Hi Tammy, I'm hoping to trade for your Mock Orange, Yoshino Cherry Tree and Adonium "Miss Pink". I only have Delphinium ( Larkspur) from your wants, unless you like something else from my list, hope so. Have a great day, Bea

If you are back East this is one of those kinds that has been the cause of multiple posts wondering what was going on with their tree. Other than that, it produces a spreading top of greater width than you have indicated - when fully developed. Specimens have been measured with average crown spreads more than double 20'-25'. Visually the tree is a sort of cattleya orchid, with a sensational flowering contrasting with a utilitarian foliage appearance. Fall color is more than yellow but not spectacular. A modern, disease-resistant flowering crabapple cultivar might be a better bet for you. Or maybe a service berry with good fall color, as long as pests and diseases in your area do not make these a gamble.

Well, if the tree dies then I can get a swimming pool. The lady who lived here before me planted those trees in the middle of the yard. I will plant a few new trees in the back yard in the fall or spring. About how long till something like that kills it off? a few years? 10 years? It's a shame, I really do love that tree. When it does go I'll cut up the uneffected parts and use it in my smoker. Man, I really have no luck with the plants and trees at this house.

To determine the proper depth at planting, I'd gently dig down/flake the soil off of the top of the rootball until I got to the first root. Trees should be planted so that the highest root is approximately at ground level (in some cases with poorly draining soil, just slightly above that). Often trees and shrubs come planted at the wrong depths from the nursery. Unfortunately you can't assume that the top of the rootball is the correct planting depth. With some growers, as long as there is dirt and a plant in the pot, it's ready to sell. I will provide a link to my planting instructions below. If read carefully, I think/hope they will answer most of your planting questions. Weed barriers (the plastic and fiber stuff) will usually kill preexisting weeds and grass by cutting off their light, but they do nothing, or next to nothing, to stop seeds from germinating and growing roots down through the material. They also do nothing to control spreaders (like Bermuda grass), which also sends roots down through the material. When weeds and grass anchor themselves through the weed barrier, they can become impossible to remove without removing the entire weed barrier. I've actually done jobs where we had to remove the entire weed barrier by either cutting it into small sections and digging the whole mass of weeds, roots, and weed barrier out or use a skidsteer to scoop the mess out. Talking about a disaster! The second reason that root barriers are bad is because the repel water and nutrients and decrease soil gas exchange. All of them do this to some degree; some are worse than others. The ones that do the best job of blocking weed growth are probably the worst for blocking water, nutrient, and gasses. Another reason they are bad is because they block decomposing mulch from being mixed into the soil. Mulch can really benefit the tilth and fertilization of your soil if allowed to break down and mix into the soil. Here is a link that might be useful: Planting a Tree or Shrub