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edlincoln

Plant and Forget Trees for Costal New England.

edlincoln
11 years ago

I've taken to planting something whenever I visit my parents, to give me something to do. They recently lost a lot of trees to a combinations of beetles and storms, so there is plenty of room.

The problem is, I then leave, so I can't give these things proper aftercare.

This strategy has actually worked with holly, but not pines.

What trees have a decent chance of surviving if you plant them and then ignore them? I understand this strategy will inevitably lead to some casualties...but if I buy seedlings cheap I can afford to have some die.

It is a coastal area with acidic soil that is a mixture of sand and clay, and with a lot of wind. Zone 6, coastal Massachusetts. The plants that seem to thrive there are Eastern Red Ceder, White Pine, and Holly. Native plants preferred. Trees with fruits or flowers would be nice.

Comments (15)

  • gardenapprentice
    11 years ago

    Crape myrtles are perfect for neglecting, you dont have to prune, they dont need much water, and they have seasonal interest all year round

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    11 years ago

    contact the soil conservation district office in the county of your parents house ...

    they deal precisely with the plants you want to know about ...

    and might even sell them at the proper planting season ...

    also discuss such with that counties Extension and Ag offices ...

    how trees are planted.. is just a important as aftercare ... and when someone lacks one.. the other becomes imperative ....

    it surprises me .... that google can not give you a list of natives in MA ... nor can ID what beetle is wreaking havoc in MA ...

    good luck

    ken

    Here is a link that might be useful: for example

  • WxDano
    11 years ago

    Second what Ken said.

  • edlincoln
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Nandina: The trees that were killed off by beetles were older Black Pines. (Not sure if they were Pinus thunbergiana, there is apparently more then one specis with the common name Black Pine.) They were killed off by a local epidemic of turpentine beetles. (Or at least that is the leading theory.) A cautionary tale about the dangers of monoculture.

    The Spruce and Eastern Red Ceder survived the epidemic. Some old but pretty healthy looking spruce were destroyed by some major storms we had in the area. (One storm propelled salt spray onto trees, another just knocked trees down.) The young white pines the neighbors planted do well, but I've had poor luck with the "plant and pray" strategy with pines.

    I've been planting Holly as a privacy screen. White Alder and Viburnum lentago are some good suggestions.

    I can get a list of natives online, but I can't get practical advice on what is a "plant and forget" possibility. (A lot of gardeners who like to spend a lot of time in their garden and micro-manage get offended at the very idea...)

    How do I find the number for my conservation office?

    This post was edited by edlincoln on Fri, Mar 8, 13 at 16:44

  • greenthumbzdude
    11 years ago

    well here are some native fruit trees you could plant:
    American Persimmon and Beach Plum

    edlincoln thanked greenthumbzdude
  • mad_gallica (z5 Eastern NY)
    11 years ago

    I expect the real problem is the soil. In a not totally different climate, I rarely need to water anything after it goes in the ground. The big trick is to plant early, and develop a true hatred of unseasonably warm spells. Also, true water hogs go in the swamp. Aside from that, the clay considers it a personal affront to dry out

    There may some obscure technical difference between plant and forget, and plant and go out and look at it, then walk away without doing anything.

    If the wind is a big issue, there is the possibility of you erecting some sort of burlap windbreak when you are there, which is removed at some point in the future, when you are there, but doesn't do much in the meantime.

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    11 years ago

    google the name of their county.. add MA.. and add SOIL CONSERVATION ... see link.. change names

    reforestation programs.. are COMPLETELY 'plant and forget' .. and they get a vast majority of their seedlings to survive... but the key is small plants ... they use a planting bar.. of which i dont recall the proper term ... its not all that complicated ...

    there will not be many LARGE transplants.. that you stress to high heaven.. that you can walk away from for a year ... and that will be one of your keys to success ...

    and amending the soil.. is NOT a good thing... as you most likely will end up adding things that REQUIRE maintenance ... plant in native soil.. no matter what it is ... and mulch PROPERLY ...

    i think brandon gave you a link to his planting guide in some other post ... did he not????

    ken

    Here is a link that might be useful: link

  • nandina
    11 years ago

    Ed, I was expecting your answer that Black pine. one of the few pines that grows well in your 'barrens', was killed by the Turpentine beetle. With no mention of other trees beyond spruce, white pine, holly and Eastern Red Cedar (which will actually grow with salt water tides covering roots twice a day) you are pretty much left in the 'trial and error' mode. As Ken says, plant them young and do not amend the soil.

    Your soil type has been mentioned above. It is mainly an outwash plain of deposits left by the last melting glacier. A mixture of sands, clays and and sometimes a layer of peat moss from long ago bogs will be uncovered. The white clays found in your area are considered choice and were mined and shipped to England for fine porcelain dishware before the Am. Revolution.

