Anyone want to point me in a direction?
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Joe the Poster
- Newly Registered
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Tue Aug 02, 2016 4:03 pm
Recommend a tree to plant...
Hi, so I know very little about trees I'm sorry to say, but I have a small project on which I'm hoping someone who does can offer some advice. When my first child (and second, etc, if they come) is born, I'd like to plant a tree the day they're born, and they can always know this tree is as old as they are. What I would really love to do, if possible, is select a species of tree that grows at such a pace that I could keep it in a pot or something similar long enough that the child, when of a suitable age, could themselves pick a spot to plant it in the ground. But this might be totally ridiculous, I just don't know. I live in a northern, temperate climate with lots of precipitation. Some of the trees I know that grow around here are firs, maples, birches...
Anyone want to point me in a direction?
Anyone want to point me in a direction?
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hendi_alex
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 3604
- Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2008 7:58 am
- Location: Central Sand Hills South Carolina
I love white oaks and red oaks. They form a wonderful canopy and have very little limb drop compared to our many other oak varieties. Their roots are not as aggressive as those of a maple. Over the years, I have collected seedlings and kept them in containers for 3-6 years before putting the trees in the ground. All have done very well. Over the next 20-30 years the tree should become a majestic specimen reaching at least 40-50 feet in that time. The tree will probably give a lifetime memory that always results in a smile. Be sure to plant at least 30-40 feet from another large tree.
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Theclowndog
- Full Member
- Posts: 34
- Joined: Fri Feb 12, 2016 7:11 am
There is a house down the street from me where the owner did just this. The old man who used to live there told me that when his son was born (sometime mid 1950s), he came home from the hospital and walked down to a nearby riverbank and dug up a seedling maple tree. He planted that tree in his backyard. The old man died a few years ago but that tree still grows large and strong. I'm sure the people who now reside in the house have no idea about the story behind that tree.
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Theclowndog
- Full Member
- Posts: 34
- Joined: Fri Feb 12, 2016 7:11 am
It is a Japanese tradition to plant a tree or start a bonsai when a child is born. Bonsai trees are long lived and can outlive their owners so it can be passed down from one generation to the next. Some well kept bonsai are over 800 years old.
I would plant two trees. Select a native tree to plant now. One that later your child can use for a swing or maybe a treehouse when they are in the climbing age. Make sure it is sturdy and the kids are always supervised. The second would be a bonsai or as you would like a tree that your child can plant out later.
I would not choose a fast growing tree because they usually are very tall and have brittle branches a slow growing tree would take 10 years to grow to be twenty feet. A medium growth tree would be taller.
Wherever you plant the tree, do your homework to make sure it does not have invasive roots and that it is sighted away from power lines and underground utilities. If you face it on the west or south side of the house it can help cool the house in summer. Research how much maintenance a tree requires. Cutting a tree down can cost thousands of dollars if it is in the wrong place. Select a tree under 30 ft if you can so you can prune it from the ground.
I had a nice tree until it outgrew the yard after about 30 years. When we bought the house it was about 15 ft tall and I could still trim it myself with a pole pruner. It helped to keep my house cool and the paint on that side of the house lasted longer. On the downside, the leaves, although small, clogged up the gutter so they had to be cleaned regularly even with gutter guards.
Once the tree got too tall, I had to hire someone to prune the tree since I don't climb trees. It cost me $250 a year for it to be pruned. That was cheap because I was a regular customer, the arborists gave me a good price. It cost $450 to cut it down after the branches became brittle and the roots started heading toward the foundation of the house.
I would plant two trees. Select a native tree to plant now. One that later your child can use for a swing or maybe a treehouse when they are in the climbing age. Make sure it is sturdy and the kids are always supervised. The second would be a bonsai or as you would like a tree that your child can plant out later.
I would not choose a fast growing tree because they usually are very tall and have brittle branches a slow growing tree would take 10 years to grow to be twenty feet. A medium growth tree would be taller.
Wherever you plant the tree, do your homework to make sure it does not have invasive roots and that it is sighted away from power lines and underground utilities. If you face it on the west or south side of the house it can help cool the house in summer. Research how much maintenance a tree requires. Cutting a tree down can cost thousands of dollars if it is in the wrong place. Select a tree under 30 ft if you can so you can prune it from the ground.
I had a nice tree until it outgrew the yard after about 30 years. When we bought the house it was about 15 ft tall and I could still trim it myself with a pole pruner. It helped to keep my house cool and the paint on that side of the house lasted longer. On the downside, the leaves, although small, clogged up the gutter so they had to be cleaned regularly even with gutter guards.
Once the tree got too tall, I had to hire someone to prune the tree since I don't climb trees. It cost me $250 a year for it to be pruned. That was cheap because I was a regular customer, the arborists gave me a good price. It cost $450 to cut it down after the branches became brittle and the roots started heading toward the foundation of the house.