PA: Ask Rob

I have just planted about 6 maples, but am now having planters remorse. The trees are about 30 feet away from my house, but I am worried that might be too close because of damage they might cause to the foundation of my house and piping. Do you think 30ft away from the house is too close?

Ivan, I wouldn’t let planters remorse get you down. At a distance of thirty feet, there are very few trees that will damage a homes foundation. This is especially true sonce these trees are still young. I don’t believe that many, if any species of maple have been known to cause underground utility damage. The only issues that could result is that if the pipes or wires require maintenance, accessing them could damage some of the roots of the tree. This in turn could jeopardize the vitality of the tree. Thank you for your interest in planting America. If you have any further questions, don’t be afraid to ask.

Rob: I will be May planting several Douglas Fir bare root 12\"-18\" total plant into SD prairie soil that is not easily man watered. They will essentially be on their own forever. Any help for success?

If the trees can be visited at least once a week during periods of drought. I would recommend purchasing gator bags. If filled once a week during dry periods for the first growing season, the trees should establish a root system that will ensure future survival. If this is not an option I would recommend several things: Your planting hole for bare root trees should be 5 times the diameter of the roots when you spread them out. In this case 5 times 12” to 18” will be 5 feet to 7.5 feet wide for each tree. I know that sounds ridiculous, but by breaking up that soil, the root system will become significantly established before the dry season. Also with bare root trees, you should spread out the roots on a small slightly compacted mound you build inside your planting hole. The roots will then grow in their spread out directions both downward for support and upward for water and mineral absorption. I wish you the best of luck, and thank you for your interest in planting

We have an old house, that is built into the side of a hill. Unfortunately, the unsightly foundation shows on the side of the house that everyone sees first. The foundation that we want to cover is about 10-12 feet high and about 15 feet wide. What trees can we plant alongside the foundation wall to cover it up? These trees would have to be planted pretty close to the foundation, but we don\' want them to disturb it.

I would recommend planting several Columnar Arborvitae Trees. These are evergreen species that will block the unsightly foundation year round. The roots system of this tree is not aggressive towards foundations or underground utilities. It is also a very urban tolerant species with few susceptible diseases or insect pests. Arborvitae also requires little maintenance. It won’t grow too high or too out of control very rapidly. A columnar variety will stay compact and wont conflict with your house. One drawback is that deer love to eat the fresh green growth. They can be deterred with deer repellant available at most nurseries. I wish you the best of luck, and thank you for your interest in planting America. Don’t forget to donate those trees towards our goal of 1 million!

Hey. LOVED your youtube video on tree planting. I have a few questions. I have purchased a really big tree (around 20 feet tall) and want to plant it in our front yard. I am removing the bushes that were in the original tree mound (that tree surprised us by just falling over one day). Here is what i need to know now... 1. are there any additional tips that go along with planting a much larger tree than you were planting in your video? 2. should the tree be mounded up above the natural ground level? 3. is there a different staking process involved in a much bigger tree? 4. is it unadvisable to add a root stimulator to the planting process?

The planting process is very similar with larger stature trees. You will want to make sure that the soil outside of the hole for the root ball is loose. You definitely want to make the hole extra wide so that the soil is broken up in the area around the root ball. This will help the tree establish its roots much more quickly. You do want the tree to be mounded above the ground level. The trees natural buttress roots (were the trunk flares out and transitions into roots) should be setting above ground level. This will sink down to ground to level as the soil compacts. You will want to use 4 strong stakes and wire to stake the tree. Do not let the wire rub directly against the trunk (it can choke off the movement of water and nutrients). Instead, you should have cut pieces of hose or thick rubber on the wire where it rests against the trunk. Make sure the wires are taught and the tree cannot sway too far in any direction. Larger trees are more susceptible to falling over or leaning during the critical weeks and months after planting. I would recommend using a root stimulator or liquid fertilizer to help the tree establish its roots. You can purchase these products or contract a tree care company to do this for you. I cannot stress how important it is to irrigate newly planted trees . This is the most important factor to the trees survival. During periods without rain you should water the tree every other day. Watering should be done in long soaking periods to encourage the roots to grow deep instead of just along the surface. The best method to accomplish this is with a soaker hose. Run the soaker hose every other day for 2-3 hours. You can buy a soaker hose at most nurseries or hardware stores. Thank you for your interest in planting America . I wish you the best of luck with planting your tree. Feel free to direct any further questions my way and I will do my best to respond as accurately and quickly as possible.

I have heard about a situation arising with Locust Trees in California. Places such as Napa Valley I believe are being infested by something known as a 'small brown moth,' or something similar. Could and will this infestation spread uncontrollably, and will this have any major effects on crops and/or wine production? Thank you.

I believe the insect you were referring to is the gypsy moth. The devastation caused by this invasive pest has been wide spread and catastrophic. Countless acres of forests have been destroyed since its introduction from Asia to the united states . The larvae caterpillar causes the damage by feeding on the leaves of a wide range of tree species. The larvae are not known to feed on the leaves of grape vines (or any other important agricultural crop). This does not mean it is not a threat. The few locations in California which have been confirmed gypsy moth infestations are currently under quarantine to ensure the pest does not spread further. Chemical controls have been developed to terminate the pests. Both small scale sprays and large scale aerial applications are effective in controlling the pest. There have been recent developments in biological controls such as pheromone disruptors. By releasing massive amounts of the female moths "natural" sex pheromones, the males are unable to successfully locate females and the population is, for lack of a better phrase, "blue-balled" to death. This problem is not threatening to wine production or farm crops. It is however a problem for timber producing hardwood forests in the eastern United States if preventive control methods are implemented . The following link will take you to the complete plan created in California to eradiate the gypsy moths: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/ea/downloads/gypsymothorangecountyfinal.pdf

Is there a way to stop white pine trees from dropping sap everywhere?

Conifer trees will always produce sap while they are alive. The release of sap is a trees way of responding to injuries and insect pest infestations. The sap clogs wounds and deters pests from boring below the bark. Although it is not possible to stop a tree from producing sap, there are things you can do to minimize sap from inconveniencing you. Any way to avoid wounding a conifer (vehicular/mechanical damage for example) will ensure the sap stays within the trees vascular tissue. There are also chemical treatments that can be applied to a conifer to keep boring insects from entering your trees bark.

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