To Tree or not to Tree

In My Humble Opinion
1

THE SITUATION:
Sometime in the next week or so my home loan should be going through and the house I have been renting for the past four years will finally be mine! In celebration of that fact, the first thing I’m going to do is chop down the pear tree in the back yard that simply has to go. It produces scads and scads of inedible pears that fall all over the place, make a huge stinky mess, and—worst of all—attract bees by the hundreds. Being allergic to bees, I am really looking forward to being able to go into my back yard again.

THE DILEMMA:
I like having a tree where this pear tree now sits. It is about 30’ high, and produces a lot of nice shade that helps keep my house cool in the summers. It also provides a good “entry point” from the side yard into the backyard because it frames the walkway so nicely. Finally, I hate the thought of killing a perfectly healthy tree, even if it is really for the best.

THE CHALLENGE:
Help me decide what kind of tree I should plant in this soon-to-be-kindling pear tree’s place. Said tree must be appropriate for my climate (NW Ohio, cold winters/hot summers). Also, it must mature at about the same size as the pear tree; I could deal with something a shade or two bigger, but no more than that. Because of the bee situation, fruit-bearers are out. I’d prefer to have something with a bit of color—either in the leaves or in springtime blossoms, and a nice smell would be an extra bonus. A fast-to-moderate grower would be good, but I’d be willing to wait for something I’d really enjoy. Cost is a factor only insofar as I’m unwilling to spend a huge pile of money on an exotic or rare sapling, but I’m not a total skinflint. Weeping willows were always a favorite of mine, but I don’t see many around here except near waterways. So if anyone has had any experience—good or bad—with weeping willows and can give me some advice about them specifically, please chime in. Finally, is there enough time to plant this fall yet? The first major frosts are probably still a month or so away, but if there’s a risk I’d rather wait until spring.

All right dopers, I’m counting on your collective wisdom and exquisite tastes to help me out here. Go to it!

2

Unless you are willing to go through the process of grinding out the root structure of the existing tree then whatever you plant there will not take. I used to work with an arborist and when it came time for removal and replanting it required having the stump ground out down to a depth where the root ball was eliminated. Otherwise your next tree would not root well. It still may not root well even if you do the grinding.

3

You’d be better off planting during the dormant season rather than waiting until Spring. Use a good root stimulator when you plant and every 2 weeks to month afterward per their recommendation and you’ll get a headstart over those planted later.

4

Fall planting with good fertilizer, @Check. Thanks, lieu.

SunTzu2U–If I had the stump ground out, how far away do you think I would have to plant to avoid problems? If I planted on the other side of the walkway (about 5’ from where the stump will be) would that be far enough to not need the stump ground out at all?

5

Not fertilizer! You don’t want to use a fertilizer for a couple of years as this will encourage leaf (and/or flower) development at the expense of the more important root development.

Root stimulator.

6

If you want a fast replacement with a bit of color, look for a Shademaster Locust or a Sunburst Locust. Your local Frank’s Nursery and Crafts should have them.

Maples and lindens are nice trees (although they may not grow fast enough for you). Lindens have to be watched for leaf borers, but ours has stayed healthy for 15 years. If you go with a maple, avoid the silver maple like the plague–they shed limbs the way other trees shed leaves.

7

Ooops, somewhere between reading your post and typing mine I had a mental short circuit. Root stimulator, not fertilizer. Check. :slight_smile:

Sunburst locust looks pretty here, but kind of sparse. Would it get denser as it grows for better shade, do you know?

8

belladonna, you mentioned a willow as a possible replacement. You need to know that the noble-looking willow has really agressive roots. That quality might cause trouble if the tree is planted near drain lines or septic fields.

9

If you need a really “full” look, it may not work for you, however, it does a good job of providing shade: the limbs are all held out parallel to the ground so that from the side you can see “through” the tree, but from below, the sun is pretty well obscured.

(You can browse the books by Better Homes and Gardens, Rodale, Ortho, and similar outfits at the bookstore (or, sometimes, at the nursery) to see what they will look like, eventually.)

