Checking on the Zelkova Growth

The 14 Japanese Zelkova trees at Metuchen Borough Hall were planted in July 2004. I thought it would be a good time to show Tree Grower’s Diary readers how big these shade trees have grown in six years.

Mike and I estimated that the average height of the 13 original trees is 16 feet. (One of the 14 original trees died in 2008 and was replaced with a new one, so I’m not counting that little one.)

Here’s the “before” picture from planting date in 2004. I found mature zeklova serrata trees when I was in Japan. (See this post for some tree pictures from Japan.) The Borough Hall trees will, one day, be glorious and provide lots of great shade for town events.

The zelkova trees that are planted in the large raised planting bed are the ones that are the fullest and most healthy-looking. I think they probably get more water than the rest, have no competition from grass and are surrounded by a hefty dose of mulch all around. And those are the tallest, around 22 feet.

One of the original 14 trees died, and this new one was planted last year, in 2009.

You can clearly see how the trees that are planted in sidewalk cuts are not as tall or as full as the ones in the ground or the ones in that raised planting bed. I think the sidewalk cuts are about a quarter of the size they should have been. The average height of the sidewalk cut trees is around 14 feet.

Here’s another angle on the fuller ones in the planting bed.

One day I’ll draw a landscape map so you can see where the 14 trees are planted in relation to the building, showing which ones are in sidewalk cuts, which are in grass and which are in raised planting beds. If that’s something you would find useful, leave me a comment at the end of this post to motivate me to do it! As you can see in the photograph above, the grass is dry and parched from a dry, hot summer, limited watering in the lawn and little mulch compared with the abundant mulch in the planting beds. The lawn trees are around 15 or 16 feet tall.

Yet another angle on the trees in the planting bed.

I thought the little heart-shaped leaf on this tree was cute so I took its picture. Little things like that make me happy.

This tree in a sidewalk cut is doing better than the other ones. I theorize that’s because it’s more shaded by the large sycamore trees nearby and so the water doesn’t evaporate as quickly.

Addendum: I had to practice Adobe Illustrator CS5 anyway for work, so I drew a landscape map for you. Click HERE to see it larger. What do you think?

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

• Tweet

This entry was posted on Sunday, August 8th, 2010 at 2:48 pm and is filed under Zelkova and tagged with japanese zelkova, julie's trees. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

8 Responses to “Checking on the Zelkova Growth”

1. Carol says:

   August 27, 2011 at 5:32 pm

   Your detailed photos and comments about Zelkova trees has been very helpful to me in evaluating this genus for my drought-prone hilltop property. There is a nursery (Ferndale Nursery) that grows them and I am hoping to get two of them after they are dormant for the winter. This approach as been successful for planting a scarlet oak and two honey locusts.

   This is my first visit to your site. Thank you so much for your comments and photos about trees!

   Reply
   • Julie Walton Shaver says:

     October 14, 2011 at 10:06 am

     Thanks Carol. Good luck with your new trees!

     Reply
2. Tree Lover says:

   November 3, 2010 at 12:45 am

   First time visitor to your website, and I was wondering what location these trees were planted in? I maintain a tree blog but I mostly write about native species. I noticed these were from Japan, but they seem to be adapting to your location wonderfully!

   Reply
   • Julie Walton Shaver says:

     October 14, 2011 at 10:05 am

     These trees are in Metuchen, NJ

     Reply
3. Allison says:

   August 16, 2010 at 4:45 pm

   Oh and I love the new zelkova landscape map. That really does help me understand the placement of the trees.

   Reply
4. Allison says:

   August 16, 2010 at 4:43 pm

   The long-term before/after shots on your tree growers diary site are so helpful, Julie. We have been studying what tree to plant in our backyard to shade the playhouse and thanks to your site, we found one! Thank you for doing this for so long!

   Reply
5. Lyn in NEPA says:

   August 9, 2010 at 7:17 am

   I came across your blog in 2008 when I was looking for pictures of Zelkova trees to help me decide whether or not to plant one at the edge of my driveway. I love seeing how the Metuchen trees are doing! Please draw a landscape map!

   My tree is still getting used to its site — some bare branches, but also some new shoots — but I think it will do well. What made it hard for my tree was a Gypsy moth attack just after planting that totally decimated its leaves, followed by another insect attack after a second growth of leaves that same year. But stubbornly my little tree has unfurled its leaves the 2 Springs since then, letting me know that it’s a survivor!

   Reply
   • Julie Walton Shaver says:

     August 9, 2010 at 7:53 am

     Wow — great story! I do hope your zelkova continues to persevere. Sounds like it’s been through a lot already and I think you’re right — it’s a survivor!

     Reply