On Jul 16, 8:33 am, Sheldon wrote:
thistletoes wrote:

I don't have enough time left in my life to mess around with foot tall trees.

Then you shouldn't even consider mail order trees. If you're a
middle aged person you need to go to a local nursery and purchase
substantially sized trees; balled and burlaped and a minimum of 3"
caliper... and even then it's unlikely you'll live long enough to sit
in the shade of any type of sapling tree, even those that are fast
growing will need nearly 20 years before they look much like a shade
tree... the first 3-4 years they won't exhibit any growth. The truth
is that when you plant a tree it's for future generations, not for
you... your enjoyment can only be in knowing that future generations
will enjoy the fruits of you labor. Maybe you would do better
planting a perennial garden.

I planted many mail order trees and quite a few larger trees from a
local nursery (in fact they were much too large for me to plant, the
nursery sent a crew with heavy equipment to plant them). I realize
that my main enjoyment is in that they lived and will one day be a
tree, but long after I'm gone. Even the fastest grower, a sycamore,
will need many more years before it begins to look representive of
it's mature state. The sycamore was a bareroot from Nature Hills, was
a three foot tall twig in a carboard box when it arrived, now it's
nine feet tall, but has many years to go. I ordered a second one the
next year, it's trying to catch up.

Second summer:http://i18.tinypic.com/54knpli.jpg

Third summer (last year):http://i19.tinypic.com/4xx0aad.jpg

Fourth summer (this year):http://i12.tinypic.com/4p13cpx.jpg

Yes, I am a middle-aged person, normally sensible & cautious.
However, I am currently living in a remote enough area that it is
inconvenient to make my way to a nursery. It is likely I will live
here till I die.

I find myself in a somewhat frustrating position. We do have a tiny
nursery in the nearest village but several trees purchased there have
been infected or otherwise defective and have died. It isn't my lack
of care - they have an increasingly bad reputation. Worse, their
guarantee is worth nothing. Only the Autumn Flame Maples have done
well from that source, but they cost a blessed fortune and were
brought up and planted by a landscaping company. They are now 12 feet
tall even after 8-9 years, which I think is a bit slow since they were
6' when planted, not including the pot.

The next best nursery is decent but is 60 miles away. The issue is
that if I purchase a tree of any size, meaning over 5 feet tall,
transport is difficult and costly. We have a pickup truck with normal
size bed, but we would have to lay the trees down to transport,
otherwise the wind generated by going down a highway would batter them
senseless. Even then, they would sustain some damage if the tree is
of decent size. On top of that, gas here is $3 a gallon and pickup
trucks are not known for economy. I guess if we purchased a large
enough number of trees, the trip would be worth while, if we could
protect the trees. That's why I was considering mail order and
thought someone might suggest a reputable one.

Trees I've grown from seedlings have done well and after 5 years, some
of the pin oaks (from acorns, mind you) are 8 feet tall. That thrills
me that they even grew, as you commented about yours. However, as you
point out, I am unlikely to live long enough to see them in their full
glory. Still, a 12 foot tree is better than a perennial garden.
Perennials are wonderful, I just need something different for this
particular situation. The irony is that there are Ponderosa pines,
Noble Fir, and hundreds of other conifers in the back half and along
one side of my land, some 60' tall or more. Yet on the road side on
my place, only a scanty few. I have desire for beauty, privacy and
blockage of the dust from the gravel road that borders me on 2
sides.

As for the perennials, I have planted some native shrubs around the
perimeter of the back deck and down the driveway. Those are doing
reasonably well. They just aren't quite the same as a nice, tall tree
out front. :-)

I appreciate your advice, however. I can strive to live another 40
years and then perhaps I will have the trees I want. I may be too
blind to see them, but I'll know they are there, I hope.

Deb :-)