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| I would like to plant a ginkgo tree in my back yard. I love, love, love their color (both summer and fall), the shape of their leafs, their branching pattern.
The problem is some of them can grow huge. There is a humongous specimen at our local arboretum. I don't want that. At the same time there are many dwarf varieties sold, for instance by Forest Farm. . I don't think I want those either.(or may be I just don't know if that is want I want) I want my tree to look like the ones, which became very popular in the urban landscaping, like the one in the picture. They pop up everywhere this days. Does anybody know what variety they are? Also is this growth habit given or it is the result of heavy and careful pruning? Thanks in advance. |
Here is a link that might be useful: ginkgo tree on urban street
Follow-Up Postings:
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| The tree pictured is simply a youthful ginkgo. Most that I've ever seen go through that stage (gangly, teenager look) before they put on their middle age 'girth'. Trees have to be replaced very frequently in an urban setting, so all city dwellers may get to see unless they visit the established parks are very young trees. Ginkgos have a pretty slow rate of growth. I'd select a nice male cultivar and enjoy it. |
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- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Sat, Dec 3, 11 at 18:20
| how old are you.. and how many decades are you staying in this garden ... i have a Ginkgo biloba 'Saratoga' ... it was 3 feet in 2000 .. and if it is 10 feet tall ... today .. i will eat my hat ... if you want it for a specimen.. and for fall color.. so be it.. but your grandchildren still might not see shade from it.. lol ... define EXACTLY why you want it.. then decide if ginkgo is really what your garden needs ... ken ps: you dont have to answer how old.. it was rhetorical .. lol ... |
Here is a link that might be useful: link
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| You're pretty vague on both ends of the height issue, with little said on girth, either. Some questions that may help others answer your needs: 1.) What target adult height are you after? For comparison, go look at a 30 - 40 feet red maple, an old 50 - 60 foot sugar maple, a 20 foot tall tree of some sort, etc... What's the shortest tree you'd be happy with? The tallest? 2.) Do you like a 'big ball' canopy, or a higher, 'fastigiate' columnar type look? 3.) Let's say for sake of argument you want a tree with a max. expected height of 40 feet, long term, with a medium to large rounded canopy. If the tree is slow-growing, and you're going to start with a 4 footer from a mail order house, and it's going to take 2 years to kick in with significant growth, then grow maybe a foot or 2 a year for awhile, is that going to make you happy? Are you okay with the wait? Richard. |
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- Posted by kinder_gardener z7 MD (My Page) on Wed, Dec 7, 11 at 20:38
| I have to apologize for the delayed response. Many thanks to you all you guys. to Richard In principle, I am not limited in height. At the location I have planned for this three it will not interfere with anything. It is supposed to be the part of the tree-shrub border at the property boundary to serve as the privacy screen/pleasant view vista. I would prefer it to be 20-30ft long term, but if it grows to 40ft so be it. But, as other guys seem to imply, it will, most likely, be not my problem anyway. :) The spread is all another issue, tall columnar type of tree would be much preferred there. to ken_adrian Oh, grandchildren! What do they know about gardening, khe-khe. It is very helpful to know that you "Saratoga" only have put hardly 7 feet in 10 years. I should start with more mature tree if I can afford it, considering my age :) Is it still "(gangly, teenager looking)" as rhizo_1 put it? To rhizo_1. "so all city dwellers may get to see unless they visit the established parks are very young trees." And I was absolutely convinced that those urban trees were of specific variety, as I have spotted them in different cities and even different countries! Thanks for debunking my "urban myth" . I think I'll do as you suggested: "Ginkgos have a pretty slow rate of growth. I'd select a nice male cultivar and enjoy it." |
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