in my z5 .. near ann arbor MI ... tree planting is october ... cool days.. and cooler nights.. trees grow roots.. even after the leaves fall off

IMHO ...no where in the northern hemisphere is august a good time to plant ....

i would not buy bigboxstore stock that has been on the parking lot all summer... in fall most tend to get fresher stock ...

bigger is not better... something in the 3 to 5 foot range will recover from transplant faster.. and out grow many bigger plants ...

i hate maple.. because i garden under my trees... all the power to you .. if you like them ...

even if you buy the tree tomorrow.. keep it in shade.. black pots not good in sun ... until at least mid sept ...

good luck
ken

There have been any number of postings in the past several months about planting trees - use the search function for this forum and you will probably get most of your questions answered. If you still have questions after reading through these, then come back for answers. At the moment, you need a book....

It is my understanding that most maples aren't any too happy about wet feet, so you will have to select from Acer pennsylvanicum, striped maple; A. rubrum, red maple; or A. saccharinum, silver maple, which I strongly advise against, as it is a weak tree, with obnoxious roots!

River birch may be a possibility, although it can be stressed by drought. Ashes are another possibility, as long as the Emarald Ash Borer isn't a problem in your area. Larix laricina, eastern larch, has good fall color. Sycamore is another that can take wet feet, as are a number of the oaks.

The wetness after rains definitely needs to be a part of chosing a tree for you - whether it happens frequently , or only in the spring, it can make a difference in how well trees do. Combining that wetness with the summer dryness you are now experiencing can get tricky. You may well have to water, beyond the first few years, in the hottest and dryest summers. Mulching will help, but... You certainly don't want to plant in the hottest part of the year, not without being able to water very well. I am not sure if fall planting is recommended for your area or not - it may get too cold too quickly, so you may do better planting in the late winter/early spring.

Since you want maples, I am assuming that size is no object, but do you have a maximum height or width in mind? Remember that your neighbor owns the airspace beyond your property line, and can legally trim back branches that go over the line. You want to take width into account as well as height. Do you want a flowering tree, a tree that has fall color?

Once you have thought about answers to these, and to any other criteria you can think of, then you can get more specific advice.

You certainly can't use A. pennsylvanicum, a very tricky tree that absolutely cannot tolerate winter sun on the bark. And sycamores get 90 feet tall and are much, much too large for a thirty foot yard.

If I were you I'd talk to a good local nursery where people know what they're talking about, and I'd plant the smallest tree you can get. Smaller stock establishes better than big trees, especially in poor soil. You might consider a Black Gum, but talk to a local nursery.

Thanks everyone for all your helpful replies! I will now definitely wait until fall to plant my tree, I think if I don't plant it oo late it should have time to root before winter. I have read before that a smaller tree is better and I agree. How can I tell if a tree is new stock or old when I go buy? I will resarch more about tree types and then come here with more questions. Any advice about how to plant though? I don't want to pay $$$ for someone to come plant it for me but with my soil I can only dig inches until it's too hard.
Cheryl

You might want to check with your town's planning department about the river of water in the back yard during rain. Lot grading is supposed be done in such a way that one lot does not flood another. Did your neighbours raise their lot level?

With a thirty foot wide lot, you really don't have room for two maples. One would spread to completely shade your yard and your neighbours. Red maple (Acer rubrum) tolerates wet feet and can take dry soil if you mulch well and water it with a slow trickle for 1-2 hours every two weeks during a drought. It is a medium sized maple with good red fall colour, grows relatively quickly and is not subject to many pests. Also a native Ontario tree.

For more shade and privacy, consider some shrubs or smaller trees in addition to the maple. Serviceberry is a great tree, with white flowers in the spring, tasty blue berries in June and good yellow fall colour. Viburnum, dogwood, ninebark are adaptable shrubs that grow 6-10ft high.

With a small, narrow yard, do not plant the tree along the fence line. Place 5 to 9 shrubs (shrubs spread 4-6ft wide each) along the back boundary, planting at least 2 ft out from the boundary line. Then place the maple tree 10 to 15 ft away from the back line and about 10 ft from the side boundary line; this will give it room to grow and will provide shade and privacy for about 2/3 of the yard. If you also use a smaller tree like serviceberry, place it 8-10 ft from the opposite side boundary and 6-8 ft from edge of desk or patio. This will screen and shade the rest of the yard; by placing it closer to the patio it will provide better privacy.

Here is a link that might be useful: Red Maple.

When you come to planting, dig the hole plenty wide and deep enough for the root ball, but under no circumstances add improved soil to the hole. Use the soil you dug out. But do mulch the tree well and keep it mulched, spreading the mulch out at least as far as the drip line, but not piling it up near the trunk.