|
| Need to plant tall shade trees in front yard in Santee area of South Carolina to provide shade during midday sunny summers AND to kill off pesky grass. I'd like to get started and plant trees this fall and will do whatever it takes for them to take off and thrive. I will hire a guy with a backhoe to whack the entire front yard to provide a dirt & sand bed for planting trees. I've been thinking even of a fruit orchard, but I know fruit trees take a long time to grow and need lots of pruning and tend to have insect problems. I don't want to have to spray and I want to keep pruning to a minimum. I want trees that will go to heights of 25-30 ft. Suggestions please! |
Follow-Up Postings:
|
- Posted by toronado3800 Z6 St. Louis (My Page) on Fri, Sep 14, 12 at 9:19
| Fast to 30 feet then stop? Most of the crab apples probably come close to that description. Any small Acer rubrum cultivars? Gimme three times that height and I will recommend Metasequoia! |
|
| You say "tall shade trees" but then you limit the height to 25-30 ft? That height is a low-medium tree at best. Fast tall shade tree in SC: Liriodendron tulipifera. |
|
- Posted by wisconsitom 4/5 WI (My Page) on Fri, Sep 14, 12 at 18:19
| I add that if it's pruning you wish to avoid, don't plant fruit trees! At least where maximum fruit production/quality is concerned, there is a considerable amount of pruning involved. +oM |
|
- Posted by carolbarrel (My Page) on Sat, Sep 15, 12 at 22:05
| Thanks for the suggestions. I like the idea of tulip poplars which I know grow fast as they're on my property in GA. Is it possible to dig up young tulip poplars that grew up from parent trees and transplant them to other sites? What would it require...how big a berth to dig around the root area, how much water to give it after digging up and putting in pot for transport, etc? Or is it crazy to think they'd survive being transplanted "from the wild"? |
|
| They can be transplanted from the wild; they all grow from seed, not root suckers. I would not dig up anything bigger than 3 feet - anything bigger and you'll waste time having it get over the shock of transplant. Water before digging for best results. Put in a 3-5 gallon pot with dirt and water. Transport in the pot. I think doing this in mid Oct to late Nov would be the best time. |
|
- Posted by carolbarrel (My Page) on Mon, Sep 24, 12 at 19:13
| Thanks so much esh! I will do as you suggest and give the transplants lots of TLC. Thanks for replying again! |
|
- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Tue, Sep 25, 12 at 8:08
| trees are dug up.. when leafless.. when they are dormant ... but i do not know the proper timing for SC .. its either late fall.. early winter.. or late winter.. lol.. that narrows it down.. also.. will you be there to keep them PROPERLY WATERED???? if not.. the timing is IMPERATIVE ... for best success ... with this tree .. you could probably have 3 foot bare root whips mailed to the location rather cheap.. and at the proper planting time ... rather than driving hundreds of miles.. digging them.. transporting them.. torturing them.. etc ... what a nightmare for something that can mysteriously appear at your front door ... see link as an e.g. good luck ken ps: do NOT buy poplars .. tulip poplar is not a poplar .. its actually: Liriodendron tulipifera though fast growing.. poplars ... are fast to disease ... and fast to dropping huge limbs.. and fast to die ... and.. fast in tree terms.. is a decade or two ... but why plant future cost or problems .... |
Here is a link that might be useful: not that i am rec'ing this seller .. just size to price example ...
|
- Posted by dave_in_nova VA zone 7a (My Page) on Fri, Sep 28, 12 at 8:52
| One nice fast shade 'tree' that stays around 20-30 feet would be crape myrtle such as 'Biloxi' (light lavender) or Natchez (white). Eventually form a nice upright-spreading form. Prune out lower limbs to maintain 1-3 trunks. Not all crapes grow into large trees though, so selection is important. |
Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum. If you are a member, please log in. If you aren't yet a member, join now!
Return to the Trees Forum
Instructions
- You must be a registered member and logged in to post messages on our forums.
- Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review the contents and make changes.
- After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
- It is illegal to post copyrighted material without the owner's consent.
- HTML codes are allowed in the message field only.
- No advertising is allowed in any of the forums.
- If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
- If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.