Arktrees, those pictures just about took my breath away! Such a beautiful tree! Even more beautiful in my opinion than the Autumn Blaze I have, since I am partial to the deeper reds/burgundy anyway. I am happy to hear that they are drought tolerant and also fast growing, which is important. I think I will look for one of these in the fall. I don't mind watering trees at all when its hot and dry, especially when they are getting established, I just don't want something that is going to be very difficult to keep alive in our climate/soil. And I usually don't water my grass... but trees are a different story. Regarding planting - what is the closest to my house I can safely plant? My house makes an L shape with the garage and the front yard is the inside of that L. The builder put the tree about 20' away from the front. Would you plant any closer than that? I just now saw Mackel's post on the soil alkalinity... what is your soil like over there in Arkansas? I'll have to test mine but I think its around 7. Hogmanay, crape myrtles grow very well here and thank you for the suggestion. I gather they are fast growing, so that may give me some shade in the short term. I know they are very common in this area, but since I am relatively new to Oklahoma, and just figured out last summer what all those flowering trees were, they are still new to me :) Thanks again, Shelley

Ash, the answer to your question depends on a couple things, mainly how much of the woody material got removed with the stump, and how close is "close" to the same location. Now in nature, new trees arise near, and sometimes right on top of dead ones, but that's a different scenario. Nature is in no hurry, we usually are. So if a large amount of the "stump chips" are removed with the stump grinding, and replaced with good topsoil, you can indeed plant virtually in the same place. What might happen is that the fungi that decompose any remaining woody material will temporarily use up most of the nitrogen in the vicinity of the old tree. You will know this is happening if your new tree becomes "chlorotic", which means it has yellowish foliage (For a tree that should normally have green leaves). But this is easily remedied by placing some fertilizer containing nitrogen-most do-over the top of the soil in the area of the old tree replacement/new tree planting. Does this make sense? I feel like it is taking too many words to explain something that's not really all that complex! Oh and BTW, yes, your present tree is ready to be made into firewood if you still had any doubts! +oM

Sherry, Its always a threat, but its usually its overstated. I said "start to think" suffices to say that if you wear appropriate clothing, there is no worry at all unless you get caught, and thatÂs why we are told to prepare for emergencies in the car and at home. I have had to be outside in really cold weather for hours at a time back in highschool for my job, and I never had any incidence of frostbite (well once, but it was minor). I have lived in the north all my life and there is no risk if you know what to do- frostbite is real threat but really a concern usually. Your skin on your face is sensitive, so it can send you the signals I described but still be perfectly fine Âand for me always is- reversed within moments of getting in a heated area. Just getting cold will make your face muscles go rather stiff  but I have never seen or known of anyone who knew of anyone who had their face frozen off!

Well, Do you have Shantung Maple 'Fire Dragon'? ;) It's great because of consistent cardinal red fall color leaves. 7 shantung maples... you got me beat there. I have 5. I'd plant more but my wife said we have enough trees on .199 acre lot... You just moved in that new house and you already have that many trees? Hmm... Ok back to the subject... I take it that you have black gumbo soil that is impossible to work with? Do you have limestone/Caliche underneath? If so, how deep? What about Caddo sugar maple? Big Tooth maple? Both are similiar and verdicts are still not out on which one does better in certain situtation. I have Caddo maple in my back yard in caliche soil but I'm having chlrosis problem probably due to all the rain past month. The bottom 2/3 of leaves are nice dark green leaves but the new top 1/3 of new growth past month are yellow leaves with green veins that are getting "burned". It is unfortunate. I don't have Big Tooth Maple mainly because the info on it is that it is slow grower scared me away. I found a nursery (Love Creek) in Medina, Texas where Lost Maples forest is close by and they claim that they can grow 3-4 feet a year so I might drive there and get one. Chalk Maple is another sugar maple but small. Trident maple might also do fine but doesn't get very big.