Apparently my math isn't very good today because 5 trees spaced 20' apart would only span 80', not 100'.

I'm thinking that even 20' apart may be too far as I'd like them to grow together sooner than later. Perhaps 7 trees spaced 16 1/2' apart would be better... that would span 100' total. Then years from now when the trees really start growing together, I can just remove every other leaving my new spacing 33'.

BUT!!! What trees to use???

This post was edited by bajafx4 on Tue, Jun 4, 13 at 16:56

Hello bajafx, Red maple, acer rubrum, is sometimes called swamp maple so I assume it will handle the water fine. Crimson king I have heard is picky about having just the right moisture.

I like the general plan but would go just a little irregular in the spacing so if anything ever happens to one tree it would not be odd looking. Planting other species can be helpful with that as well.

Bald cypress can be limbed up.....i think pin oak is water tolerant as well....swamp white oak I do not know personally but with that name it should be tolerant. Nyssa sylvatica and its even more water friendly cousin nyssa aquatica are polite trees with great fall color but difficult to transpland in my experience.

Good luck, neat place.

Apparently my math isn't very good today because 5 trees spaced 20' apart would only span 80', not 100'.

===>>> its too early for you to be messin with my head with the math stuff... dont canopies reach beyond the trunk?? .. so you will cover the 100 feet ... always go with your first answer.. lol ... [or the coffee buzz is messin with me]

but lets clarify this for you ...

when the leaves fall off these deciduous tree .. IN MI ... for 6 months of the year.. YOU WILL BE LOOKING AT THE HOUSE YOU WANT TO HIDE ... and you will have a big mess of leaves to clean up.. or are you hoping they just blow into the water [which would be my plan .. lol]

i am thinking conifer ... as there arent many large evergreen trees in MI ...

what about green giants ... thuja occ 'green giant' ...

ken down in adrian MI ...

BTW .. whats the prevailing winter wind.. at the lake.. or from the lake .... in MI.. its usually from the NW ... it MIGHT have an impact on stock choice ...

Ken,

I noticed your name in another thread. I figured it was most likely something else, but couldn't help but to wonder if you were from Adrian, MI. Cool... hello neighbor... I live in Grosse Ile by the way.

You are right about the view of the house once the leaves fall. I should have mentioned that it's not really the house that I want to add some privacy from, it's the people that live there. Nothing against them, they are great neighbors and we get along just fine, but we entertain in our back yard very often during the warm weather months and our neighbors across the water do as well. So I'm really just trying to create some privacy during the months when we'll be out in the yard and the trees will have leaves on them during those months. :) Your comment on conifers is noted and not eliminated from the list of possibilities; I've taken a look at Bald Cypress based on Tornado's recommendation.

As for the leaves, yes they will "blow" into the water... possibly assisted by some gas powered mechanical device. :)

I have plans for Green Giants along my entire 800' north property line. Do you have any Green Giants? Where did you purchase them, how large were they, how far did you space them, and how fast did they establish/grow?

The prevailing wind at my house is pretty variable all the time. It generally ranges about 180ú, blowing from SE counter clockwise to NW, but it sometimes even blows from the SW.

I attached another photo for a more recent and closer vantage point. This photo was taken right around early June 2009, the year we moved in. Not much has changed since then in terms of trees except a few of my many nightmare Cottonwood trees have been cut down.

PS - I hate Cottonwood trees!!!

This post was edited by bajafx4 on Wed, Jun 5, 13 at 8:40

Tornado,

Thanks for the recommendations for Pin and Swamp White Oak.

QUOTE (Swamp White Oak): "It is a frequent inhabitant of wet woods, swamps, wetlands, bottomlands, and near bodies of water. Along with Pin Oak and Swamp Chestnut Oak, it is one of the best hardwoods for wet soils."

These oak trees have quite a bit larger mature size than the maples I was considering, so I think I'd need to adjust my spacing. Do all oak trees drop acorns? I will have lawn below most of the tree canopy. Can I mow over the acorns or do they need to be cleaned up? From what I know, the oaks will grow a bit slower than the maples too, correct? I'm kind of torn because I want some semi-mature trees now (reasonably 2-4 years), but I'm also only in my early 30's and plan on living in this house until I die. I'd probably be glad I planted oak trees if I'm still alive in 50 years. Maybe I could alternate oak, maple, oak, maple, etc.

I still need to do more research and haven't yet checked out your recommendations of Nyssa Sylvatica and Nyssa Aquatica.

Thanks,
Baja

I should have mentioned that it's not really the house that I want to add some privacy from, it's the people that live there.

==>> aint that the truth.. lol ..

i gotta guy for GG ... down in delta OH ... which is 30 mins south of adrian ... straight down 52/109 ....

email me thru my members page .. and i will hook you up with him ...

i hate maples.. as i garden under trees.. in 50 years.. you will have little lawn.. and giant protruding roots to mow over ... since you plan on dying in the house ....

acorns do not need to be picked up ...

i still would go with conifers.. unless the view past the house is great.. but its only canada.. whats that all about.. or MI... even worse.. lol ...

you know.. frankly ... you are really going very common here.. the link is to hidden lakes gardens.. right out 50 just past tecumseh .... you can learn a lot about conifers ... and i live 10 mins away ... email me if you wish to visit some time ... what about something like the pic below.. that was horse pasture 12 years ago ..

if you really do plan on being there forever.. whats your hurry .. do something extraordinary ...

ken

you might not believe it.. but there is a neighbor back there.. and i solved my issue.. by NOT planting on the property line.. way back there.. adn now i dont hagve to mow that acre of grass/meadow ...
{{gwi:240153}}

Here is a link that might be useful: link