Current Tree Grower’s Diary Letters
Post your letters about trees here and I’ll do my best to help you find an answer! Keep in mind that I do not reply via email. I post my responses HERE in the hopes of SHARING with people who might have similar questions.
Disclaimer: I am not a tree expert, just a novice who has been studying trees for quite some time now. If you require an expert opinion, I suggest the forums over at TreeHelp.com or the tree forum at GardenWeb.
If you leave a letter, please state in the letter where you’re writing from so that we have a general idea of your climate zone. THANKS for all your encouragement and support!
Don’t forget to let us know where you’re writing from! City, town, or even a climate zone number will help! Thanks!
Their innocence and simplicity really get... on 
My family calls me "the mamarazzi."
Hi Julie,
It’s a sad day today for my little boys and I as we had to watch the tree guy remove the big beautiful bradford pear from our front yard. As a matter of fact all of the bradford pears in the neighborhood had already split and been removed. One of our neighbor’s remaining bradford pears fell on their home yesterday. Not too much damage for them thank goodness. Like you said, just as they become big and beautiful they all fall apart. We thought it would be safer to remove ours before something terrible happened. It had already lost a huge limb the other day; and it was just a gorgeous summer day in the south (not even a strong breeze or anything). The bradford was 15 yrs old and had grown to be about 30X35 ft and that was about all our small yard could take. It was already a few feet over our home and just about touching it. I just love trees and the bradford was loving us back with the glorious shade it provided. It also seemed very healthy until it just began to fall apart. Very sad. Well, I was hoping that you would have a minute to suggest a tree for our front yard. I had looked at the autumn glory and a lot of japanese maples on-line but I’m just not sure what to do. This is very new to me. I really want something to have a pretty shape to it and provide nice shade like our bradford did. I miss it very very much. I love your October glorys because of the beautiful autumn color. We have a very nice earthy brick color to our home that I think it would compliment but I’m just not sure about the size. Do you think a japanese maple would be able to provide enough shade quickly? By the way, I love your website! You are so organized and have such an organic feel to the possitioning of the photographs on your pages. Beautiful Photos! Thank you for showing the growth charts of all the particular trees too. They were very helpful. Again, thanks for your outstanding site. – God bless America.
Angela
Julie: Just came across your website – it’s fantastic! My husband and I just lost a large Box Elder tree that shaded our entire patio and a hosta garden. We know this is not the best time to plant a tree but we really need some shade and we just purchased around a 15′ October Glory which will be planted in a week or two. In reading your website, I am quite concerned about the root system! YIKES! We ask about the roots but the nursery did not tell us that we would have a problem with shallow roots and we do plan to plant the tree in an area where that could be a problem. Could you suggest another type of faster growing shade tree that could be planted about 10 feet from our patio? We desperately need an answer soon since they will deliver the tree in a week or so. Thanks so much!
[Hi Carol -- julie here -- I have had readers write to me to tell me that their red maples hadn't been a surface root annoyance, so it's possible that MY surface root problem is related to my soil or something particular to my climate and growing conditions, or that other people have growing conditions that are perfect for avoiding surface roots. I really don't know. But I can tell you that my October Glory's roots are visible on every side of the tree. My sons use the roots to avoid walking in mud. Because there's also no grass under the tree. The boys also use the roots to set up Lego-people battle scenes. Point being, it's not a total disaster to have surface roots if you also have boys. By the way, my red sunset also has a major surface root problem. My sugar maple on the other hand does not have any surface roots and has grown REALLY fast despite label warnings that sugar maple is a "slow growing tree." Don't trust the labels! Oh, one other thing -- I know you want fast shade, but seriously, get a big umbrella or something and plant THE RIGHT TREE, not a fast-growing one. Fast-growing = weak-wooded, so in five years, you'll be regretting that tree decision if you're planting so close to your house. -- jws]
Dear Julie,
I live in Iron Station, NC (this is close to Charlotte, NC) I have two Sycamore trees in my front yard. One looks fine and has grown very quickly. They are about 10 years old. The other one has droopy branches on one side of the tree and it just kinda looks odd. Would you have any idea what might be wrong.
Thanks Jackie
[Hi Jackie -- Julie here -- without a picture or more info, I really have no idea, but you might try posting your question on the tree forum at GardenWeb.com, or, call an arborist to come have a look. But aren't droopy branches kind of a staple of sycamore trees? Maybe that's just how it grew? (Like I said, hard to know without a picture.) Good luck. -- jules]
Julie,
Your tree grower’s diary is an inspiration to me. I grew up on the west coast and did not experience the wonders of deciduous trees until I moved to Philly. I stumbled on your site when I began researching trees for a street tree planting project in south Philly. This was 2 years ago now, and the trees are already livening up the concrete streets of those neighborhoods. Many of the trees you write about and love are a part of the urban landscape in places where beautiful maples and beech trees used to live, but were cut down over the past few decades. Now they’re back, along with Eastern Redbuds, Gingkos and Dogwoods as well.
