This is kinda long, but short of finding a tree expert to come and survey my yard, I can't think of anywhere else to ask for help. Okay, here's the deal: I live in New England (as you can see in my location info) and want to plant some trees in my backyard for aesthetics, shade, privacy, etc. I'm just going to plant some trees native to the area so they'll be able to deal with the climate and all that easily, but my biggest problem is my yard. (See shiaty MS Paint diagram below) Okay, first I'll explain the current situation. Years ago (maybe 8-10, can't remember exactly) my dad bought a ton of Arborvitae bushes (not sure which species) to line the boundry of our yard. Unfortunately, they didn't grow as well as some pictures online make them seem. Where you see Xs in the top left corner are where the arborvitaes died. We have no idea why they did, but my guess is that they drowned. As you move along the border of the yard, though, they get bigger. Along the left side they get larger as they approach the side of the house, from about 6ft tall to maybe 8 or 9 ft. Following along the top border they stay around 6ft and get larger and larger towards the top right corner. Moving down from there they taper a little but stay a pretty average height of about 8-9 right up along the side of the house. My guess has been that the corner they all died in was due to being drowned because every time there's a lot of rain fall that back corner gets flooded. Only an inch or so, but it gets pretty wet. That area has been marked with the little waves in the bold circle. The bushes in the top right corner have grown pretty well, though, because a while back my neighbor had a drain put in, as drawn in bold. The sides of the houses are on a hill leading down towards the back, so water doesn't pool up there. I dont know a lot about horticulture, though, so that corner could have just had some kind of tree virus or bugs, but my best guess is the water situation. The section lined in with the thin lines is where the grass gets burned up every summer. Seeings the sun goes East -> West (obviously) all the grass behind the house and on its sides grows pretty well in the shade of the house and big arborvitaes. All that area in the middle though just gets torched and dies up around mid summer. Those are the two biggest considerations for what I plant and where I plant them. The drainage and the sun. Unfortunately, thats not the only problem; the soil sucks. The neighborhood I live in was basicly built on fill. What used to be a ravine of some sorts got filled in with rocks, shitty dirt, occasional junk, and all around crap. So not only do I have to dig a crap load of rocks out, but take a look at this article (http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/Co...ageid=968332188492&col=968793972154&t=TS_Home) It says that a lot of trees will only grow so tall because they only grow in the soil put there when you dig the hole to plant it in. All the soil and clay around it will be too hard for the roots to grow through (from the compression of tractors and heavy machinary) so the roots will remain in the good soil only. After that they stunt the growth of the tree and eventually choke it. Am I going to have to dig up my whole back yard and clear the rocks and turn the soil just to get big healthy trees? The house was only built 17 years ago, so I imagine most of the ground is still suffering from all the weight. As for the actual trees I want to plant, I'm thinking a few pine trees, maybe a birch or two, and an Oak tree or Maple, something big and shady. I dont plan on putting all of these back there at once, but I'd like to get a few planted in the coming month(s). I'll post some pictures tomorrow to aid with that shiaty little map I drew. Thanks for reading through all of this!
a red maple (not the japanese kind, what we call "swamp maples" down south) or a willow tree will grow in damp, infertile soil pretty well.The trick to planting a tree is to not fill in the hole with good soil, just use the stuff you dug out of the hole, and be sure to remove the burlap first. Then mulch real good on top, at least as far out as the leaves go. Find out the correct depth for the tree you are planting. The top of the rootball is not always the proper height for planting. And start with just one tree, most of them eventually grow really tall. There are some native azaleas that love damp conditions, too, and wouldn't get so big. I'm sure some of them would grow that far north, just ask someone at your local garden center (not Lowes or Home Depot, a for-real garden center). There are roses that would love those conditions, too, but you'd have to really amend the soil with organic matter first, and keep adding compost and mulch on a regular basis. sun is not killing your grass, it's more likely just the sort of grass you have planted in your yard. Some grass stays green all winter, some stays green all summer, very few varieties stay green all four seasons. That's why most people plant a mixture of grasses in their yards. If I were you, I'd sprinkle out some sun-loving summer growing type grass seeds every few weeks or so. Ask the garden center, they'll know what kinds grow best in your area. Is it possible you have a septic tank in your backyard (whether you are now hooked up to sewer lines or not)? That could be playing a role in all this as well, especially if there's toxic chemicals there.
mama is right about th red maple and willow. they'll love a soggy area in the yard. be careful with willow however if you have a septic tank. they will seek water and can clog up your drain lines as well as the tank itself. most from the betula family (birches) will also thrive in moist conditions...river birch is slow in growth but has a beautiful exfoliation of the bark. paper birch is a little faster in growth habit. i would not recommend going with pines. pines are very shallow rooted trees and if the ground stays consistently soggy, as they age they will get top heavy and uproot rather easily. when it comes to b&b (balled&burlapped) trees, they are grown in fields spaced far enough apart so that tractors can fit in between the rows for mowing ect. usually when you get a b&b there are several inches of excess soil on top of the actual root system. gently remove the excess until you discover the root flare at the base of the trunk. that flare is what you want to set slightly above soil level. since we are talking about a wet location you would want to set the flare about 1-2" above the existing grade as it will settle over time. when it comes to grasses, kentucky blue is a cool season grass that usually goes dormant during the summer months. try a blend of tall fescues....they are a heat loving grass. if your local library has it, Michael Dirr's Manual of Woody Landscape Plants is an excellent reference on several hundred trees and cultivars. and by the way....i work at lowes....lol
As far as the moist soil in the top left corner, I would recommend a Pin Oak (Quercus palustris). There native to the Eastern USA and thrive in moist, even swampy conditions. Not to mention there beautiful. Search for them on wikipedia for more info. Sorry I can't be of much more help, but I'm more familiar with Irish soils!
Thanks for all the comments and help! No septic tank back there, thankfully, one less thing to worry about. I hadn't even thought of Willows, and they do such a good job of growing full and shady. I'm definitely leaning towards Birch just to add that nice variety, though Pin Oak is pretty nice looking... (so many choices) My reason for thinking of a Pine or two is because my friend has a lot of small ones growing in the woods behind her house and seeings I'm broke I'd rather transplant then buy a tree from a farm. Thats why I need to plan this out; the last thing I want to do is uproot a Young'n from it's home in the woods only to die in my backyard...
Why's that Floyd? Pines grow better in the cold? I figure if nothing else in the summer the rabbits will have more plants to eat and be less likely to ravage my wee little trees.
I'm not sure if this applies as much to conifers, but it definitely does to broadleaves. Trees should only be transplanted during the wintertime, because during the summer they are in the middle of their growing period. So if you dig up a tree before october or november, it bears a huge chance of never recovering. You'd be best to wait until it becomes dormant for the winter (With broadleaves its when the leaves fall) and you'll then have less of a chance of having a stunted unhealthy tree in your garden.
