HOW TO HAVE A BIG SHADE TREE IN YOUR YARD NOW!
You can be spared the back-breaking work of digging a hole in solid clay soil and then maneuvering a heavy tree into it. Even if you go for a tiny tree you’ll still have to bend over and dig a hole. Ever hear the saying “dig a 20-dollar hole for a 5-dollar tree? The days of five-dollar trees are gone but you get the message. I can hear your back screaming from here. The hole must be many times larger than the root ball for the tree to establish a good root system and grow a healthy tree.
Give Me Shade Now!
Everyone appreciates trees, especially homeowners. If you’ve moved into a new neighborhood, maybe a new house with only one lonely little “token” tree put in by the builder, you still have a lot of sun to deal with. We all love sunshine but even if you’ve put a pool in your yard it’s still nice to get out of the sun for a while. Having some big shade trees where you can sit in dappled sunshine and hear the breeze gently wave their leafy branches can be very relaxing. They can also help shade your house and reduce air conditioning costs during the summer. Let’s explore this big tree business!
Here is a comparison in planting your own and having a big tree planted by a professional tree moving company.
Plant a young tree from the garden center and grow gray watching it grow taller.
Buy a tree from a tree farm or nursery that grows trees to maturity and brings them to your house, digs the hole and plants the tree.
The big tree industry describes them as trees that are 10 to 12 feet or taller. Some trees are 25 to 30 feet tall. Now that’s instant landscaping and instant shade. And yes, those big trees can come with a big price.
Big Trees, Big Price
Two years ago I bought a honey locust tree at a big box store for $35. The trunk was one inch in diameter and about six feet tall. These trees are known for fast growth—the tree is now almost ten feet tall. It won’t shade the whole yard for several years yet.
About 12 years ago my neighbors built a new house down the road from me. The construction left a raw-looking yard. They didn’t want to wait for newly planted young trees to mature. They were looking for shade, wind blocking, privacy and a mature look to their new home. They had over a dozen big trees brought in. Big trees are mature—remember the size mentioned above. The price can range from $400 to $1,000 and even $3000 and more each. But you get what you pay for and they got each of those benefits—shade, wind blocking, privacy and a mature landscape. Trees also enhance the value of your property.
So where do these big trees come from? Sometimes the homeowner already has the tree. It might be in the front yard and they want it moved to the back. Or, its in the way of where they want to put the pool or patio and want it moved to the corner of the yard or out front. Many big tree movers have their own tree farms or they get them from nurseries. If you already have the tree and just need it moved the cost will of course be less.
However they get them, they move them with a tree spade. You’ve probably seen them driving down the road, a mature tree in the spade’s clutches. The spade takes a large, cone-shaped plug of dirt out of the ground and then plugs in the tree. Depending on the size of the tree thousands of pounds of dirt and roots come with the tree. Still, moving is stressful on the trees and a few don’t make it. But most do. Check with your tree mover on whether they will replace trees that don’t make it at no charge to you.
What All Do I Get?
With that said the homeowner does bear some responsibility. The trees will need regular watering to establish a new root system. Your tree mover should give you thorough instructions on a watering schedule and any other care the tree might need.
What goes into that big cost for big trees? It can vary depending on what part of the country you’re in. Besides getting a guarantee on tree replacement, know exactly what tree and services you are getting. The price is based on:
Type of tree
Difficulty getting to the planting site
Distance from the nursery to the planting site
Number of trees being planted
Other costs may be included or cost extra, such as bringing in topsoil, fertilizer and mulch.
Yes, trees can be expensive. They are definitely a financial investment in your home. They do make your yard more pleasant and can increase the resale of your property. In our instant-gratification society big trees are something to consider when you need shade fast.