Please dig beneath the surface of this issue and get past broad statements that lack detailed backing. I personally have called several soil labs and nurseries on the issue. They all say the same thing as I previously stated. Please feel free to do the same. Also read the multiple papers on the issue - there are several references in there. Universities do a great job of soil tests. I have had many on my land. They always state the nitrogen test is not accurate. Below are a couple links I found real quick. University of Clemson: http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/hgic1652.htm Nitrogen: Available nitrogen is taken up by plant roots in the form of nitrate (NO3-) and ammonium (NH4+). Nitrogen testing is not recommended because the levels of available nitrogen are variable due to its mobility in the soil. The available forms of nitrogen are very water soluble and move rapidly through the soil profile with rainfall and irrigation. This causes the amount in the root zone to fluctuate over time. Recommendations are based on the requirements of the particular plants you are growing. University of New Hampshire: http://extension.unh.edu/Pubs/HGPubs/soiltest.pdf Why doesnÂt the lab test nitrogen? Nitrogen is a very unstable element. Its availability changes from week to week as a result of biological activity in the soil and weather conditions. To accurately measure nitrogen, samples must be frozen immediately and shipped quickly to the labÂa very expensive process. Therefore, nitrogen testing is generally done only on highvalue commercial crops, not home garden/lawn samples. The home gardener will get nitrogen recommendations based on crop need rather than on a soil nitrogen test. Don't believe me - please read the detailed research papers in the book I mentioned by the International Society of Arboriculture. There are dozens of papers on the issue over several decades. The conclusions are SLOW release WIN fetilizer promotes tree growth without damaging trees. John

"native from Newfoundland to Manitoba, south to the central United States. It is even found on the west coast of the United States and down into the mountains of Arizona and New Mexico" http://www.hort.uconn.edu/plants/c/corser/corser1.html - Cornus sericea Redosier Dogwood By redtwig dogwood are we talking about that species? I have a few planted in sun to cut down headlights from passing cars at night. They do spread by suckering very well. My mower keeps them in check though and much like the native sumac while they might spread if I'm understanding which species of plant they are they're native to the Central U.S. where I am so it isn't like a Chinese Empress tree or Honeysuckle displacing natives. I've put a few cuttings in shade to test their rooting. Most made it and are living as well as you could hope with no further aid from me. This fall I'll be able to check on their color. Of note, you need to trim these virtually to the ground to get the best winter red stem color. If you don't you get more flowers and berries and the most striking red on the new stems while the older ones with "bark" look brown with red streaks. Still not unattractive by any means. ***************** MANY Japanese Maples have dainty foliage which needs protection from mid day sun. These are the Dalmatians of the tree would. Instead of being bred for a tolerance to a wide variety of conditions or the best hearing they're bred for color. If you order a Acer Palmatum "Purple Ghost" for $100 its a different tree than going to your state forestry web site and ordering a dozen Acer Palmatum for $25. "Acer palmatum includes hundreds of named cultivars with countless forms, colors, leaf types, sizes, and preferred growing conditions. Heights of mature specimens can range from 0.5 m to 25 m, depending on type. Some tolerate sun, and others like shade. Almost all are adaptable and blend well with companion plants. The trees are particularly suitable for borders and ornamental paths because the root systems are compact and not invasive. Well drained soil is preferred, and the trees grow strongest when not over-fertilized. Many varieties of Acer palmatum are successfully grown in containers.[7]" 7. # ^ Vertrees, J.D. (1987) Japanese Maples. Timber Press, Inc. ISBN 0-88192-048-7 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acer_palmatum ********************* Personally if this is a 100 foot or less row I'd order a couple dozen different shrubs to vase shaped trees that are not prone to sucker to plant in there which tolerate shade. 1. You'll get a great variety of happenings. Some will flower, some will have great fall color, some will get berries in July, some August, something interesting year round. 2. When the magic Emerald Viburnum eating Chinese communist beetle or whatever is next invades it won't wipe out your whole row. Planting all of one species leaves you vulnerable. Oh, and post a pic Emmi!

I have a Western redbud in a fairly shady spot. Mine was a foot tall when I planted it in 2008; now it's five feet tall and just bloomed for the first time this past fall. (When it grows another three or four feet, it will start getting more sun.) They don't typically bloom until they've been in the ground for a couple of years, so the fact that yours has been blooming repeatedly leads me to believe it was already fairly old when you planted it. This could be the reason that it hasn't grown noticeably. If it was rather large when transplanted, the transplant process may have damaged its root system significantly, so it may have needed to a few years for its roots to recover. In the wild, Western redbuds often grow as understory trees beneath other, taller trees. They may look prettier if they receive at least partial sun, but I've definitely seen them surviving in dense shade in quite a few different locations.

Loquats are quite densely foliated with large, dark-green, tropical looking foliage. In that sense they would provide excellent shade. On the other hand, they are not large trees and reach a maximum height of around 20 feet or so. It would obviously take a while for them to reach that height. Do a quick internet search for loquats and see if you like the look. -Brett