Coastal New England Low Maintenace Wind Tolerant Trees
edlincoln
11 years ago
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tree_oracle
11 years agocarol6ma_7ari
11 years agoRelated Discussions
'New England' Lawn experts I need your help!!!! Which seed?
Comments (5)Massachusetts, as a whole, is in the zones 5 & 6....with maybe a 7 thrown in there close to the ocean. Generally, being close to large bodies of water moderates temperatures and Boston is no different. Frosts are less severe close to the water....more severe inland....that is a given. As far as grass seed is concerned and its choice whether one is better than the other it is quite easy to make a decision; simply go to your local full-service garden nursery and speak to the person/s who run the place and ask their opinion. Mostly, its a better rule to buy a mix.....and for northern grasses the combination of Kentucky Bluegrass, perennial ryegrass and fescue makes for a good selection ---each grass gives its best for conditions encountered in northern areas. You can do research youself on the why's to buy a mix and on the different grasses individual capabilities. Generally, one gives good results when summer heat hits, the other, stands up to shade, and the other stands up to drought when that occurs. Grass color often is the result of the soil it is growing in. It might take time when, say....a section is needing fixing...and is sodded; it might result in a shade of green unlike the rest of the lawn. That's normal....but in time, the sod will be fed from the same soil and conditions as the rest of the lawn. A good rule of thumb: cut the grass at a uniform height...generally 3" - 3 1/2" This is a height that is not high....not low...but high enough to shade out weed seeds that is in every lawn. Now some grasses, like bent...which is used on golf greens, is cut very low----but that grass is especially able to take such low height---it isn't harmed by sun and wind and drought....as other grasses would be. Grass, left high will shade out weed seeds and over time, your lawn will be much better for it. Some owners cut their lawns short prior to winter freeze....but that is generally accepted to be not a good thing to do. Better the grass is left a bit higher....to conserve as much moisture as possible to go into winter. Northing harms a lawn more than a cold northern winter....winter takes a terrible toll on lawns and spring fixes are common because of it. Some fertilize their lawns going into winter---others feed their lawns in the spring and follow a regular routine of feeding throughout the spring and summer. It can be a crap-shoot whether one routine is better than the other. Good lawns take time and effort and one shouldn't expect miracles. With all what can attack our lawns, its good to see our lawns come through winter in decent shape....See MoreDeodar-- More on its remarkable tolerance
Comments (17)Since july 2008 I have a Cedrus deodara "Karl Fuchs", here in zone 6 and it is doing very well. I planted the 1.5 (5 feet) tree a year ago (not the best month to plant but it was a must) and it standed a very warm and dry august thereafter. Ofcourse I watered it and watered it at least 4 times a week in that month. In comparison: I lost my Abies pinsapo which I also planted a year ago and is also considered as a drought-tolerant tree. After that Karl Fuchs easily survived the winter in which the temperature dropped twice to -18C (without snowcover!!!). It's a fine and remarkable tree, it belongs to the Patkia group which is from the higher altitudes of Afghanistan. I looked up some climate-data from there and in summer there's almost no precipitation in that area, so it has to be a very drought tolerant tree. The very high altitude from which it comes, makes it's cold-tolerancy, I guess....See MoreSalt tolerant Natives: Sassafras and Sweet Gum
Comments (5)Of your list, the trees I am familiar with: - Juglans nigra Black Walnut - allelopathic (puts out a chemical that hinders certain other plants from growing, including rhodies, tomatoes, and roses); Nuts can stain concrete, hands, etc. I like the clear yellow fall color and the sort of gangly look of the tree. - Liquidambar styraciflua Sweetgum - Prickly seed pods will prevent walking barefoot. Stunning fall color. - Nyssa sylvatica black gum - Stunning fall color and I think this is one of my favorite trees - straight trunks with interesting bark, glossy foliage. Slow growing. Sassafras albidum Sassafras Stunning fall color, interesting leaves. Can sucker, but I don't know how badly if it hasn't been damaged or cut down. - Crataegus phaenopyrum Washington Hawthorne - Are there disease resistant varieties/selections? Susceptible to rust and fire blight, but I don't know if they are likely to be a problem in your area. - Prunus serotina Black cherry - I like it and so do the birds and other critters. Small panicles of white flowers followed by tiny fruit. I wouldn't particularly want it on a suburban lot as it can be messy and seed around a lot, but here on the farm it's a common plant in the process of old field turning into forest. - White Pine isn't probably a good choice for a typical suburban lot, but is another great plant for large areas. Drops limbs in ice storms, drips pitch on vehicles and pavement, can tip over in high winds if the root ball is shallow due to ledge or water restricting root depth - the whole root ball just rips out. Beautiful, however. The trees near the highway survive, but I don't know how highway spray compares to hurricane spray as far as the plant is concerned....See MoreBatten down the hatches, Southern New England
Comments (25)Oh yes, we lost power... It went off at 5:30 pm EDT Sat. night and just came back at 5:15 pm EST today, Sunday. 24 hours and 45 minutes (but who's counting). Our line goes over the river and through the woods and they always seem to save it for last. Telephone went off today too, so I couldn't get online (dialup). Temperature in the house got down to about 51 degrees by this afternooon. At least I had my pot of (cold) coffee and the Halloween candy... I went down to the beach this morning - the beach grass buffer zone repelled the waves and there's no damage to the cliff. The beach looked wonderfully smooth as if the storm had ironed it. Just one guy and two happy dogs walking on the sand. The danger zone down the beach was OK too, the water was up to the cliff, but didn't take a bite. I checked with my neighbor - the tree that came down on the property line laid a few branches on his hot tub, but it still holds water, so he's not worried. I'll get an arborist to remove the tree. Last night was hairy at the time of high tide, when the winds and waves were roaring. I was very thankful for my battery-operated radio which helped distract me from the sounds - it was dark so I couldn't see what the trees and waves were doing - all I could do was listen and hope. I jury-rigged a support system for my bent-over wisteria standard so it's upright until I figure out a better support. The good thing is that it will probably bloom beautifully next year. A storm got it last year and this spring was the best bloom it's ever had. Some people beat their wisteria with bats and savagely root prune them to force bloom - I just wait for another storm. Did I mention how nice it is to have heat in the house? I was NOT looking forward to another cold night, or morning rather, with temperatures forecast for low 30's overnight. Bed is nice and warm, but getting up in a cold room can be unpleasant. Not to mention getting dressed. I was also worried about the more tender tropical houseplants And now I can open the refrigerator and freezer without fear. Is the hurricane season over yet? Claire...See Moreedlincoln
10 years agotree_oracle
10 years agoedlincoln
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agobill_ri_z6b
8 years agotree_oracle
8 years agobill_ri_z6b
8 years ago
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