Yep, they are short lived especially in the humid southeast due to canker problems when they reach 15 to 25 years old. In climates with low summer humidity they can live over 100 years. Lombardy Poplars do have brittle twigs, and when the top dies they will keep sending up suckers and new shoots from the stump. A much longer lived and nicer kind is Theves Poplar, it's almost exactly like Lombardy but is much more suited to high humidity and probably could live 80+ years. Populus is my most favorite genus of trees, I think all poplars are very beautiful with their glossy fluttering leaves and the nice surf sound they make in the wind.

taoseeker, i have been using mycchorizae since it first became commercially available and I do also use some basic fungicides. The fungicides are sprayed on the foliage and have no effect on the rootzone - although a caveat might be if one was to use systemic fungicides (are there any?) I gaily use bordeaux and copper sulphate to prevent mildew, peach leaf curl and various blights and will still stand by my belief that myccorhizae has been a revelation. There is a lot of emotional whitewash in the organic/nonorganic arguments - we have to think for ourselves, test any products, take a lot of advice with a pinch of salt as there is usually some sort of guiding agenda getting in the way of evidence. You should base your conclusions on what you, yourself have observed in your own garden but without making the attempt at a trial, any vague belief systems or feelings are fairly worthless. Do try it but do a control experiment for comparison.

Well, I wouldn't plant one. I wouldn't even let someone else come onto our property and plant one, even if it the tree and the labor to plant it were free. Lombardy Poplar is a fast-growing tree. Unfortunately, like most fast-growing trees, it then tends to decline and die quickly. Its roots tend to sucker endlessly, giving you new trees that you likely don't want. They tend to have surface roots that will lift up concrete and cause broken sidewalks or foundation issues. Their roots tend to invade water lines. If someone tries to talk you into planting this tree, stick your fingers in your ears and say "la la la la la, I am not listening to you...." They have lots of pest problems and tend to die of canker and other diseases that appear suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, and then kill them quickly. Do yourself a favor, and plant a good quality tree that won't cause you endless headaches. Better-quality trees do tend to grow slower, but that also means they last a lot longer. Most fast-growing trees are fast-dying trees, giving rise to the use of the term "trash trees", often used to describe them. People get suckered into buying and planting Lombardy Poplars because of the too-good-to-be-true growth rates cited by companies selling them. Don't get lured into thinking planting them is a good idea. OKC has a great publication on selecting trees for urban areas. I'll link it below. It has great descriptions and great photos. Maybe you'll see a good-quality tree there that will appeal to you. I haven't looked at the OKC publication to see if the Lombardy Poplar is listed in it as a recommended tree, but I'm 100% sure it isn't. It is a whole lot easier to buy a good-quality tree that will last a long time, will stay healthy and won't give you trouble than to buy a fast-growing trash tree that will get to just the height you want it....and then start dying, leaving you with the work and expense of having it removed and the expense of replacing it with something else. Just because a tree grows well in Tuscany doesn't mean it will grow here. We're, um.....not in Tuscany....are we? You'll save yourself a lot of trouble if you plant trees that either are native to Oklahoma or at least are well-adapted to the conditions here, and Lombardy poplar is neither. Friends don't let their friends plant this tree. : ) Dawn Here is a link that might be useful: OKC: Putting Down Roots

Put the legs back on your stove. That's not cool to do because you're re-engineering the stove. You have a flammable floor underneath the stove it needs to be adjusted to the right height for air to flow. I have the same problem at my house after doing a remodel. After looking around I found this to be the simplest solution. I went to internet and found a company that sells rubber. I bought a 10 ft long by 1 inch by a half inch thick. I measured the distance from the back of the stove to the front of the stove to get the correct cut. I had to make a few passes to get through the rubber but it worked and I was pleased with the outcome. I'm going to glue a piece of plastic to the front edge that I cut which is exposed to make it appears though it is a finished product.