Would you cut down a huge, mature tree so you could have a garden?

[melissel]

What if it was a tree that helped keep your house cool during the warmer months?

 

OK, here's the deal. We have three gigantic oak trees on our property--the kind that are so big you need a crane if you want to take one down. They are lovely. One in front is kind of a non-issue, but the other in front blocks the house from the sun for the first half of the day. Then there's one in our backyard that blocks the sun from the house for most of the second half of the day. For most of the spring, summer and fall, we don't need to turn on the air conditioning until about 2:00 each day because of the shade, and I don't need to worry about sunscreen in the yard because between our two trees and our neighbors trees, the majority of our yard is shaded at all times. It's great.

 

However, because of the way this is all set up, I can't grow anything but herbs and some greens in my yard. I've tried, but they just don't get enough sun. If I took out that tree in front, we'd have the sun to garden, my neighbor would be happy (fewer leaves in his impeccable yard), and our front yard landscaping would finally look decent (it blocks the sun there as well, so nothing grows). But we'd lose the shade we get from it, we'd have to run the air conditioner more because the house would then be in full sun all day, and it would probably cost $1,000 (or more) to remove the tree.

 

Every year I agonize over this whole thing. WWYD?

 

Editing to add: We actually have four oaks and a total of 14 other full-sized trees shading our 1/3 acre property, so it's not like we'd be down to two trees total.

Edited February 9, 2011 by melissel

[Parrothead]

No, probably not. If I wanted to garden enough to feed the family I'd look into spending that money (tree removal costs and increase in A/C) on buying an acre of cleared land just outside of town to garden on.

[unsinkable]

No.

 

I love trees more than I love gardens.

 

But that is just me. :D

[catalinakel]

That's a tough call. Would you really actually do and sustain a big garden? I hate having to run the air, and would love some trees for shade. What does the hubs think? Have you got the $1000 extra to get rid of the tree? Do your burn wood for heat? If so, a big oak would probably save you bunches in firewood costs, or could you sell the wood?

[Starr]

I sympathize with you but I just don't think I would be able to take the tree down. Could it be thinned?

[Susan in KY]

No.

 

I love trees more than I love gardens.

 

But that is just me. :D

:iagree: Me too.

[Lolly]

I vote to save the tree!:D

[Lady Florida.]

It depends on how old the tree is. Even oak trees eventually die. Is the tree likely to die anytime soon (like within the next few years)? Oak trees have been known to just fall over suddenly, damaging cars or houses. If I thought the tree was going to have to go in the near future, I'd do it.

 

And as a pp mentioned, how diligent will you be about gardening? If you're going to be a serious gardener, it just might be worth it. It's not like you want to cut down all the trees on your property.

 

Most people don't like to cut down a tree, especially a mature one. But I don't think you should beat yourself up over it if you're being responsible. By only removing the tree you need to remove in order to get sun, I think that's being responsible.

[katilac]

No, I would not.

 

Keep in mind that it might not be quite as simple as just cutting down a tree. A gigantic oak tree is going to have a gigantic root system. You can't just eliminate that and not have any effects. I'd imagine that you'd be looking at adding load upon load of dirt, and basically re-doing your entire yard. When we had our tree trimmed and treated, the guy told us that, if we ever removed it with no precautions, it could affect the slant of the house (which can then cause foundation cracks, etc). It's a pretty big tree, but nowhere near the size of a mature oak tree!

[melissel]

It depends on how old the tree is. Even oak trees eventually die. Is the tree likely to die anytime soon (like within the next few years)? Oak trees have been known to just fall over suddenly, damaging cars or houses. If I thought the tree was going to have to go in the near future, I'd do it.

 

And as a pp mentioned, how diligent will you be about gardening? If you're going to be a serious gardener, it just might be worth it. It's not like you want to cut down all the trees on your property.

 

Most people don't like to cut down a tree, especially a mature one. But I don't think you should beat yourself up over it if you're being responsible. By only removing the tree you need to remove in order to get sun, I think that's being responsible.

 

This is a good point, and I do worry about that. I don't think they're anywhere near going though.

