Hi:

I'm a little confused about what all you want to know. I live in southwestern KY, USDA Zone 6. I'm guessing you're zone 5 or 6? I'll try to comment on some pieces of your post.

1.) You mentioned putting down grass seed & is that all you need to do. It's often recommended people mulch a fairly large area around a tree's base, say out to the drip line of a young tree for example, to retain moisture, stabilize soil temp.s and kill off the grass turf that'd compete for nutrients and moisture. So are you talking about planting grass for a yard, or did you think it ought to be around the base of the trees?

2.) We planted an October Glory this year, too. Nice trees. But some maples have a shallow, dense fibrous root system that can be a big problem near a septic tank. Do you have city sewer service, or a septic tank system?

3.) You ask about putting straw in muddy spots. Is this right around the trees, or here and there over the whole yard, or what?

4.) Roughly how large is your lot?

5.) You mnetioned the sweetgum and Oct. Glory red maple and then say 'tight spot.' Do you mean they're close together, or close to your house or power lines, or what? These aren't small trees and this could be important.

6.) Unless you bought a fruitless cultivate (e.g.: Rotundiloba, I think one's called), then years down the line that sweetgum's going to start dropping little spine balls that can be rough on bare feet in the summer time.

Hope your trees serve you well.

Richard.

sorry more info, just didn't realize. No septic, city water, small yard 100" wide so the trees are not close together but fairly close to house I have a small frontage. Although we have always had trees in same spots. I lost a sugarmaple 5 yrs ago, pear this year. I hate the full sun bearing down all day in the summer . Its the eletric lines I refer to as being tight, no problem now of coarse but eventually. They did mulch a nice circle around the trees, but I also :
*Transplanted a crype myrtle, so alot of dirt with the transplant
*took out a crab, just never thrived
*the tree stump taken out made a large area of mud (it rained today) this will dry and get wet throughout the winter I am sure
all of the above just took its toll on the yard. I know it will be fine next spring but in the mean time? They liked the dig though was like cutting through butter I think.

So you lost a Sugar Maple 5 years ago, a Pear tree this year, and you had a Crabapple tree removed as it just never thrived. Northern KY, sandy soil...

Have you ever had your soil tested at your local country extension office? Mine had me collect soil from 5 spots, mix it together, and turn in the sample. It might show if you've got a serious nutrient deficiency.

Do you know why these trees didn't do well? Particularly, did you frequently water them in the first year or so after planting? And were the ones you lost planted in Spring or Fall, or in the heat of Summer? Just trying to get a sense of what took out the old trees.

Richard.

Both large-growing trees. Sweetgum is fast-growing and exceptionally short-lived. Some find their fruits objectionable. Here this southern tree is also apt to break under the weight of snow.

Where is Sweet Gum exceptionally short-lived?

Or are you comparing its life span against an Oak?

A Sweet Gum will most likely outlive (if its cultural requirments are met) anyone posting on this board.

*the trees thrived , the crab did not, not sure why I think my husband damaged it with a weed wacker.
**The sugar maple was beautiful the energy co cut it a lot but I think it got borers . it was about 35 years old.
* the pear was a bradford, thrived and was beautiful but double trunk , fortunately we had it cut down before the freaky hurricane came through. Only because I was told I had to cable it and just got tired of worrying it was going to fall, sothe hurricane (it was ike that came so far inland , a strange event for here but it happened) I most certainly would have had it blown down. I lots 4 /5 trees in my back.

we have lived here for about 22 years, the people across the street have a sweet gum and it was beautiful this fall. Its pretty tall but narrow , which I like the look for our space, the fall color is so beautiful Which is why I wanted it. There are many of them in my city.

Do I have to protect against deer? We are a city but we still have them walking down the street at night and mornings, they like the easier access which my yard isn't but we still have them pretty much here. Will they want to bother my new trees?? We bought some chicken wire to make cages for the trees. We also have some regular wire fence we could use too which would be better? if we need to do this that is.

Both trees are fair game for buck rub.

Typically that happens between Sept and Nov.

Plastic spiral wrap, chicken wire or stakes with fishing line (someone here mentioned that one) will do just fine.

do I do a single chicken wire wrap or double or triple ?

I've only seen a single wrap done before.

I live in zone 6 and wonder if deer rubbing season is over? I have been having this discussion with my husband about caging the trees we just spent tons of money on . He bought chicken wire, I hope thats good enough. Thinking now I wonder if they like my dogwood, sometimes I have seen what looks like nibble in the summer on the leaves. My husband says they probably wouldn't like our yard, because its enclosed. But even a dog could jump our little fence. Heck I could almost haha. I do have the burning bushes lined across the fence and they are thick and high although deer can walk through walls can't they?
Do they like spruce? I saw a beautiful "Baby Blue Eyes" I was thinking about putting in but its costly and i don't want to provide snacks for the deer.