Choosing A Tree To Plant

Planting trees is one of the easiest yet effectiveAnother issue to keep in mind is the drainage.
means of giving your garden or your yard aGood quality, well-drained loam soil is best for
face-lift. Trees can provide shade duringplanting young trees. Poorly-drained planting sites
summertime and protect you from harsh, chillywill give you problems, since many tree species,
winds in the winter. Aside from these, they canincluding firs, beeches, yellowwoods, oaks and
also add to the privacy of your home whileyews will not be able to handle "wet feet". Avoid
boosting real estate values. There are plenty ofareas where stagnant water pools around roots,
choices if you re planning to plant a tree. Thesesince this can lead to "root rot" caused by lack of
depend on the size, shape, growth habits and careoxygen. To test the drainage of a planting area,
needed, so choose carefully, because the treedig a hole and fill it with water. After a couple of
you pick will have long-lasting consequences.hours, the water should have drained away. If
When selecting a tree, the first step is to decidenot, you may have problems with drainage. If this
what kind of tree is suitable for your propertyis the case, you can plant trees in raised beds of
and your needs. Climate and soil are important12 to 18 inches of good quality topsoil to solve
factors to consider. For example, if you plant athe problem.
date palm, it might have difficulty surviving theTree planters in new subdivisions will oftentimes
winter season in Chicago. And planting a willowmeet soil quality problems. The PH level of the
that always needs an ample supply of watersoil, and therefore its fertility, is often affected by
would not be a good idea if you're living in aconstruction materials and the resulting rubble. The
perennially dry climate. The tree species you arechemical and petroleum spills which take place
planning to get should be able to flourish in yourduring building construction also present additional
local climate and soil conditions (designatedworries. If the soil contamination is quite severe,
hardiness zone).scraping away the contaminated soil and replacing
Another important factor in selecting a tree isit with good quality topsoil may be the only
matching it to the surrounding locality. Think aboutanswer.
the size of the area within which your new treeOne of the critical factors to consider, of course,
will be situated. Will that spindly sapling you justis your personal taste. The way that your
bought still be able to fit after 20 or 30 years?property's appearance and ambience might be
Conversely, a willow or an oak tree, both ofimproved by the various kinds of trees should be
which grow very large when mature, may be nottaken into account. It's recommended to create a
the best tree to plant in a small front lawn in thelist of all the trees you want or like, and imagine
city. The proximity of the tree to the surroundinghow they would look when planted in your yard
houses, buildings, sidewalks, driveways, utility lines,or garden. Think about how the tree you selected
and septic systems should also be considered. If awould fill in the property over time. You can make
tree is not planted in an appropriate area, thesome sketches to help you decide, or if you don't
overhanging branches and extensive root growthhave confidence in your artistic skills, hire a
may cause damage to nearby adjacent propertieslandscape designer or get some landscape design
and utility lines, and incur you sizeable expenses insoftware.
the bargain.