 

I would definitely do the garden. A few years ago I went crazy garden planning and got all set up to container garden in my yard (the only place where I had some sun), only to find I was only getting 2-3 hours in any one place. I was totally heartbroken, and fantasize about turning my whole side yard into a garden paradise--fruit bushes, a fruit tree or two, growing the veggies we actually eat instead of paying through the nose for a boxed co-op delivery, etc. But...then there's the increased cost of the air conditioning, the increased carbon footprint, the cost of removal, etc.

 

I love trees too, but we have LOTS. We have the other SIX on our property (which is only 1/3 acre!), plus the four in our side and rear neighbors' yards that overhang our yard all around. Our backyard is a leafy paradise. And I would plant a few small fruit trees too. And we could finally get some greenery into the "bed of death" in our front yard...

 

I'm just so torn!

 

ETA: We do have the $1,000 for removal, and we'd make that back fairly quickly if the garden does well (which I think it would here) because we spend a good amount of money on organic produce.

[melissel]

No, I would not.

 

Keep in mind that it might not be quite as simple as just cutting down a tree. A gigantic oak tree is going to have a gigantic root system. You can't just eliminate that and not have any effects. I'd imagine that you'd be looking at adding load upon load of dirt, and basically re-doing your entire yard. When we had our tree trimmed and treated, the guy told us that, if we ever removed it with no precautions, it could affect the slant of the house (which can then cause foundation cracks, etc). It's a pretty big tree, but nowhere near the size of a mature oak tree!

 

Hm, this is definitely something to consider. Do they remove the root system? Or does it just die off and shrink down? This particular tree is about 15 feet from the house.

 

And I just realized I counted wrong--we have FOUR huge oaks, 1 large maple, 1 medium-sized dogwood, and 2 large evergreens, and our two neighbors have a total of 7 large trees along our shared fence lines!

[Starr]

The root system is quite large so if it's not removed would it be in the way of the garden?

[melissel]

The root system is quite large so if it's not removed would it be in the way of the garden?

 

No, the tree is in the upper portion of the front yard. Theres about 15 feet of more yard, then the driveway (another 15-20 feet?), then the large side yard, which is about 25 feet wide by 40 feet long. I'd be looking at a chunk of the side yard for the main garden plot. Without that tree in front, the whole side yard would get full sun for most of the day.

Edited February 9, 2011 by melissel

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

I would never consider taking down an oak tree to make place for a garden... Trees just cannot be replaced with a snap of your fingers. Especially oaks. Yes you have others, but each one of them is necessary for the local ecosystem. Over here, we can't even take down dead trees, unless they're a danger to your house. We have three dead birch trees in front of the house (dead or dying). Each year we have woodpeckers in them. I love my woodpeckers! They would be gone from our city if everyone took down their dying trees. Anyway, this is not relevant to your situation. It's just an illustration of why I would not touch trees.

[Slartibartfast]

I would have a hard time cutting down a tree, I do love them.

 

Actually spend time measuring the amount of time each spot in your yard gets sun. Maybe one would be appropriate somewhere else.

[katilac]

Hm, this is definitely something to consider. Do they remove the root system? Or does it just die off and shrink down? This particular tree is about 15 feet from the house.

 

And I just realized I counted wrong--we have FOUR huge oaks, 1 large maple, 1 medium-sized dogwood, and 2 large evergreens, and our two neighbors have a total of 7 large trees along our shared fence lines!

 

iirc, he was talking about the root system dying off and shrinking down. we didn't want to cut the tree down, so didn't really discuss what you would do in that case. I was assuming you would try and remove the root system, or parts of it, and fill in with dirt, but that's very much an assumption on my part. If you let it just die down, it seems like the harm could be done before you notice anything, but there could well be another way of dealing with it.

 

And it might depend on where you live. I'm in Louisiana, where shifting land and tilting houses are common! Before we shored a corner of our house, the refrigerator and cabinet doors would close themselves :D

[melissel]

iirc, he was talking about the root system dying off and shrinking down. we didn't want to cut the tree down, so didn't really discuss what you would do in that case. I was assuming you would try and remove the root system, or parts of it, and fill in with dirt, but that's very much an assumption on my part. If you let it just die down, it seems like the harm could be done before you notice anything, but there could well be another way of dealing with it.

