Comments on: 10 thoughts on successful underplanting http://awaytogarden.com/10-thoughts-on-successful-underplanting Organic gardening inspiration from Margaret Roach Sun, 12 Feb 2012 02:28:15 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Margaret http://awaytogarden.com/10-thoughts-on-successful-underplanting/comment-page-2#comment-294579 Margaret Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:32:04 +0000 http://awaytogarden.com/?p=540#comment-294579 Hi, Cathy. Sorry for the loss of trees, though the Norways are of course considered "weed trees" so maybe you will love the ones that come next even more! (Silver lining, etc. -- trying to be positive.) Rather than try to guess what will work from afar, I would say this: You need a consultation on-site with the VERY BEST woody-plant nurseryman within an hour or two of there, who can look at what's what and make a plan with you -- seeing every issue first-hand. For instance, I have had Dennis Mareb of <a href="http://windyhillfarminc.com/" rel="nofollow">Windy Hill Farm in Great Barrington, MA</a> (actually not horribly far from you) help me in some dire straits, when I really needed someone to come look and evaluate and talk it through. That's the first step. There are so many tree choices -- but first someone really needs to help you see past what WAS there and imagine what you WANT to see there, if you know what I mean. If you want big trees to start, they will have to grind stumps and dig with tree spades and other equipment...so again, you need a consult with a really qualified woody plant person. Hi, Cathy. Sorry for the loss of trees, though the Norways are of course considered “weed trees” so maybe you will love the ones that come next even more! (Silver lining, etc. — trying to be positive.) Rather than try to guess what will work from afar, I would say this: You need a consultation on-site with the VERY BEST woody-plant nurseryman within an hour or two of there, who can look at what’s what and make a plan with you — seeing every issue first-hand. For instance, I have had Dennis Mareb of Windy Hill Farm in Great Barrington, MA (actually not horribly far from you) help me in some dire straits, when I really needed someone to come look and evaluate and talk it through. That’s the first step. There are so many tree choices — but first someone really needs to help you see past what WAS there and imagine what you WANT to see there, if you know what I mean. If you want big trees to start, they will have to grind stumps and dig with tree spades and other equipment…so again, you need a consult with a really qualified woody plant person.

]]> By: Cathy http://awaytogarden.com/10-thoughts-on-successful-underplanting/comment-page-2#comment-294482 Cathy Thu, 05 Jan 2012 22:37:17 +0000 http://awaytogarden.com/?p=540#comment-294482 We have lost ALL of our old silver and Norway maples in the back yard due to damage in our Oct. snowstorm in West Hartford, CT. Our property is a little down hill from the closely settled yards behind and a little above us. The old trees used to provide some perimeter privacy and definition. For many years hemlocks stood along with them, but later failed from wooly adelgid and were cut down. We also had to take down a giant (100+ years?) Silver Maple in the center of the backyard which offered a sizeable canopy and focus there. The yard is quite wide, about 3 times more so than deep. We would like to try and plant some large trees this spring to recover some of our altogether lost sense of landscape and personal space. Our soil is heavily clay based with a high water table as we are near a large stream. I am also very concerned that there are such mass networks of multiple old and large root systems, that any effort to replant would be doomed. The back boundary is west of our 2 story house with a 6 foot stockade fence. We live on a corner, and the side by the street is south. Is there any hope to preparing for successful replanting of mature trees? Can you advise what kind(s) of soil and site preparation would be required? We really don't know where to start.. Thanks in advance for any guidance you can offer. We have lost ALL of our old silver and Norway maples in the back yard due to damage in our Oct. snowstorm in West Hartford, CT. Our property is a little down hill from the closely settled yards behind and a little above us. The old trees used to provide some perimeter privacy and definition. For many years hemlocks stood along with them, but later failed from wooly adelgid and were cut down. We also had to take down a giant (100+ years?) Silver Maple in the center of the backyard which offered a sizeable canopy and focus there. The yard is quite wide, about 3 times more so than deep. We would like to try and plant some large trees this spring to recover some of our altogether lost sense of landscape and personal space. Our soil is heavily clay based with a high water table as we are near a large stream. I am also very concerned that there are such mass networks of multiple old and large root systems, that any effort to replant would be doomed. The back boundary is west of our 2 story house with a 6 foot stockade fence. We live on a corner, and the side by the street is south. Is there any hope to preparing for successful replanting of mature trees? Can you advise what kind(s) of soil and site preparation would be required? We really don’t know where to start.. Thanks in advance for any guidance you can offer.

]]> By: Margaret http://awaytogarden.com/10-thoughts-on-successful-underplanting/comment-page-2#comment-71854 Margaret Wed, 29 Jun 2011 12:43:44 +0000 http://awaytogarden.com/?p=540#comment-71854 Hi, Amanda. Underplanting beneath conifers is the toughest of spots, or thereabouts. There is little/no light even seasonally (under my apples and magnolias things at least get light in the early spring, fall and winter); and particularly under established trees (whether evergreen or not, but especially the former since their dense canopies year-round make them a very dry place indeed) the competition for water, nutrients and also just space/soil because of roots is fierce. Which is why plants like pachysandra and vinca and ivy were for so long the whole groundcover market -- boring, but they nearly grew anywhere. Whatever you decide to try, you should start with small plants -- which hopefully can take their time acclimating and don't have giant roots systems already accustomed to cushy conditions in a nursery pot. What you're seeking is plants for <a href="http://awaytogarden.com/the-toughest-groundcovers-i-rely-on" rel="nofollow">dry shade; here are some of the ones I use</a>. It takes a long time for things to establish, and lots of watering, and even then sometimes these spots are just plain inhospitable. Hi, Amanda. Underplanting beneath conifers is the toughest of spots, or thereabouts. There is little/no light even seasonally (under my apples and magnolias things at least get light in the early spring, fall and winter); and particularly under established trees (whether evergreen or not, but especially the former since their dense canopies year-round make them a very dry place indeed) the competition for water, nutrients and also just space/soil because of roots is fierce.

Which is why plants like pachysandra and vinca and ivy were for so long the whole groundcover market — boring, but they nearly grew anywhere.

Whatever you decide to try, you should start with small plants — which hopefully can take their time acclimating and don’t have giant roots systems already accustomed to cushy conditions in a nursery pot. What you’re seeking is plants for dry shade; here are some of the ones I use. It takes a long time for things to establish, and lots of watering, and even then sometimes these spots are just plain inhospitable.

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