Joe White: Rebuilding damaged landscapes with trees
If you lost trees from the extreme weather we had early in the year, this is a good time to deal with the problem. Unless you have already taken care of the situation, you have two choices. Either remove all dead or badly damaged trees and don’t replace them at all or select better species for replanting. There is no better time than now to take care of this task.
Before you make any decisions, think about the purpose for each of the trees you need to replace and consider which species can best fulfill that purpose. Is it more shade that you need? Perhaps you need trees that will afford greater privacy, frame a view, provide energy conservation, serve as a shapely specimen or produce certain seasonal flowers or fruits.
Potential tree size is yet another consideration. If the tree you lost was a large one, clearly you will be starting with a younger, smaller tree. But you need to know what the mature size of the replacement tree will be. Trees that grow to be very large can become a major problem depending on where they are planted although that may not happen during your lifetime.
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Tree location is relatively important. When planted too close to a building, walk, driveway or the street, any low branches will, in time, have to be pruned to avoid damage to the house or garage and to prevent those near the street from obstructing the view of traffic. Trees planted too close to a driveway or sidewalk frequently send roots under these structures and when such roots enlarge, they break the pavement.
Should you still have large trees that need to be removed, get an experienced arborist to do the job. Although this can be somewhat expensive, it is a task that homeowners should not attempt. Homeowners simply don’t have the right kind of equipment nor the skills to handle this kind of work and there are risks involved that the homeowner doesn’t have to take.
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Before you begin shopping for replacement trees, it’s wise to do a little research to find out which species best meets your needs. Make sure the species is adapted to our area and don’t try growing any of those beautiful evergreen trees that only survive in the cooler regions of our country. Know whether the replacement is deciduous or evergreen, whether it has any major insect or disease problems, whether it grows best in semi-shade or full sun and whether it tolerates wet soils or requires a well-drained site. By following these suggestions, survival success and satisfaction are a bit more certain.
Once you have chosen the tree species (probably more than one) that you need to re-build your landscape, please plant them correctly. For the best and proper techniques for planting a tree, check with your local LSU horticulturist or county agent. Or, at least, get advice from your local nurseryman.
Joe White is a retired horticulturist with the LSU AgCenter.
This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Joe White: Rebuilding damaged landscapes with trees