 

And it might depend on where you live. I'm in Louisiana, where shifting land and tilting houses are common! Before we shored a corner of our house, the refrigerator and cabinet doors would close themselves :D

 

Interesting. If we even get that far, I'll make sure we talk to someone knowledgeable about those kinds of things.

[melissel]

I would have a hard time cutting down a tree, I do love them.

 

Actually spend time measuring the amount of time each spot in your yard gets sun. Maybe one would be appropriate somewhere else.

 

Already did it. Three hours was the maximum, and that was two summers ago. And I love them too, I really do! They were one of the main reasons we bought this house, truly. But I also love gardening. Growing those plants from seeds the way I did--learning about the soil and sun, watching them grow in my laundry room, moving them outside in their little cups and babying them along, then transplanting them and watching them get even bigger--it made me feel alive and connected to the earth like nothing I've ever felt before. We'll never move to a more rural location. DH won't have it--the burbs are as rural as that New York City boy will ever get. This is as close as I can ever come to my farm *sigh*

Edited February 9, 2011 by melissel

[Michelle My Bell]

NO WAY!!! I would LOVE a tree like that. Alas, I have none! Find yourself a community garden plot and have fun.

[Stacia]

No, I wouldn't remove the tree. (I love trees & oaks, especially, take so long to grow.)

 

Some valid concerns have been mentioned. Also, are you saying that you would put a garden in your front yard if you cut down the tree? If so, could that be a problem w/ any local ordinances &/or a neighborhood association? (Just another thing to consider....)

 

I'd look into spending that money (tree removal costs and increase in A/C) on buying an acre of cleared land just outside of town to garden on.

 

I like this 'thinking out of the box' idea. It could be a great alternative. Or, is there someone near you who has a big garden that might be willing to split the veggies if you share the work of taking care of it? Would a friend w/ a sunny yard be willing for you to set up a garden in his/her yard instead if they got a % of what was grown? Want to set up your own business? I read an article a few years ago about a guy who liked to garden, so he started a business where he helped people set up small gardens in their yards. They worked w/ him, learned how to garden, etc.... He came by weekly to help tend to the garden. He charged a fee + got a % of the veggies grown. Anyway, I thought that was a neat idea when I read about it.

 

I think you could find some solutions other than cutting down the tree.

[Lady Florida.]

Over here, we can't even take down dead trees, unless they're a danger to your house. We have three dead birch trees in front of the house (dead or dying). Each year we have woodpeckers in them. I love my woodpeckers! They would be gone from our city if everyone took down their dying trees. Anyway, this is not relevant to your situation. It's just an illustration of why I would not touch trees.

 

Also not relevant to the OP's situation, but it's interesting to me how different things are depending on the area. Where I live, we are encouraged to remove any dead trees every year before the start of the hurricane season. Any dead tree in a neighborhood is considered a potential hazard. In my community you can even report someone who has a dead tree on their property and hasn't removed it.

[Cera]

I probably would. If I was really going to commit to gardening. I would love to have a garden (as a hobby as much as a source of food) and it would be worth the cost to me. It sounds like you have plenty of trees, losing one wouldn't seriously impact your property.

 

You could get around the issue of roots by building raised beds and around the air conditioning issue with window coverings that you close during the times the sun is coming directly through the windows.

[celticmom]

There is an article on shade produce gardening in the current issue of Mother Earth News. Also have you looked into permaculture? I just started Gaia's Garden but I think that that can involve building a garden around trees.

 

I would not remove the tree.

[Lainey]

Personally I wouldn't because I love trees, especially oak trees. :)

[Harriet Vane]

No.

 

Please, no.

[melissel]

No, I wouldn't remove the tree. (I love trees & oaks, especially, take so long to grow.)

 

Some valid concerns have been mentioned. Also, are you saying that you would put a garden in your front yard if you cut down the tree? If so, could that be a problem w/ any local ordinances &/or a neighborhood association? (Just another thing to consider....)

 

 

 

I like this 'thinking out of the box' idea. It could be a great alternative. Or, is there someone near you who has a big garden that might be willing to split the veggies if you share the work of taking care of it? Would a friend w/ a sunny yard be willing for you to set up a garden in his/her yard instead if they got a % of what was grown? Want to set up your own business? I read an article a few years ago about a guy who liked to garden, so he started a business where he helped people set up small gardens in their yards. They worked w/ him, learned how to garden, etc.... He came by weekly to help tend to the garden. He charged a fee + got a % of the veggies grown. Anyway, I thought that was a neat idea when I read about it.

 

I think you could find some solutions other than cutting down the tree.

 

No, we would use the side yard, no ordinances against it. Though I do sometimes wonder if we wouldn't have human pests getting into it! There's no chance in the back yard at all unless we take out the most important tree, and we would never go that far.

 

There are no acres outside of town here. It's not that kind of area AT ALL. And if I could find one, odds are it would cost nearly as much as a house would, because that's what someone would build on it here. It's central NJ. We can barely afford the small house we live in!

 

Only one friend has a garden, and she cans/preserves everything she grows that they can't use immediately. Everyone else has no yard, no interest in using theirs that way, or is in the same boat I am--too many trees! I could take a plot at the local college, but it costs money, and honestly, we'd just never get there to maintain it. We are homebodies. The kids are dying to spend days lingering in the garden, but not if I had to pry them out of the house to do it.

 

Darn it! I never imagined I'd be cursing these trees when we bought this house. And I'm not, really. I just wish JUST ONE of them could disappear for five months out of the year!

[Robin in DFW]

No...when we bought our house (it was a spec home and just built) about 10 1/2 years ago, there were no trees. We have waited for what seems like an eternity for our oak in the front yard to grow and give us much-needed shade (we are in Texas) in the summer. We have a clump oak on the side of our house that suffered damage last year during a snow and ice storm...we were heartbroken. This tree had finally reached the rooftop of our 2-story house and was providing wonderful shade on the west side. We have a maple in the back that offers a small amount of shade on our patio, but nothing great.

 

Unless you know for certain you will garden pretty much forever (cause once that tree is cut down, it is forever) I don't think I'd cut it down.

[melissel]

No...when we bought our house (it was a spec home and just built) about 10 1/2 years ago, there were no trees. We have waited for what seems like an eternity for our oak in the front yard to grow and give us much-needed shade (we are in Texas) in the summer. We have a clump oak on the side of our house that suffered damage last year during a snow and ice storm...we were heartbroken. This tree had finally reached the rooftop of our 2-story house and was providing wonderful shade on the west side. We have a maple in the back that offers a small amount of shade on our patio, but nothing great.

 

Unless you know for certain you will garden pretty much forever (cause once that tree is cut down, it is forever) I don't think I'd cut it down.

 

Seriously, this is what prevented us from buying in a new neighborhood (well that and the cost!) when we were looking for a house. Even my city boy DH wanted some tall trees. What a bummer about your one tall tree :(

[Karen in CO]

I'd never remove a large oak. Never.

 

There are other ways to garden. Have you seen these rain guttter gardens?

 

My town has a community garden place where you rent a plot of land inside a fence.

[Jennifer in MI]

NO~!!!!! Please don't! We had a gorgeous maple tree in our back yard and one day HALF of it snapped off. We had to pay $1400 to have them remove the rest of it. I CRIED for two days. It changed our entire back yard. It looks so bare. I know it seems silly to cry over a tree, but I still tear up when I think about it. I loved that tree.

 

So, no! I wouldn't do it. I'd look into having it trimmed though. Maybe they can get you some sun there.

[melissel]

I'd never remove a large oak. Never.

 

There are other ways to garden. Have you seen these rain guttter gardens?

 

My town has a community garden place where you rent a plot of land inside a fence.

 

No community garden in town. Some other towns have them, but we don't. We have an awesome library system though! For that I am grateful.

