I talked to my husband when he got home from work last night. We're not using any of those bags of soil. We're using all native soil. We've also decided to plant these trees over 2 days. He works second shift so we don't have all day to do it. He's just going to dig a hole in a part of our yard and then when he's done with it will fill it with some topsoil or something. Funny that someone brought up a tiller. We already tried that idea. Well, sort of. We tried to rent one from Home Depot earlier this week, and they said we couldn't rent it yet because it's too muddy outside and they don't want any mud getting on the machine. We told the guy we would never return the machine with any mud on it but he insisted no one can rent the tiller yet. If all we were doing was planting trees it would be one thing but once we plant we are committed to putting up vole fencing around it. We've already got all the poles put up. Where we are planting we can see vole trails everywhere. Not to mention we also have to stake these trees (I stake every tree I plant for 2 seasons) because they are going to be in the prevailing wind section of our yard. The trunks and branches on these 2 foot European Hornbeam fastigiatas are so tiny! They look like they could snap right off. I smiled to myself this morning when I re-read my original post. I was completely panicked when I wrote it. I'm calm about it now. We're planting half today and staking and fencing them, and then the other half tomorrow on his day off. It'll be fine. I see people on videos all the time dig a hole to plant a tree and put the dirt back in and have enough to backfill, but we never do. And we put every bit of dirt we dig out of the hole on a tarp so as not to lose any of it but we still don't have enough.

I am not a landscape designer (interior designer actually)...We have a thick soil, I think it would be classified as a clay ==>>>first thing you need to do.. is perk the soil ... clay can be the best or the worst soil ... depending on whether it drains .... dig a hole... fill with water.. and find out how long it takes to empty ... this gives you useful soil information .. and dictates how you will need to deal with such in the future .... plant selection is not limited by clay or soil alone ... again.. its drainage ... and how you plant in the soil you have ... if it were me ... i would get rid of the tree ... get the garage work done .. and worry about a tree replacement next season ... meanwhile.. on the opposite side of the yard.. i would work on bed development .... and perhaps a nursery bed.. to grow plants to move around.. in fall ... second link below.. look to the section on planting in clay ... depending on your perk test ... you might want to have topsoil moved in for bed use.. during the garage process ... as compared to after .... also.... think outside your box ... a pergola might get you the privacy you need without a tree ... a nice tree that might fit in your yard ... is a redbud ... unlike interior design.. gardening lacks a certain level of instant gratification ... we speak in terms of years for a given result ... compared to indoor projects.. that can be done in weeks ... of course with a huge checkbook... anything can be overcome ... ken https://www.google.com/search?q=perk+the+soil&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8 === https://sites.google.com/site/tnarboretum/Home/planting-a-tree-or-shrub

Nick and Melike, Thank you both so much. I had called the nursery also and they said the Haas is a "semi-dwarf" (which I didn't know). Still, I was worried. I know my chance to give it more room is now, not later, so I was really considering just leaving it there (it's HEAVY), but digging another hole 2' away and joining the holes, then sliding the tree over. Lot of work. I read your comments last night and made the decision to Let. It. Be. It's adjusting well so far, and I don't mind pruning to keep it's size under control. Right now, there are over 50 avocados on it, some golf-ball sized, so it seems as if it will be quite fruitful even when small. Thank you both again! You saved me hours of sweating and an aching back. Love GardenWeb!

out of focus really doesnt help ... but it doesnt look like pine to me ... im thinking abies ... fir ... but im cant even feel secure on that with the blur ... where are they ... z5 is half the US ... as trees.. no conifer stops growing at some magical height ... its all about annual growth rate .. and how fast the get to height and go right past it.. most size estimates in conifers is at 10 years .. double the size at 20 .... are there power lines?? why 25'? and how long is the installation ... or are you talking one plant???? one thing for sure.. plant a diversity of plants ... if more than one ... ken