Page 3 of 4 FirstFirst 1 2 3 4 LastLast
Results 21 to 30 of 31

Thread: Tree identification

  1. #21
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    The Cove
    Posts
    38,023
    Post Thanks / Like
    That's probably the wisest thing to do. If the roots grow under the foundation it could cause you all sorts of big time problems.
    Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

  2. #22
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    Harker Heights
    Posts
    31,616
    Post Thanks / Like
    Yeah... That is the problem with my ash trees... They have gone under the driveway and busted it up in a few places, and have trunk feelers all over the back yard.

    Ash trees are popular because they grow very fast and provide a lot of shade. They are short lived because they are soft wood and susceptible to borers and then go in a few years. I have a Texas ash in the front yard and it is doing great. Harder wood. The Arizona ash in the backyard is hanging by a thread, and whenever I cut off a dying limb I can spot the borers inside. They cut off the flow of juices from the root to the leaves and interrupt photosynthesis killing the tree a little bit at a time.

    Most professional landscapers call the m Arizona trash because the contractor slaps them in the yard and they grow quick... And that's fine until it dies a bit later and then you have to get rid of the poor thing.

    Whenever planting a tree in all of this Calichee laden soil of Texas, the secret is to dig your hole and then use a tankers bar to bust through the calichee layer so that a tap root can get established. If you don't, you get what I have... Trunk roots that can only go a foot deep and then spread out to the whole yard to get water instead of going down. Beautiful shade tree, but root issues.
    If you do not read the news you are uninformed. If you do you are misinformed. Mark Twain


  3. Thanks fchafey thanked this post
    Likes CenTexDave liked this post
  4. #23
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    UCLA / Unknown Corner of Lower Alabama
    Posts
    10,420
    Post Thanks / Like
    When I bought my first house on Fleetwood, I put in 2 Arizona ash trees in the back yard. The trunks were about 2 inches in diameter.
    I dug down about 4 or 5 inches, and hit that hard clay. I used a pick axe and tanker bars to bust through that. It was about 6 or 7 inches thick. I made that hole about 2 1/2 feet in diameter.
    10 years later, those trees had grown to maybe 5 inch diameter. So, not so fast growing, in my opinion.

  5. #24
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    The Cove
    Posts
    38,023
    Post Thanks / Like
    Poplars grow extremely fast, but if you don't trim off the branches that are continually popping out from the trunk near ground level they will
    look hideous.
    Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

  6. #25
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    Harker Heights
    Posts
    31,616
    Post Thanks / Like
    Quote Originally Posted by kantwin View Post
    This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
    When I bought my first house on Fleetwood, I put in 2 Arizona ash trees in the back yard. The trunks were about 2 inches in diameter.
    I dug down about 4 or 5 inches, and hit that hard clay. I used a pick axe and tanker bars to bust through that. It was about 6 or 7 inches thick. I made that hole about 2 1/2 feet in diameter.
    10 years later, those trees had grown to maybe 5 inch diameter. So, not so fast growing, in my opinion.
    I had a huge Az. ash in the back yard, and then planted a Texas ash in the front. The Texas ash caught up to the other one in 5 years and grew like it was on steroids.

    Of course, that may be due to the fact that it was planted directly over the sewer line running from the house to the street. Both are still alive, but the one in back is sicker than a Marine on shore leave.
    If you do not read the news you are uninformed. If you do you are misinformed. Mark Twain


  7. Likes CenTexDave liked this post
  8. #26
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Hymesa Estates, Killeen
    Posts
    32,773
    Post Thanks / Like
    Quote Originally Posted by fchafey View Post
    This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
    Arizona Ash, Silver Maple are two excellent trees for this area. One major problem is one should have 2-3 feet of topsoil for them to really thrive. With only 2-3 inches of topsoil thrown on the ground in these developments the roots don't go down far enough then spread. So yes 20 years of you are lucky and if one like trees then one trades the trees for lawns. I can already see a few spots where the roots have found rock underneath and are cruising just under the top soil surface. I had a French drain sunk in the back yard and the picture I got while deployed of trench show roots not very far down. In my back yard I have 2 Crepe Myrtles, 2 Pear Trees, Pin Oak, Silver Maple, and an Arizona Ash. In the front I have an Oak and it is already messing with the circle landscape around the base as well as the concrete ring.
    if your oak tree is "live oak", you'll alwys have that tightly woven circular mass of roots up near the top. it's just the way live oaks are. most of us on here are really on 2 levels (strata) of lime stone, not just one. You've got that first one down 4 maybe 5 inches and it's about 6 inches thick but then you have about 18 or 20 inches of good stuff before you hit the 2nd layer. If you're plantin' a pecan you gotta break a hole through both layers because pecans have a tap root that wants to go straight down......but in any case, for every tree, you need to break though that first top layer of limestone....mac
    Live as if you were living a second time, and as though you had acted wrongly the first time.

  9. Thanks fchafey, CenTexDave thanked this post
  10. #27
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Cedarwhackerville, Bell County-7 Generations
    Posts
    16,589
    Post Thanks / Like
    Are the leaves rough like fine sandpaper? It still looks like a hackberry to me.
    Y'ALL MEANS ALL.

  11. Thanks CenTexDave thanked this post
  12. #28
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Hymesa Estates, Killeen
    Posts
    32,773
    Post Thanks / Like
    Quote Originally Posted by Grammar Rules View Post
    This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
    Are the leaves rough like fine sandpaper? It still looks like a hackberry to me.
    looks similar from 10' away or so but all oaks are either lobed or toothed. hackberry's are toothed. this tree doesn't appear to be toothed...it's far fetched but it wouldn't s'prise me but what if it wasn't a hybrid hackberry/red tip photina......but if I had to bet some real serious money on it, I'd bet it was a sugarberry.....mac
    Last edited by mac; May 18th, 2017 at 7:23 PM.
    Live as if you were living a second time, and as though you had acted wrongly the first time.

  13. #29
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    UCLA / Unknown Corner of Lower Alabama
    Posts
    10,420
    Post Thanks / Like
    Quote Originally Posted by mac View Post
    This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
    all oaks are either lobed or toothed.
    Not quite.
    Ever heard of a laurel oak? I have a few of those in my yard. They put out leaves like this -

    neither either lobed nor toothed.
    Willow oaks are similar as well.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Capture.jpg  

  14. #30
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Hymesa Estates, Killeen
    Posts
    32,773
    Post Thanks / Like
    Quote Originally Posted by kantwin View Post
    This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote
    Not quite.
    Ever heard of a laurel oak? I have a few of those in my yard. They put out leaves like this -

    neither either lobed nor toothed.
    Willow oaks are similar as well.
    are you sure a laurel oak ain't a laurel and a willow oak not a willow? I ain't got a clue but my guess is that neither one of 'em are true oaks.....mac
    Live as if you were living a second time, and as though you had acted wrongly the first time.

Page 3 of 4 FirstFirst 1 2 3 4 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •