The size of our lot will prohibit us from being able to plant it more than a few feet away from the new structure.

==>>> it needs to be moved.. so it doesnt get injured during construction ...

but really.. a few feet isnt much of a move ....

i dont know the mature size of these things .. hopefully others do.. google images does not show such ...

but i think you are worrying about what might happen in 30 to 50 years ... and that seems extreme.. but on the other hand.. you are being thoughtful.. not to make a giant problem for subsequent owners ...

i really dont know if you can plant any tree that will cover a second story neighbor ...

perhaps pix of your yard.. will help us understand the situation ...

ken

Move it in the early spring for best success. On smaller lots compromises must be made.

Um, if climate appropriate you can plant smallish trees like redbuds and Japanese maples close to structures. You'll maybe have to prune a bit, but those aren't structure killing trees.

Yes, the tree needs to be moved. And, your new tree will eventually get fairly large (probably over 45' tall and 35' in spread). It is also a little faster growing than some similar cultivars. If your lot is as small as you seem to describe, it probably isn't the best tree for your situation. If you plan on keeping it, I would move it as far away from the new garage (and other structures) as you possibly can.

Thanks Brandon. Do you have any cultivars to recommend for our particular situation? Or should we just not have a tree at all? I'm hoping to do some landscaping with shrubs and a few perennials in the next year along our fence line which will give visual interest and aesthetic to our backyard. I'd love to have a tree in the back by the garage, but I do not want to destroy $20k investment either.

P.S. I would recommend adding your location to your Gardenweb member profile. It's a real "must" for discussing anything plant related.

Thank you Brandon. I just updated my name to show my area. My back yard is 50' wide. I am not a landscape designer (interior designer actually) but last year when we were dreaming about making everything look nicer, I had done some preliminary landscape design in a drafting program (without the udpated garage size - we are trying to compromise between garage hobby space and backyard space). I am now showing the the new garage in this sketch below. We are hoping to put on a mudroom addition and new deck (dashed lines) and we have planted a Trident Maple close to the proposed deck area. Considering the size of the new garage, we may need to scale the landscaping down to keep it proportional.

But, back to the tree...what do you think? We have a thick soil, I think it would be classified as a clay. Our moisture varies greatly being in Kansas. Some years we get a lot of rain; others, not so much.

Plan for a tree as big as the two beyond the fence (if it succeeds there it may actually get bigger). If you don't want a tree of that size on your place - one that will eventually fill and dominate the entire back yard - then you will have to replace it with a smaller growing kind.

Of course, in a hot climate large shade trees can be much appreciated during summer - maybe that is why there are two growing near one another in the view behind. But anything you plant now is going to need decades to get big enough to produce a large shadow.

J Frank Schmidt say their maple is a Red Maple but their web pages make it look and sound like a Freeman Maple to me:

JFS Introductions - Redpointe® Maple

http://www.jfschmidt.com/introductions/redpointe/index.html

Just move it over closer to the corner of the fence. It will be fine. Do it now before it leafs out.

Just move it over closer to the corner of the fence. It will be fine

If there is a neighbor present - now or later - that might object to having half of a large tree hanging over their lot such placement could backfire.

Or the neighbor may be very grateful to the other for planting it, I would.

DS had a neighbor who cut down a beautiful Willow tree that was hanging over her lot, now she has a "lovely" view of their shed. She would have even paid for their annual maintenance/ trimming costs to have kept it there.

My neighbor to the south just had a silver maple torn down that was in horrible condition. So both our yards are very naked at the present. She may be interested in having it closer to her yard. Or perhaps we could even transplant it to her yard if she'd want it. Then we could both enjoy it. The only other place we could move it is to our front yard under a full grown elm that is in decent condition, with the plan to have it "replace" the elm when it gets larger. This still doesn't help our wish to help screen the view of the two story house behind though.

Embothrium, I do not think I wish to have the tree completely take over the backyard over time. It is very true that it will take decades for the trees to produce substantial shade but I do wish to proceed wisely with trees that I will not regret.

If we were to change trees, what would you recommend? I am curious if a ginkgo Princeton Sentry would be a better choice. It seems to be a narrower tree. It's hard to find a lot of reading about the roots, but I found an article that said surface roots are generally not a problem. Also several websites mentioned it as a "street tree"? I'm guessing that means it's better adapted to tight spaces and maybe not as destructive to hardscapes?

I am not a landscape designer (interior designer actually)...We have a thick soil, I think it would be classified as a clay

==>>>first thing you need to do.. is perk the soil ... clay can be the best or the worst soil ... depending on whether it drains ....

dig a hole... fill with water.. and find out how long it takes to empty ... this gives you useful soil information .. and dictates how you will need to deal with such in the future ....

plant selection is not limited by clay or soil alone ... again.. its drainage ... and how you plant in the soil you have ...

if it were me ... i would get rid of the tree ... get the garage work done .. and worry about a tree replacement next season ... meanwhile.. on the opposite side of the yard.. i would work on bed development .... and perhaps a nursery bed.. to grow plants to move around.. in fall ... second link below.. look to the section on planting in clay ...

depending on your perk test ... you might want to have topsoil moved in for bed use.. during the garage process ... as compared to after ....

also.... think outside your box ... a pergola might get you the privacy you need without a tree ...

a nice tree that might fit in your yard ... is a redbud ...

unlike interior design.. gardening lacks a certain level of instant gratification ... we speak in terms of years for a given result ... compared to indoor projects.. that can be done in weeks ... of course with a huge checkbook... anything can be overcome ...

ken

https://www.google.com/search?q=perk+the+soil&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

===

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

I would give the tree to your cooperative neighbor, for planting close to the property line, it is a very fortunate circumstance for both. Plant understory in anticipation of the big tree.

Don't amend the soil. Clay can be used to your advantage in many situations.

Sounds like we need to think much smaller in terms of tree size? I do like red buds. I will test our soil to see what we have. What are the advantages of clay?

The straight redbud species Cercis canadensis grows to 20'-30' tall with a spread of 25'-35' http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=h550 If that's OK, make sure your clay soil drains well. You could also grow the dwarf cultivar below as an understory tree.

I so wish I could grow this beautiful tree, it is seldom seen around here (too cold by just half a zone or so), but you are slab dab in the middle of its growing zone.

Cercis canadensis 'Covey' Lavender Twist Redbud grows to 6'x8'

The regular species does not spread too wide when it only has a single trunk. It would be perfect for the space.

Go with the sizes of the Missouri Botanical Garden, it is the more reliable source, to say the least.

Thank you. I have been on there before and it's good to know it's a reliable page to do my research. I saw there are a few smaller ginkgo varieties like Jade Butterfly that I want to do more research into.

You may want to look at basic tree shapes, e.g. you may like a vase-shaped tree that develops its canopy further up https://www.todayshomeowner.com/guide-to-different-tree-shapes-for-your-yard/

Confirm with Google Images if that's indeed the visual image of the tree that you have in mind for decades to come. Don't just look at spring flower pictures, but also year round when they are green, under snow load, etc.

Probe further into the details at websites of Botanical Gardens, Universities, Wikipedia, etc. on required growing conditions, sun or shade, foliage, bloom times, bark, fall colors, roots, pests, disease-resistant cultivars, small-sized cultivars, your own special expectations, etc., etc.

Drive around town looking at what grows well in your neighborhood. Visit better nurseries looking at their selections. Talk to local nurserymen/women.

All of the above is part of the fun, there is no perfect tree, although there can be something like a best tree for you and your site. Good luck!