Big tree down, now what?

Jim F

We finally decided it was time for the big maple in the front yard to go. It was a hard decision to make, one that we put off for years. But the tree was way too tall, had a large limb leaning towards the house and treatened the house. This tree provided fantastic shade in the late afternoon when it is needed the most. My wife literally cried when she got home from work and saw it down but agreed that it had to come down.

There is no replacement for this tree but I am looking for a desiduous species that that will not grow so tall that it towers over the house and may some day provide some shade. The house faces almost due west in the front.

Any suggestions?

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DrHicks

Actually, I'm a big fan of Maples. But they, like every other tree, have a life cycle.

I certainly cannot tell you what you should do, but in the last 3 years I've bought, and planted 5 Autumn Blaze Maples in my yard. I bought big ones - about 20' tall, and about $150 each. They're healthy, and look great. They're already starting to provide a bit of shade, and are just about to turn into their bright red/orange/yellow fall colors.

You might also want to consider some flowering crab apple, or pear, trees. They stay pretty small, and provide some really pretty blossoms in the spring.

AllanJ

At least think twice before planting a crab apple. THe fruit is too small and sour to enjoy yourself and the little apples fall in both fall and spring that are hard to rake up and then rot and then seedlings sprout that need weeding all next summer long.

Then also the birds eating the apples in the winter leaving droppings all of the place.

And crab apple is a magnet for tent caterpillars; you have to snip off the nests before the caterpillars get big and destroy the tree.

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The disadvantages of crab apple trees. In summer, the apples are too sour to pick and eat. In winter the birds come and leave dropping all over the place.

oh'mike

Second vote for maple----strong trees and great shade----

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handy man88

Maples are strong trees?

Maples are fast growers, which means their wood is not strong. Also, they have shallow root systems, so that means no grass and bumpy yard. Maples are susceptible to wind damage, especially since their large canopies catch wind like parachutes.

DrHicks

This is true of Maples at the end of their life cycle, but not until they're 40-50 years old.

handy man88

I want to add that maple seeds suck.

DrHicks

This is true.

Jim F

I tried to count the rings of this tree at the stump. This is hard to do with the saw marks but I think it safe to say there are atleast 100 rings there. There is also a dark core. I'm not sure if any of the pics show it. Not sure if this is normal.

I've spoke to a couple of people about this. There are some suggestions of a small leaf breed of tree which would be easier to clean up in the fall. I guess I just don't want another tree or treesthat will tower 40-50 feet above the house but I do want something out there. I suppose I could plant new maples out there. I won't be around to worry about those reaching the end of their life cycle.

chrisn

BTW, that tree certainly looked perfectly healthy, whose idea was it to cut it down? I think you're wife had every reason to cry.Did you have a certified aborist look at i tfirst?

By the time ANY tree gets 50 feet above the house, we will be LONG gone from this earth. Don't worry about it and plant whatever you like.Just NOT a Lombardy poplar

Jim F

As I said in the first post it threatened the house. That tall leaning limb by itself could have done significant damage. This neigborhood is full of old maples and, now and again, one falls. The tree that fell on my neighbor's house down the street caused damage similar to the one in this picture.

http://blog.mlive.com/chronicle/2008/05/12storm98.jpg

Luckily no one was injured or killed but no one sleeps on the second floor of their house. I have three kids who sleep upstaris in my house.

They don't have to be unhealthy to fall. They just need a lot of wind and or rain like we have had this summer. We grappled with this decision for years and it was not made lightly. I am as much a fan of trees as anyone you know which is why I am looking for a suitable replacement for this one and then some.

Missouri Bound

Maple trees are unique in their fall foilage. I would have pruned it (professionally) to eliminate any threat to the home....which I didn't see. If that first picture is what it looked like before any attempt to remove it, then it was butchered....what a waste.

DrHicks

In all fairness, the majority of damage done by Maple Trees is done by trees that have rotted out the middle of the trunk. Maples are very deceptive that way. The trunk will be 5' in diameter, and the tree will be the picture of health. But a storm will come along and blow it over, and you'll find out that 3'-4' of the trunk was completely rotted out and hollow.

Jim F

Have one looming over your house where your wife and kids sleep, see one down the street, perfectly healthy, fall onto a house and do what you will. Yes if it comes down to a choice of butchering a tree that has the potential to butcher my kids, sorry, the tree loses. What a stupid statement! And BTW every expert in the area I have spoken to about this tree over years said the same thing. It should come down. Also professionally pruning a tree costs 3-4 times as much as taking one down.

How about getting back to the original subject of a suitable replacement. I really wasn't lookind to t=get inot a war of words with tree huggers of which I am one.

Lastly, my wife occasionally reads these posts. How about showing a little sensitivity.

DrHicks

I already told you to go get a couple Autumn Blaze Maples - big ones - and plant them. What are you waiting for? Go!

By the way, do you know what kind of Maple that was? That was one danged big tree - especially for no bigger than the main trunk was.