    Also, Beach plum (Prunus maritima) has been mentioned. As you know, it is not a tree. Planted along the beach it is a native low growing shrub used for erosion control. Seems to grow and fruit best in the wild when surrounded by a healthy stand of poison ivy. I swear, the two seem to have a symbyotic relationship. Inland it forms a pleasing 6' shrub suitable for the landscape. A very interesting plant within the Prunus family with a long horticultural history. Recently it has attracted the attention of some growers and also Cornell who are reintroducing it to the market.

  • jimbobfeeny
    11 years ago

    Here are some plants that should do well along the coast:

    -Picea rubens - red spruce. This is a native and common New England Spruce (besides white & black spruce), growing mostly along the coast and in the mountains.

    -Pinus rigida - Pitch pine. This is the native "pine barrens" pine, common in the pine barrens along the Atlantic coast.

    -Amelanchier canadensis - Common serviceberry. This is another common coastal tree, very pretty and easy to grow.

    There are many, many more options; You could read into your state's and neighboring state's websites, looking into the plant communities that would naturally occur.

    Good luck!

  • NHBabs z4b-5a NH
    11 years ago

    You could also ask on the New England forum. There are several regulars there who live along the coast.

  • edlincoln
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks for the great suggestions! I like the ideas of Beach Plum, Red Spruce, common serviceberry, White Alder and Viburnum lentago.

    Serviceberry and Beach Plum were suggestions I'd got elsewhere. I actually planted a Beach Plum on some embankments on the property last Fall, partly as erosion control. The catch with planting deciduous trees in the Fall is it is a long time until you know if they "took". I'm reassured by the fact you say they like poison ivy...there is a lot of poison ivy there. I think I'll try planting another one closer to the poison ivy patch. If you say ceder can survive salt water twice a day. I may try planting some right near the water...hopefully they will block wind and salt spray.

    I'd never heard of Red Spruce or American Persimmon. I'll look into them.

    I may take your suggestions to look at the New England Forum..didn't know it existed.

    Some questions:
    1.) When you say plant small trees, How small is small?
    2.) Does anyone know what the planting bar is called?
    3.) I'll be visiting Easter and Mother's Day. Which of these things would I plant March 30, which May 12?
    4.) What was the link to Brandon's list that was referenced?

  • edlincoln
    Original Author
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    If anyone wants to know how their advice turned out:

    A website says we have "Merrimac Fine Sandy Loam". Observation reveals sandy gravel on one side of the property, a thin strip of compacted clay near the road.

    I did take ken_adrian's advice and contact my county soil conservation office. More helpfully, I found the New Hampshire State Nursery and the New York State Nursery. Great places.

    I planted three potted Beach Plum which all took. I planted a large number of bare root ones from the county, and a couple seem to be still alive (though it is too early to say).

    I planted a potted American Persimmon which is doing great, and two bare root ones that promptly died.

    I planted four paw paw, two of which survived, two of which fell prey to someone's weed wacker.

    One of the bare root Pitch Pine survived, none of the bare root Blue Spruce.

    This Spring I planted a number of bare root Black Walnut. One died, the rest seem to be doing great. (Best success rate in "plant and forget) so far. Also planted the NH State Nursery "Christmas Tree Package" of White Fire and White Spruce, which so far seem to be doing well (though it is too early to say...those were tiny.)

    I've gotten a number of potted English Holly, Blue Princess Holy and Blue Prince Holly, which survived. My transplanted rescue and mail-order potted American Holly have all died.

    Another of the original, developer planted maples died of wind damage. Many others have lost limbs. No salt issues, just wind.

  • Marie Tulin
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    As I was moving shrubs around, I saw the rhodotypos scandens or black jetbead. My oldest one is about 6 feet tall. They are tough. Not beautiful (I don't like the twiggy ends with dried berries that hang on) but the leaves are pleated and bright green,the flowers are pretty and they are hard to kill.

    Not "trees" but can definitely serve as understory shrubs and fill in gaps.

    Earlier you mentioned getting a yellowwood sapling from 'terrene.' I live 20 minutes from her and would be happy to leave rhodotypos with her for you to pick up. Please feel free to decline.

    Of course, I'd be happy to meet you.


  • wisconsitom
    8 years ago

    "Spud bar" is one name for the planting tool referenced above. "Dibble" gets used also, although in my mind, that word will forever mean a tiny stick used to make depressions for transplanting tiny seedlings from a seed flat into cell packs, etc. And just for the record-this based on work performed by yours truly in the mid 1970s at a commercial greenhouse-all cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli seedlings look identical, especially after the first ten thousand!

    +oM