now is one of the perfect times to plant ... the other perfect time is early in spring .... see link for planting guide.. including discussion of timing ...

without a pic.. or 3.. i cant really make any useful suggestions ...

how big of a transplant you thinking about ... how big is the yard.. soil ... is snowload an issue... etc.. you havent given up much to go on..

ken

https://sites.google.com/site/tnarboretum/Home/planting-a-tree-or-shrub

No, it's not too late. Now is a perfectly good time to plant trees in Zone 6. I've had good luck planting in October and I'm north of you.

As for what to plant, that depends on a number of factors. How much space do you have? Are overhead powerlines an issue? Is the area windy, shady, or swampy? Is southern bark beetle, spruce spider mite, or hemlock wooly Adelaide an issue?

Unfortunately, most of the evergreens that grow quickly have issues. Leyland cypress is vulnerable to wind and snow load, white pine loses its lower branches. I like American Holly (ilex opaca) as a screen but it grows slowly.

Thanks to all 3 of you. This has been encouraging and very helpful. Great article Ken!

I will try to get pictures too but for now I will at least answer questions as best I can.

Q:how big of a transplant you thinking about. A: significant size...maybe not what one would call large but, off hand, maybe 30-50 feet high as its mature

Q:how big is the yard A: this is being planted between (slight angle) between two existing trees to fill the gap and not as much about the yard

Q: soil A: I don't know

Q: is snowload an issue. A: I dont know. My area can get a foot or more of snow in a fall in a given winter and other times at most 6-8". We get 25-35 feet of snow on average per year throughout the winter in my area.

Q: How much space do you have? Are overhead powerlines an issue? A: Power lines are not an issue. Are you asking about left to right space or up to the sky? It's basically unlimited space above where the tree would be.

Q: Is the area windy, shady, or swampy? A: it's not a windy area however there is sort of a wind tunnel which can be created between the houses during a bad thunderstorm and last year a tree near where I'd like to plant this one snapped in half (maybe 2' in diameter where the tree snapped, about half way up). I don't know the health of the tree but it was alive. Other than that one situation though I wouldnt say its a windy area and no othet trees were damaged in that area but that one.

Q: Is southern bark beetle, spruce spider mite, or hemlock wooly Adelaide an issue? A: sorry I don't know these insects or terms to help answer.

I hope those answers help and maybe will lead to more questions so I can give better answers. Thank you all again

Thanks!

if you are planting it between two trees, how far apart are those trees? And what kind?

Ken is right, if you have the space Norway Spruce is among the fastest growing evergreens that resists wind and snow load,. White pine is usually not great as a privacy screen because it loses lower branches...but if you are trying to screen a (presumably second story) bedroom window, that wouldn't be a problem. And it grows pretty fast.

Was 40-50 feet your intended eventual height or the size you expect the tree will be when they deliver It?

One advantage of planting this time me of year is some places have sales. Watch out for trees that have been left in pots too long and have girdling roots, though.

Q: if you are planting it between two trees, how far apart are those trees? And what kind? A: they aren't evergreen trees so technically the whole view won't be blocked in the winter so I guess I don't need this to be an evergreen. I don't know what types but would people here be able to identify them if I took pictures of the leaves? Also, do you want the distance between the trunks or the branches? I estimate the largest hole/gap when the trees are in full bloom to be about 10 feet apart (that's one branch tip to the other) abd it decressss higher than that (maybe 20' above ground). I can measure trunk distance if that helps

Q: Ken is right, if you have the space Norway Spruce is among the fastest growing evergreens that resists wind and snow load,. A: how much space would I need?

Q: White pine is usually not great as a privacy screen because it loses lower branches...but if you are trying to screen a (presumably second story) bedroom window, that wouldn't be a problem. And it grows pretty fast. A: I have an 8' fence and yes second story bedroom, so the bottom branches aren't a problem....how tall would the tree likely have to reach before the branches are all gone below, maybe, 10'? I'm guessing many decades if not longer?!

Q: Was 40-50 feet your intended eventual height or the size you expect the tree will be when they deliver It? A: just suggesting how tall other trees are currently in the same space, and that would be a max height for me to target for this tree after a few decades. I'm trying to buy this tree at a lower cost so I'd guess a small tree is what I'd need to purchase, right?

Q: Watch out for trees that have been left in pots too long and have girdling roots, though. A: how can I check for this please?

thank you!!

Yes, we could probably identify the species of the existing trees from close ups of the leaves. Truthfully, we probably don't need the exact species...just trying to get a sense of whether we are dealing with little flowering things, huge oaks, or something that is particularly hostile to other trees (like Norway Maple or Black Walnut).

If the gap is only ten feet...You could just wait until the trees grow and fill in the gap. Most trees never stop rowing until they die. I hate to say it (because they aren't too my taste) but one of the few evergreens you could squeeze into a 10 foot gap is arborvitae...which is also pretty cheap. Holly could work but is slow. Maybe Irish yew

White pine would lose it's lower branches much sooner then a few decades. Quite cheap.

The way you check to see if the trees have been in a pot too long is you take them out of the pot and look for roots spiraling around the pot. In balled-and burlapped trees you look for the root flare...if you can't see it that is a bad sign. Dead branches are a bad sign with conifers...small deciduous trees can replace dead foliage more easily.

Fwiw, I live next door to a Christmas Tree farm, and the owner of it ONLY plants in the spring. I've never asked him why, it's just what he does...

If by 'evergreen' you mean conifer, yes, fall is good.

Q:how big of a transplant you thinking about. A: significant
size...maybe not what one would call large but, off hand, maybe 30-50
feet high as its mature

==>> two things wrong here ...

first how big a plant you buying is what i meant ...

second.. no tree ever stops growing .. its an issue of how many feet per year it will grow.. and how fast it gets to some size.. and then goes right past such .. over the decades ...

second story sight blocking is very hard.. because you could easily be waiting decades for the plant to get that tall ... my usual suggestion is a window film ... and a tree .. one starts blocking view.. the day it is put up.. while you wait years and years for the other to do the job ....

transplants over about 3 feet.. are stressed exponentially more.. and a smaller transplant can easily outgrow a larger one.. inside 5 years ...

i love.. your xmas tree guy.. harvests and sells plants in fall ... perhaps that is why he plants in spring ... cant do everything all at once..

ken

https://www.google.com/search?q=window+film&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjM7qbrkJ7PAhVGFx4KHV8qAbQQ_AUICSgC&biw=958&bih=745&dpr=0.9