Recently I have been forced to move to northern California for family reasons. Living in a land without deciduous trees is proving difficult for me since they had become such an important part of my happiness. Just seeing an acer saccharum or beech tree lifts my mood no matter how stressed I may have been. “Tree Therapy” as I like to call it. So to battle the blues being stuck in CA, I’ve planted maples in my yard. There are NO maples in the area I live in, so I was nervous about planting them. Your photos of the October Glory Red Maple inspired me to plant one out west! It’s beautiful and happy now, along with 3 sugar maples, a couple eastern redbuds and some staghorn sumacs. Last fall my trees created a wonderful glimpse into the northeast falls I have grown to love. This fall should be even more vibrant. I think your site and tips on tree care helped me choose the right locations and times to plant the new introductions. When the day comes that I get to move back east again, it will be a euphoric moment for me. I truly hope that the trees in the yard are maintained and remain happy for years after I leave. Like your story about the purple beech tree, hopefully just one of the trees I planted can provide happiness for someone living in this northern California town someday in the future. After reading your blog, I agree that planting a maple, a dogwood, a beech or even a little staghorn sumac is a perfect way to leave your footprint behind. My main concern is that it seriously does not rain AT ALL in the summer here. We need summer thunderstorms! Do you think my maples or sumacs or eastern redbuds stand a chance if the future caretaker of my yard doesn’t water them? These dry summers are tough both for me and the trees.
Waiting to move back east…..Neal:)
[Hi Neal -- julie here -- ,
I don't usually send emails directly to people who post letters in my Tree Grower's Diary letters page, but I had to write to you to let you know your letter totally made my day! Thank you so much! To answer your question, I think that in general, if you live there for the first 5 to 10 years of those trees' lives, and you water them regularly, the trees might get used to that in the form of developing shallow root systems. Then if you move away and the new people don't continue what you started, the trees will die. My advice is to water well in the first 2 years, then slack off gradually so that by the 5th year, you are providing nothing extra than any other tenant on your property might provide later on (lawn sprinklers and such).
Good luck and thanks again! -- jws]
Julie,
we’ve tried to grow 3 or 4 different types of trees in our front yard after our birch washit by lighting. My husband suggested a Forest Pansy rebdub, I googled it since our nursery does not have these in stock, and I just absolutely fell in love. Your pictures are awesome (as I am a bit of a mamarazzi myself) and I am in awe of these trees. Can’t wait to get one. Will subscribe to your newsletter as I enjoy nature & photography as well. Thank you!
Silvia
Julie, Wow! Your web-site is awesome! My husband and I are tree growers/nursery owners. I was researching some trees on the web when I found your site. I am Zone 7(Tennessee) so I grow alot of the trees you have in your yard. The pics of the maples changing colors are beautiful. Looking forward to showing my husband. Thank you for sharing your pictures, diary, and love of family and trees. Beth Blankenship
Please help me indentify several dogwood trees. I brought them home on Arbor day a few years ago. I was told they are red, white and pink. They are to young to bloom. How do I indentify what color they will bloom?
I have given several away and have 4 left. I really want to keep a red one for myself.
Thanks, Debbie
Hey Debbie — Jules here — I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I have no idea how to tell until the flowers actually arrive. Maybe post your question in the GardenWeb tree forums. Good luck! — jws
I have an Autumn blaze maple tree that is 2 years old. The deer chewed away at the bark on the trunk this winter. We’ve since put up some piping to protect the trunk. But, this spring, there are only leaves at the very bottom of the tree on maybe two or three branches and the rest of the tree is bare. It didn’t sprout leaves yet there are buds on the branches. The ends of the bare branches are red. I don’t know what to do and I’ve searched the internet for answers and I was wondering if you had any suggestions.
Hi Julie,
First I would like to say you have such a wonderful website! All the information you have published is very informative. I just wish I had found it prior to purchasing two Bradford pears this past Memorial day.
Your site did come in handy when deciding on todays purchase of a thundercloud plum.
I am also considering an October Glory. The problem I have is the area I would like to plant it is in a very small yard. How close can they be planted to a house?
Charlie
[Hey Charlie, Sorry I missed your question, but if you're still looking for an answer, don't plant an October Glory any closer than 30 feet from a house, 40 is even better. These trees get quite large and have a large spread. Plus, their roots are shallow and they need lots of room to spread out. Good luck and I hope this helps! --jws]
Hi,
I love the Yoshino Cherry Tree and would like to plant two of them at the corners of my driveway and the sidewalk. My problem is I’m not sure if I have enough room. I have planted a Red Maple Tree about 15 to 20 feet from this spot. I also have a Cleveland Pear tree about 20 to 25 feet on the other side of the driveway. The cherry trees would be diagonal from these trees.
Rayna
do you know if the cherries from a japanese cherry tree are OK to eat? I know they’re tiny, but they’re not poisonous, are they?
I have a Red Sunset maple that we purchased last fall in Vermont while visiting there, We are in Virginia. The tree has been planted since early fall and appears to be doing great in its new location. However, within the last couple of days the leaves have developed black spots all over the tree. I don’t know why or how to treat it. Help???
I have two Beautiful Purple plum trees, however we have had a real wet spring this year and the wind actually blew these tree’s over, is there anything you can do to avoid this. help me please.
is there a dwarf varity of this tree
Hi Julie – Regarding the October Glory/Sugar Maple question, I forgot to let you know where I’m located! We are just outside Boston, MA.
Thanks again!
Betsy