Tree battle!

[ogrefcf]

So while outside planting today and weeding I was watching the new bed I made. I have 4 bigger trees Maple-Walnut-Catalpa-Maple in it.


Left Maple, Middle Walnut, Right Catalpa and hidden by the tram the smaller maple.


I was watching the shade they cast and don't see the Maples hitting any of the beds, just my grass. I also like the look of the Walnut and Catalpa much better. Just asking for opinions on decapitating the Maples. I get an idea and usually jump into it (I want to do it tomorrow). I hate to cut any mature tree down, BUT THINK OF THE HOSTAS! Plus the bigger Maple stump would make a nice place to put a potted Hosta. I think it would also give the other trees more room to grow. Thought? Thanks!

Owen

[steg]

I'm all for taking down maples - mature or not. I don't doubt it will help everything else - other trees, hostas, grass.....

[gesila9]

If my DH could take down two of our maple trees, they would be GONE! I've pulled up three or four hostas that were planted in May that were literally strangled with feeder roots.

If your maples were gone, think about all those tiny seedlings you won't have to weed out!

I'll have to wait until I can afford to hire someone, but at least one of mine will be gone next year.

Gesila

[viktoria]

Catalpa roots can become a huge problem in time. Maple roots probably already are. Walnuts have a tap root. Just do not plant any ericaceous plants under it (azaleas, rhodos, heath/heather, enkianthus...).

Viktoria

[isadora]

Well....I know about black walnut juglone and its effect on plants, I have done a lot of research, written articles and given many presentations on it. But I have an azalea growing under a big black walnut and it seems to be thriving. Go figure. Actually I think the reason it is doing well is that it is fairly close to the tree and the support roots, not out there where the juglone-producing feeder root-tentacles are.

It seems to be the same way with maples. If you avoid that dripline area where the greedy feeder roots are, you can grow hostas comfortably near the trunk. Hackberries have an alleopathic tendency also, they are not as bad as the nut trees but there are a lot of things that won't grow well under them either. They also have a horrible network of surface roots, almost worse than maples.

Sandy

[ogrefcf]

Big Maple down! And only a slight bend in the top rail of the fence lol. Clean up tomorrow and the smaller one too.

[Esox]

Get rid of that trampoline, too...You just can't grow hostas under a trampoline.

[ogrefcf]

Get rid of that trampoline, too...You just can't grow hostas under a trampoline.

Ha, I wish! Already got rid of the playground set and if I tried to get rid of the tramp I would be in BIG trouble. Although, I do agree with you, I hate moving that thing around when I mow the lawn.

[ogrefcf]

Well four trees down in all. Both Maples and two smaller plums. The plum trees had split trunks and were in bad spots so I dropped em. A lot more sun than I wanted let in, but I think with all the room the Walnut and Catalpa will grow out quite a bit. On the bigger Maple I left about three feet of trunk to put a pot or something on. The other ones I leveled to the ground. Do I need to do any thing to kill the root or just let em die? I've heard drill holes in the stump and put fertilizer, round up, or some root killer to kill the roots. Well a few pics,

Big Maple (ignore the slight bend in the fence, I might have dropped something on it lol.)


Small maple


Smaller Maple and my little helper in the corner, found out he loves chainsaws.

[ogrefcf]

Small one coming down and the small plum I took out next to it.


My little helper playing with the chainsaw. As you can see he's making the BZZZZZZZZ sound as he plays. I think it's power tools for the kid instead of toys from now on. When I started the chainsaw up and was reving it his eyes lit up, he laughed, and went OHHHHHHH! Not scared at all.


And him helping me cut, always wants to be involved.


Thanks for looking!

Owen

[thy]

Wat a lot of work.. I'm tired

Looks like the kids love to be with you, but hosta pole - no way it is allready a watching pole for the big one could be a tiny kids area until the hostas gets big and the kids too.

you can give drops of roundup with a brush at the perimeter of the trunk.. the green ring or some say salt will do it too A cross with the chainsaw at the cutting area of the other trunks will help them rot faster.

The Walnut and the catalpa will thank you and start to grow branches to fill out the area of the marples. They "know" there are a free space allready and are started to turn some branches.. bit slow, but they are started.

for the sunny area, why not start some sunflowers early spring with the kids and let them give some sade for the first year or more.. kids love sunflowes, they are so fast they can see they are growing when they give them water

Pia

[gamekeeper]

Good move I also have two to go one real soon.If you leave thestump long enough carpenter ants will move in.

[isadora]

Brush and Stump Killer works really well, just brush it full strength on the cambium layer of the trees just cut, it goes down into the roots and kills them dead. We use it all the time, if you brush it on you don't get it on things you don't want dead. We use the Fertilome brand, I think it works the best.

[ogrefcf]

Couple after pics.





Opened it right up. Might have to use some shade cloth next year till the trees fill in, but plenty more room to fuel the addiction!