Hi,

I'm in eastern Pa. Zone 6. I'm thinking of planting a single tree
in the corner of my lot to block out an eyesore on the neighbor's
property. I've seen some nice trees around here that would fit the
bill, but nobody knows what they are or where to buy the same exact
tree.

I'd like a deciduous tree that is nice and full of leaves in the spring
to fall, and which is either round or oval (vertically). Also that has
no branches until about 5 or 6 feet up the trunk. The road I live on
has plenty of such trees, which are now 20 years old, and about 25 to
30 feet tall, are round, and fully leafed out spring to fall (can't see
through them).

I want the tree to have a mature height of no more than 30 feet. Can be
20 to 30 feet wide.


Thanks

On 1 May 2006 10:06:20 -0700, "openspaces" wrote:

Hi,

I'm in eastern Pa. Zone 6. I'm thinking of planting a single tree
in the corner of my lot to block out an eyesore on the neighbor's
property. I've seen some nice trees around here that would fit the
bill, but nobody knows what they are or where to buy the same exact
tree.

I'd like a deciduous tree that is nice and full of leaves in the spring
to fall, and which is either round or oval (vertically). Also that has
no branches until about 5 or 6 feet up the trunk. The road I live on
has plenty of such trees, which are now 20 years old, and about 25 to
30 feet tall, are round, and fully leafed out spring to fall (can't see
through them).

I want the tree to have a mature height of no more than 30 feet. Can be
20 to 30 feet wide.


Thanks
So you only want to screen out the view part of the year? Deciduous
trees will not help much in fall and winter.

I can't make good suggestions since I don't know much about your area,
but call the county extension agent to get good advice about what
performs well there.

Keith

Thanks. Yes, I had thought of evergreens, like pine trees, but I just
don't like pines. A few arbor vitae would work too, but I only need
blocking in one corner of the lot, and just a few AV's there would not
look so great, I think. I could just do the entire side of the yard
with AV, so it looks good, but that is expensive. Just one appropriate
deciduous tree in the corner would be good, and I could live eith the
non-blocking from Nov/Dec to April.

openspaces wrote:

Thanks. Yes, I had thought of evergreens, like pine trees, but I just
don't like pines. A few arbor vitae would work too, but I only need
blocking in one corner of the lot, and just a few AV's there would not
look so great, I think. I could just do the entire side of the yard
with AV, so it looks good, but that is expensive. Just one appropriate
deciduous tree in the corner would be good, and I could live eith the
non-blocking from Nov/Dec to April.

Cedars don't look like pines - much. Maybe a Chinese (Lacebark) Elm? I
love mine so far.

Carl


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When you talk to your extension service (or poke around at
http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/commontr/
http://hortweb.cas.psu.edu/extension...heet-list.html and so
forth) ask if there are any broadleaved evergreens that will do well in
your situation. Holly is one that comes to mind; also Rhododendron species.
Since we don't know the exposure or soil type, there's not much to go on.

Also, you may find that a small grove of trees looks better than one lonely
one standing on the corner... 3-5 of various heights, or even the same.
The advantage of a mixed planting is that you can put a fast grower in the
bunch, and cut it down as soon as the slower growing, more desirable
specimens are of sufficient height.

Want some really fast cover? Consider a trellis and something like hops...

--
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Cedars don't look like pines - much. Maybe a Chinese (Lacebark) Elm? I
love mine so far.

Carl


Actually, I am considering a Chinese Elm. I saw one in a local park. It
had a nameplate in front of it identifying it as a Chinese elm. The
branches drooped down near the bottom just enough to block the view at
eye level and a few feet below eye level, and the hieght and width of
the Elm were good. About 20 feet high.

I noticed most of the other trees in the park had branches that started
too high up on the trunk, about 6 or 7 feet high, which left 6 or 7
feet of open space to look at the eyesore.

The small trees had branches that were lower.

The soil here is fairly clayish beneath the surface.

The area I want to plant will have exposure to sun all day except the
first 2 or 3 hours of the morning.


As a tree grows, do the braches move up as the trunk grows up from the
soil ??? Or does a tree grow from the top only ?


Thanks for the help, everyone.




..

I noticed most of the other trees in the park had branches that started
too high up on the trunk, about 6 or 7 feet high, which left 6 or 7
feet of open space to look at the eyesore.

That's because they were pruned up that far. You don't have to do that
with your trees.
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openspaces wrote:
Cedars don't look like pines - much. Maybe a Chinese (Lacebark) Elm? I

love mine so far.

Carl


Actually, I am considering a Chinese Elm. I saw one in a local park. It
had a nameplate in front of it identifying it as a Chinese elm. The
branches drooped down near the bottom just enough to block the view at
eye level and a few feet below eye level, and the hieght and width of
the Elm were good. About 20 feet high.

I noticed most of the other trees in the park had branches that started
too high up on the trunk, about 6 or 7 feet high, which left 6 or 7
feet of open space to look at the eyesore.

The small trees had branches that were lower.

The soil here is fairly clayish beneath the surface.

The area I want to plant will have exposure to sun all day except the
first 2 or 3 hours of the morning.


As a tree grows, do the braches move up as the trunk grows up from the
soil ??? Or does a tree grow from the top only ?


Thanks for the help, everyone.




.


You should be able to prune it as it grows to your desired shape. There
are several 'cultivars' of Ulmus Parvifolia. But most have close
similarites from the last I recall. Mine is still small but, as I had
read, it does seem to be moderately fast growing, not superfast - those
type trees are prone to breakge in high winds. If you have no wind -
maybe a Bradford Pear would work for you, but nowadays they are
considered undesiarable around my area. I dunno exactly what trees are
suitable for your zone, but a couple of others that I strongly
considered was Zelkovia Serrata and Quercus Shumardii .Couldn't find the
Zelkova locally and my wife didn't like the idea of acorns from the oak.

ymmv

Carl


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That's because they were pruned up that far. You don't have to do that
with your trees.

I checked the trunks, and found no scars from pruning. Maybe they were
pruned when extremely young, so there were no noticeable scars later ?

On 5 May 2006 08:37:52 -0700, "openspaces" wrote:


As a tree grows, do the braches move up as the trunk grows up from the
soil ??? Or does a tree grow from the top only ?


Thanks for the help, everyone.



The branches will not move upward. They elongate from the tips of
branches and increase diameter over time. The low pruning cuts may
have been absorbed so long ago that they don't show up anymore (though
I suspect a trained eye could spot some). Similarly, if you sticka
hammock hook or a nail in the trunk, it will still be at the same
height in 50 years (if the tree is still there). It may be deep in
the wood and invisible, though. That's one big reason that it's hard
to sell urban logs to sawmills.

Chinese Elm is not a 20-foot tree. You saw a young one. They reach
heights up to 70 feet.
http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/dendrol...heet.cfm?ID=90

But you could have a 70-foot tree with branches starting 6 feet above
grade. It's all in how you prune them.

Keith