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ymg200

Help needed choosing a shade tree near the house

6 years ago

I had two Norway Maples in front of my house which have succumbed to Verticillium Wilt and I had to remove them after they started dropping dead branches. I miss those trees a lot. This side of the house faces West and maples provided so needed shade, especially when the sun is low just before sunset and shines directly into windows. The house looks naked without these trees.

My first choice would have been Maple again (maybe not necessarily Norway), but the bacteria likely remains in the soil, so now my selection is limited to trees that are resistant to Verticillium Wilt and I cannot go with maples anymore.

I am looking for a fast growing shade tree of a medium size (similar to maple) that can be planted near the house. The tree should not have strong or invasive roots that could crush house foundation which is 17 feet away from trees. There are also water, gas and sewage lines going from the curb to the house right under one of those trees.

I am in the Northern NJ (zone 7a).

Thanks a lot!



Comments (12)

  • PRO
    6 years ago

    I'm sure there are a dozen trees that would work for you. Given the arrangement, Zelkova is the first one that jumps into my head, if you are trying, basically, to recreate what you had prior to the tree removal.

    At 17' away from the house, you don't have any worries about the house foundation being damaged by roots. At least, not in your children's lifetimes.

    I wish your walk wasn't so narrow as it cheapofies the overall look of your home. Since it's not long, if the walk came from the porch at the same width it starts out as, and continued like that all the way to the street, it would look better ... especially if you made it out of an upgraded material like brick, pavers, etc.

  • 6 years ago

    Since the verticillium issue is a major filter that should be what you should be focusing on as the first step. Try searching the web for "trees resistant to verticillium", seeing what comes up.

  • 6 years ago

    even if you had the roots ground out.. you may have a hard time digging new holes for trees... in exactly the same spot ...


    you dont mention how large you are starting with ... and how big a hole you will need ...


    you might have to do some exploratory digging to find where you can actually dig the two holes ..this will invlve removing the sod ... so it can be put back if need be ....


    are your sewer lines newer sealed pvc.. or older clay and oakum pipes.. if sealed sealed ... tree roots are not an issue ...


    https://duckduckgo.com/?q=tree+clogged+sewer+pipes+pipes.&t=ffcm&iar=images&iax=images&ia=images


    many trees advertised as FAST GROWING .... you dont want near your house .. no poplars.. willows.. etc ...


    in tree time .. we talk of decades ... regardless of what you plant.. it will be at least a decade.. before you start getting shade on the house ....


    as to the foundation... trees usually do not CAUSE problems... but they can take advantage of pre exisiting problems .... and of course.. if you gas and water pipes arent sealed.. well.. you have bigger problems than replacing a tree or two ... lol ... but again.. roots cant break into sealed pipes ...


    and your last question ... basically.. no tree stops growing at some magical height ... even a medium sized tree ... most have annual growth rates .. and they will grow at that rate.. forever .. or until they look like your old trees ...


    its a catch 22 ... because you want them to grow fast for shade.. but you want them to stay to medium height ...


    your local county extension office might provide you with a list of trees for your area ... i see they are related to rutgers.. and i must insist on pointing out.. that i hope MI beats them in the big ten tourney ... lol ...


    good luck


    ken


    https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Northern+NJ+extension+office&t=ffcm&ia=web

  • 6 years ago

    Here we go again

  • 6 years ago

    Before you confirm your choice for a Cleveland Select pear, you may want to read through some of the endless discussions on the forums here about the unsuitablilty of these trees for any number of reasons. They are just not a very good choice.

    https://www.houzz.com/discussions/trees/query/callery-pear/nqrw

    https://www.houzz.com/discussions/trees/query/cleveland-select/nqrw

    And there are countless other discussions regarding these trees to be found online from a zillion other sources, all of which tend to be very negative.

    Other than cheapness to propagate and get to selling state, I have to wonder why growers and retailers insist on carrying these dogs.

  • 6 years ago

    hornbeam? I've heard that's a tree with deep root system

  • 6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    none of the pears are a good choice. dawn redwoods are fast growing handsome & hardy trees. once they get to 6' or so in the right conditions they can grow up to 6' per year.

  • 6 years ago

    Northern red oak or yellow buckeye

  • 6 years ago

    Have you researched any river birch?

  • 6 years ago

    Quercus rubra produces a huge tree with large long limbs when grown in the open

  • 6 years ago

    but bold spots are still there in my front yard. [i presume you mean bald spots]


    ==>>> you stated far above .. that you want to plant in the exact same spots ..


    ground out of not ... you simply may not be able to dig a hole in the exact spots ..


    since its not planting time for trees .. just about anywhere... you might want to do some digging.. and find out where you can actually dig a hole.. to plant a tree .. meanwhile looking for those prefect trees ..


    second... why 2 of the same .. your previous monoculture failed ... because you had 2 of the same.. you can double your odds.. by not replicating that mistake ..


    third ... PLEASE DONT PLANT A PEAR ... omg do they stink in bloom .. and all the rest of the problems noted above ...


    see link below ... and note.. you can not plant in the grindings left ... see section on planting in native soil ...


    ken


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

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