Nice trees for shade?

[JDgreen]

Trouble with growing trees is the lawn will suffer and it will be bare around the tree.

I'm sorry, I respectfully disagree with that statement. We have spruce, sugar maples, box elders, silver maples, redbud, sycamore, scarlet maple, Japanese maple, black walnut, catalpa, apples, peaches, nectarines, and nowhere around any of them is the ground bare...and I do NOT use fertilizer or water any of my lawn....why would trees cause the ground to be bare?

 

[RobertBrown]

I'm sorry, I respectfully disagree with that statement. We have spruce, sugar maples, box elders, silver maples, redbud, sycamore, scarlet maple, Japanese maple, black walnut, catalpa, apples, peaches, nectarines, and nowhere around any of them is the ground bare...and I do NOT use fertilizer or water any of my lawn....why would trees cause the ground to be bare?

Because of the shade, some grasses need full sun, I have oaks with a dripline 50 feet in diameter. The limbs are but 6-10 feet above the ground. This grass will get very little sun so I have to plant a different grass under those trees. If the trees you listed are relatively small, the shaded area will also be small and move around the tree as the day lengthens, providing enough sun for your grass.

 

[lizard]

I'm sorry, I respectfully disagree with that statement. We have spruce, sugar maples, box elders, silver maples, redbud, sycamore, scarlet maple, Japanese maple, black walnut, catalpa, apples, peaches, nectarines, and nowhere around any of them is the ground bare...and I do NOT use fertilizer or water any of my lawn....why would trees cause the ground to be bare?

You do not use fertiliser or water on youre lawn?....are you losing it!

 

[JDgreen]

Because of the shade, some grasses need full sun, I have oaks with a dripline 50 feet in diameter. The limbs are but 6-10 feet above the ground. This grass will get very little sun so I have to plant a different grass under those trees. If the trees you listed are relatively small, the shaded area will also be small and move around the tree as the day lengthens, providing enough sun for your grass.

One of our largest black walnuts is close to 60 feet tall, the trunk is huge, I estimate the age at at least 70 years...we have many trees 20 to 30 years old that have limbs close to the ground (6-7 feet) but still no problem getting grass to grow under anything.

Lizard...can you afford to fertilize and water a 5 acre area of yard? I sure can't. Don't give a bleep if it's bare, full of weeds, or perfect grass. I can drive anything on it, who cares if it doesn't look like an ad for TrueGreen? :biggrin:

 

[lizard]

Well thats good in your country......but they are a fire and insurance hazard......so you will pay a mighty premium to have this Shade.

 

[monica123]

Did i miss something? How did we go from trees for shade to fire insurance? Anyway, thanks for all the comments. I will ask people around me as well and see what they suggest.

 

[RobertBrown]

Did i miss something? How did we go from trees for shade to fire insurance? .

The question you started this post with is geographically specific. This forum has members living all over the world, Trees mean different things in different places as climate and topography dictate different challenges regarding same. Aparently Australia, at least where Lizard lives, is a dry climate. Living in those conditions means being very aware of forest fires as they are obviously a threat there, but not where you live.
A "Tree" to someone living in an arid location means something completely different to someone living in a tropical location.

 

[mois25]

I now how relevant patience now is and especially the fact that almost if not everything relies on it. On second thought, does that mean any fast maturing trees will possibly not be the best for shade?

 

[touree]

The question you started this post with is geographically specific. This forum has members living all over the world, Trees mean different things in different places as climate and topography dictate different challenges regarding same. Aparently Australia, at least where Lizard lives, is a dry climate. Living in those conditions means being very aware of forest fires as they are obviously a threat there, but not where you live.
A "Tree" to someone living in an arid location means something completely different to someone living in a tropical location.

That is really true; in fact conclusively answers the question. I tend to also think the diversifying of a particular post helps inject life which is not a bad thing after all.

 

[grnspot110]

We have a Pecan tree I planted around 25 years ago, very good shade! :smile: Until this summer, it started to split at a 3-way crotch about 7' off the ground. :frown: I chained it together for the rest of the summer as it shades the west end of the house. So now I'm in the process of removing it, cut as much as I can reach with a pole saw (chainsaw). Anything from 1-1/2" up goes for firewood, less than that gets shredded for mulch. Going to rest a few days before cutting the rest of it. Probably finish it next week. Another problem with it, the squirrels have eaten the bark off several limbs, even girdling some! :thumbdown:

Thinking of replacing it with a Carpathian Walnut. ~~ grnspot1110