and shady because of our trees;However the tree trimmer that trims them on a yearly basis has suggested we remove all of them to prevent any damage from their roots in the future. We had an arborist come and give us his opinion and he said it was "insane" to remove them and that the roots could be controlled by trimming the trees regularly. We never water the trees, but they are growing rapidly. We really do not want to get rid of them.  Is there any way to control the roots?

Answer
I would not worry about the roots of the trees. The roots will grow about 1 1/2 times the width of the foliage overhang. Ficus roots are not a problem so I would agree with the arborist and only prune the trees as needed. I would also consider getting a new "tree trimmer" since this one may not really under stand tree growth. Ask the arborist for a recommended pruner.