"Zeppo" wrote in message
...

"David E. Ross" wrote in message
et...
On 7/18/2009 5:45 PM, busbus wrote:
Hello,

I don't even know if you can do what I want to do. I have a birch tree
that is dying. I knew they were short-lived trees whenever I planted
it over 20 years ago. It is on my hillside and I have chicken wire on
the hill helping hold the mulch on it since it is pretty steep, so I
have a mess on my hands.

The tree is about 20-feet tall now. It is a clump birch with three
trunks. Each trunk is about the size of, say, a softball or smaller.

I believe I can cut it down and get a fair amount of roots out. If I
wait a few years, can I plant in exactly the same spot? Or would I be
forced to move 6-8 feet away? If it is the latter, I simply cannot do
it. Could I plant anything in the same hole? A tall bush or something,
at least? The tree helped shade my deck plus I sort of "need" the
height, if you know what I mean.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks,
ray

This is a question for your local nursery or arborist. It depends on
the type of tree and why it died.

I know that a peach tree can be planted where an old peach tree has been
removed. Peaches are indeed relatively short-lived. In commercial
peach orchards, it's not unusual to remove all the trees after about 15
years. I had one removed after about 17 years. The tree service ground
out the stump. That was in the fall. The following spring, I planted a
new peach in the exact same spot. This fall (about 20 years later),
I'll have the second one removed and plant a third one there.

On the other hand, I believe that an oak should not be planted where a
previous oak had been removed. That is because a dying oak develops
root fungus that can afflict a new oak.


Isn't there some issue about the old tree's roots? When you remove a tree
and grind the stump, you leave the old root system behind. This takes
several rears to rot, which then leaves a void in the soil. If you replant
on top where the old stump was wont the new planting collapse into the
void as the old roots rot?



With a tree that type and size it never occured to me not to dig out that
stump... a hole would need to be dug for the new tree anyway so may as well
put the effort into digging out the stump... and then a new tree would need
a hole at least that size anyway, with a yard or two of rich topsoil mixed
in. Another thing to consider when planting a teee near ones house is how
large the tree will become, I'd not plant any tree near my house that if it
fell in a storm could damage my house... measure the distance to the house
and then don't plant a tree that will become taller than that distance, you
don't want to shade your house roof either, it will rot. I couldn't sleep
at night knowing there was a 40' maple 20' from my bedroom. I'd not want a
shade tree over my deck either, it will cause the deck to rot... use an
umbrella/awning instead.