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Thread: backyard tree advice

  1. #1
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    Default backyard tree advice

    Ive got about 20 apsen in my yard and some have started to die over the past couple years. The tree people seem to think its winter damage as a result of the crazy winters weve had over the past couple of years. I have to types of aspen, the tall columnar type and the other type that I forget the proper name but they grow out more and not as tall.

    I want to replace these trees with another variety. Im thinking of going with an evergreen such as a Colorado blue spruce. This probably isnt the exact variety Ill go with though. The aspen created a nice privacy wall. Im looking to somewhat replicate that. I notice a lot of yards in some older areas such as Roxboro and Rideau have pretty decent walls from tall evergreens that are trimmed of branches from the ground to about fence height of 6 or 7 feet.

    Any thoughts on variety of tree and where you buy your trees?

    This spring has been so awful so I havent had a chance to get this done as early as I would have wished for so Im also not sure if Im better of waiting till fall to get these trees in.

  2. #2
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    It all depends on your budget. People in general like Aspens (both columnars and tremblings) because they're cheap ($130 for a 9 footer) and they grow super fast (3-4 feet per yr). You plant them 3-4 feet apart and in 3 yrs you have an instant screen. Obviously you have to plant at least 3-4 of them in order get the same coverage as a mature evergreen like a spruce but even then in the winter time you would lose the privacy with the aspens comparing to a spruce. The problem is that spruces (or any evergreen) are very expensive ($400 for a 6 footer) and they grow extremely slow (6" per yr). You can plant a 20 footer spruce but that's gonna cost you at least $1000 and not too many landscapers have to equipment and expertise to do that but even then the survival rates are not very high at that size.

    With regards to where to buy your trees, I highly recommend Bluegrass by the Balzak mall. If you're doing aspens and 5 foot spruces, then you should be able to dug the hole and plant them yourself but if you're doing anything bigger than a 8-9 foot spruce then I would go with hiring someone to do it. The general price to get someone to plant your trees for you is usually the price of the tree. So if the aspen costs $100, then to get it planted is another $100 but bear in mind that landscapers usually get a contractor discount of 30% so that might offset the cost of the planting. Hope that helps.
    Last edited by sml; 06-21-2010 at 09:44 AM.

  3. #3
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    Talk to Bow point nursery. They specialize in native, hardy plants. so anything they sell you has a much better chance of surviving these "crazy" seasons that we seem to get every five years or so.
    Quote Originally Posted by killramos View Post
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    You realize you are talking to the guy who made his own furniture out of salad bowls right?

  4. #4
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    Aspens are pretty hardy tree, the last couple winters have been hard on trees. If you properly water and fertilize the trees you should not have a problem. They are about as low maintenance as they come. Blue spruce are a lot of work… if you want them to look nice.

    I have a lot of aspens in my yard and have not had issues.

    For most of the trees in my yard were 800-1000 ea and had to be brought in with a hoe, so changing trees could be a problem if you want instant privacy and depends on access to you back yard.

    You can go to any of the nurseries in town they will tell you and sell you the stuff to keep young trees alive till they get well established, which can take a couple of years, ,maybe more if the trees are huge

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