Spotting young trees

[PlantSwap]

OK, I admit it. I have a weakness for trees. I love planting them. I've got too many of them in my suburbian yard already and I picked up another one at the last Galveston County plant swap. I have no idea where I'm going to plant it!

Do any of you also plant too many trees too close together?

[PlantSwap]

No one? I guess it's just me then. I'm going to end up with a small suburban forest.

[txbeyer]

OH Bernard, Don't do it . You will stunt every tree in the process if you don't allow enough growing space for them to achieve their mature size. They will be in competition for sunlight, not grow uniformly, fight for available nutrients, etc.

For example: If the mature size of a given tree is 30' in diameter and another is 20' in diameter, allow 25' distance from trunk to trunk, the sum of the two radii. That's a general guideline provided by Texas Master Gardeners. Always space them based on maturity size, not current.

Remember you can kill plants with kindless, so if you don't have the space, don't adopt any more. Bet that's the advice you didn't want to hear

[PlantSwap]

Like Samuel L. Jackson said in Pulp Fiction, "I'm tryin' real hard to be the shepherd."

[copper]

If you like the process of planting trees so much and have a small space, why not volunteer at a local park or nursing home etc. to plant trees. They would adore that and you would get that planting satisfaction (I understand -I am addicted to planting flowers in a city yard)

[PlantSwap]

Well, that's an idea I had not thought of. I really don't enjoy the process of planting them so much as watching them grow.

[cheezyrat]

I know I'm really late to reply but I do the SAME THING! I love trees. If I find a wayward seedling in the yard I dig it up and pot it till I can find a place for it. My family and I have planted literally hundreds of trees on our 4+ acres. Once they are grown it will look like a forrest again. I don't care if they compete or don't grow like a show specimen. Mother nature doesn't measure her spacing and neither do I!

[PlantSwap]

I'm not the only one then.

I don't care if they compete or don't grow like a show specimen. Mother nature doesn't measure her spacing and neither do I!

That's exactly how I feel sometimes!

[NorthZulchTexas]

I love this quote: 'I don't care if they compete or don't grow like a show specimen. Mother Nature doesn't measure her spacing and neither do I!'

I love trees and I’ve always wanted to live on a property that had deep woods thick with trees. I just moved to North Zulch, Texas, near Bryan/College Station & Madisonville and I cringe every time I drive by two of my neighbor's properties. They have tree trunks piled up beside the road and several huge monster pieces of machinery that are being used to cut down all of their trees. I suppose they sold their trees to someone. I can't stand to look over their acreage of leftover skeleton trees and dead stumps...

The property I bought had been partially bulldozed and now I am digging up small trees in the thick woods and transplanting them where they have a chance to grow. I have had good results in almost 3 months. My husband has asked if I had a plan when I began transplanting and I just said, ‘Sure, my plan is to plant these trees where they have a chance to live and make more trees!’ He just smiles, nods his head, and asks which one I want dug up next…

Mellisa

[lcosden]

LOL.. I love the attitude here.. I LOVE trees but I live one a postage stamp sized property.. The three (fruit) trees I've got coming is probably already going to encroach onto my neighbor's property.. Figured that they'd be okay if I share the bounty with them.. **keeping my fingers crossed there**

[ok_nurse]

I thought I was the only nut who loved trees this much. I transplant maples and oaks that spring up everywhere into the empty lot behind out house. Can't stand to kill something that beautiful that fights so hard for life yet can't keep it in my flowerbed. If anyone wants a sprouting acorn sent to them this spring-let me know. We will have hundreds. Our squirrels are very active and my flowerbeds are easy for them to dig into!!!

[cheezyrat]

Hey! The Arborday Foudation would love to see this thread! I know I'm crazy for it but I just bought 62 Colorado Blue Spruce. I have them in pots being well taken care of for now until they grow a bit more. My plan is to sell some but I may plant them ALL! Who knows. I'll find room somewhere. I'm still trying to reforrest (is that a word? LOL) the field next to our house. I should post pics of the trees we have growing already. I would love to see everyone else's as well. Especially if you have unusual or specimen trees.

[diana]

I, too, love volunteer tree seedlings, but I have very little room for grown trees. Over that past few years, my partner and I nurtured two holly seedlings that popped up in our flower bed a few years ago. They got to be about 1 1/2 or 2 ft. tall before we finally dug them up and passed them along to someone with more space. It was sad to see them go. We hope to have a bigger property one day and grow more trees. I personally hope to become as crazy as Anita--62 Blue Spruce!!!!

Diana Lynn

[snowmm]

Okay - I think I just like to dig.
I live on two acres and my way of relaxing when I'm depressed is to plant.
Last fall I planted over 150 plants in my yard. I finally started a memorial garden that I've been trying to plan for almost 10 years. (I had part of it going but last fall the full plans for the outline only got down on paper.)

I got 10 free trees from the National Arbor Society. (Twelve once I got through all of my orders.) I transplanted five trees from my parents yards.
I can't wait until I see what happens this spring. I don't care if only 50% of the plants live it's 70 some plants more than I had living than last spring.

Yep, as soon as I find some more trees - looking for 8-10 dogwood (and I'll take those just rooted). I also need 5-6 Crape Myrtle (prefer 15+ full height-final). Right now I have forsythia, Rose of Sharon, Day Lilies to swap.

[cheezyrat]

Hi snowmm . I have a ton of dogwoods on my property but have never tried to root a cutting before. If someone can give me pointers I may be able to get you your 8-10 dogwoods. Are they as easy as willow to root I wonder? I have found that ebay.com is a great place to buy trees and plants. Those 62 blue spruce came from eBay. Only $55.50 for all of them including postage!! You may find some great deals there.