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Can’t we all just get along?

Learn to love the pear tree. It would be a shame to kill it for such petty reasons.

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You’re right, gatopescado. It is pretty petty of me to be so concerned about massive swelling, blocked airways, anaphylactic shock, and possible death. I’m such a silly goose!

12

Not all trees are equal for all areas.

Check out your soil. For example, we have very high PH, and as a result had a pin oak and river birch develop severe iron deficiency (chlorosis).

There are several ornamental pears which do not set significant fruit. But the flowers may be unacceptable for you as well.

I’m a pretty big fan of littleleaf lindens. Greenspire is quite popular and readily available. A very nice silhouette IMO, and dense shade. Reasonably rapid growing as well, I believe. Not much in the way of fall color.

I have a parrotia which I absolutely love, tho I do not know how tall it gets. Neat exfoliating bark, and fabulous gold, orange, and scarlet fall color.

You could look into the ashes as well. Purple ash can be a neat color contrast, and others give great fall color.

You might consider multiple-trunk trees. We have an amur maple I like a lot. Really nice fall color.

Also, consider trees with interesting bark and/or branching structure, to maximize winter interest. I know there is a maple with a really neat bronze textured bark, but I am blanking on the name. There is also a paperbark maple…

I recommed Dirr’s Guide to Trees and Shrubs as a resource. My copy is at home, so I can’t consult it for you right now. But in the back it has several lists for trees that meet various criteria. Evergreens, flowering, shade-tolerant, etc.

Let us know what you decide.

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Of course, if you want a tree you can identify from a long way away, there is always –

The Larch.

14

A cottonwood. Yeah, that’s the ticket…coootttonwooood. ::evil cackle::

15

Why not a belledonna plant?

D & R

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My personal favorites (I live in Ohio, too, so these probably all grow in your area):
Ginkgo:
It lives a long time (over 1000 years sometimes), dates back to prehistoric times, and has no natural pests. It does produce somewhat foul smelling of fruits though, but I don’t mind.

Norway Spruce:
It’s one of the fastest growing evergreens, can get over 100’ high, and looks nice. Plus, there are already too many Blue Spruces out there (we need some variety here).

(Northern) Red Oak:
Oaks, in my opinion, have an unfair reputation of all being slow growing. This one grows moderately fast, yet produces hard wood.

Sugar Maple:
Unlike other maples, this one has hard wood (sometimes called “Rock Maple”). It does grow a bit slowly, though. It has beautiful, bright orange leaves in the fall.

Tulip Tree:
This is more of an ornamental tree than a shade tree. It produces large yellow flowers and leaves, both of which look like, well, a tulip. To date, there are 13 Tulip Trees still living that George Washington planted atop Mount Vernon.

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When you do plant your tree, make sure to imbed a six foot deep perforated vertical pipe next to it. This will permit direct deep watering and encourage the tree’s roots to grow downward. It will also help to structurally secure it from high winds and loose or wet soil. You will be able to directly apply root hormones during the first growth phases as well. Consult with an arborist or get a book on tree trimming. There are relatively minor adjustments and cuttings you can make that will shape the tree and enable it to provide maximum shade for your home.

18

have you thought of spraying the tree with Florel. ?

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Liquidambur rotundifolia(Round-leafed Sweetgum) It’s a variety of Sweetgum tree that DOES NOT PRODUCE those incredible amounts of prickly, round seedpods. Great fall color, sometimes 2 or 3 at once,fast grower, interesting leaf [star-shaped, with slightly rounded points] and generally not prone to pests or diseases. Too bad about your allergy, a linden/lime tree in full bloom has such a warm, haunting, honeyed fragrance. It’ll also attract every bee for miles around-but they’ll disappear once the flowers drop. Bloomtime[June and July] is about 2 weeks. Put it on your “B” list.

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i’m partial to japanese maples.

weeping willows will do anything to get to water. plant one only if you have a natural water source (creek, stream, bubbling spring, etc), other wise it will seek out and target water pipes.