Thoughts to Help You Choose the Perfect Tree
The past few summers have been particularly tough on trees, especially for newly planted ones. The end of the long hot summer leads into autumn, bringing welcome relief from the heat. Early autumn is a good time to plant trees. Soils remain warm while climate cools and becomes more wet.
Now comes the hard part. And I don’t mean digging the hole. The hardest part about planting a new tree is deciding what type of tree to plant. Here are some thoughts on tree selection.
Thought 1 - Realize that there is no such thing as a “perfect tree”
Just as there is no such thing as the perfect man (or woman), there is no such thing as the perfect tree. We all have our issues. Be it too big, too small, too green or not quite green enough. Trees are available in an endless variety of size, colour and type and no two are exactly the same. Keep an open mind.
Thought 2 - You must give it room to grow
Keep in mind that the small tree that you are bringing home from the nursery is not yet what it will become, it’s sort of like bringing a little puppy into your home. Perhaps you loved the spring flowers, or you love the autumn colour of the foliage. Just like a puppy is cute, it will soon become a dog. The bigger the dog means the more space you need. The same principle applies with trees. Note the mature size; you can’t force a tree to be smaller, just like with a dog.
Thought 3 - Consider the microclimate
Don’t try to raise an alligator in the desert. He won’t be very happy. Likewise don’t try to grow a Giant Sequoia in a narrow planter box in front of an urban apartment complex. Admittedly the alligitor reference seems outlandish. You’d be surprised at how often we encounter the Giant Sequoia in the tiny space.
In Summary
Trees are living things and as such they display characteristics that we can relate to. If you love your tree it might not love you back. Although it might. I am sure that there is no perfect tree for every situation. With so much variety to choose from selecting the perfect tree is difficult. It is important that you do your research and keep in mind that there is always more than one right answer. Select a tree that you like. You may find success so long as you give it room to grow and consider the microclimate.
Keep in mind that if the tree fails you can always try again. Once again the hardest part will be selecting which tree to plant. Next time you will approach the problem with a little more wisdom and experience.