 

Those planters are SO cute! But our problem is not space. It's sun. We don't have a sunny side of the house, at least not for more than an hour or so, and that's not enough to grow anything. Even shade plants need a few hours of actual sun :(

[jec3113]

I would take it down. If you know anyone who burns wood to heat their house, they might share in the cost of removal in exchange for the wood. Or removal might be cheaper if the company isn't going to haul the wood off and you have someone take it to burn. Be sure and save the chips from the shredder for your new garden! :001_smile:

[melissel]

NO~!!!!! Please don't! We had a gorgeous maple tree in our back yard and one day HALF of it snapped off. We had to pay $1400 to have them remove the rest of it. I CRIED for two days. It changed our entire back yard. It looks so bare. I know it seems silly to cry over a tree, but I still tear up when I think about it. I loved that tree.

 

So, no! I wouldn't do it. I'd look into having it trimmed though. Maybe they can get you some sun there.

 

Was it you who had the tree break in half and fall onto the house? I remember someone posting pictures of that!

 

I hear you. But we have 14 other trees either on or leaning over our property! Actually, the three oaks in front have now grown so big that our front landscaping is dying.

 

I'm so surprised that this many people are adamantly opposed to cutting down one of 15 trees that surround our house! I could see if we had just a few...

[Unicorn.]

We don't get enough sun to garden either. Growing up, our neighbors built a garden on their roof. Their roof was a reg slanted roof, not flat. Wish I knew how they did it, but it's something to consider. Also, gardens don't need full sun all day. You need 6-8 hours of sunlight, but even dappled sunlight will do. So those areas that get 3 full hours might work for some container/sq. foot type gardens. hth- good luck!

[LostSurprise]

I am where you are right now.

 

I live in a 'woody' part of the country. It's all forests and marshes here. In our yard are a few dozen arbor vitae, several oaks, and 3-4 sugar maples...all mature trees on an average-sized lot.

 

I love gardening, love love love love it. But the only place I have full sun is the side of my garage (paved) or my back deck. There's a limit to what you can grow in pots there.

 

In the middle of my back yard is a beautiful, perfect, mature maple. Truly a gorgeous tree in the fall. It's so shady back there we can't even grow grass.

 

I'm tired of it. I would rather remove one tree (out of almost 3 dozen) and have tomatoes for once.

 

Don't rush into it, but do what you want to do. Just remember that there are consequences (planting grass in the front yard, heat/cold changes in the house). This is not something you can undo.

 

Me, I'm saving up the money to remove the beautiful maple, and maybe plant a dwarf apple in its place. That would give me enough sun to have some tomatoes and squash this year.

 

BTW, beans do okay in a shady plot (not the best but you will get some). If you find yourself thinking about it for another season.

[melissel]

We don't get enough sun to garden either. Growing up, our neighbors built a garden on their roof. Their roof was a reg slanted roof, not flat. Wish I knew how they did it, but it's something to consider. Also, gardens don't need full sun all day. You need 6-8 hours of sunlight, but even dappled sunlight will do. So those areas that get 3 full hours might work for some container/sq. foot type gardens. hth- good luck!

 

They don't, I learned that the hard way two summers ago :(

[DaffodilDreams]

No.

[Tammyla]

City garden spaces??? We have options her for $15 a plot for the entire growing season.

[melissel]

I am where you are right now.

 

I live in a 'woody' part of the country. It's all forests and marshes here. In our yard are a few dozen arbor vitae, several oaks, and 3-4 sugar maples...all mature trees on an average-sized lot.

 

I love gardening, love love love love it. But the only place I have full sun is the side of my garage (paved) or my back deck. There's a limit to what you can grow in pots there.

 

In the middle of my back yard is a beautiful, perfect, mature maple. Truly a gorgeous tree in the fall. It's so shady back there we can't even grow grass.

 

I'm tired of it. I would rather remove one tree (out of almost 3 dozen) and have tomatoes for once.

 

Don't rush into it, but do what you want to do. Just remember that there are consequences (planting grass in the front yard, heat/cold changes in the house). This is not something you can undo.

 

Me, I'm saving up the money to remove the beautiful maple, and maybe plant a dwarf apple in its place. That would give me enough sun to have some tomatoes and squash this year.

 

BTW, beans do okay in a shady plot (not the best but you will get some). If you find yourself thinking about it for another season.

 

Thanks for that. I can't imagine having to take out a tree in the MIDDLE of the yard! Odds are that we will probably wait at least one more summer to even get estimates, and I'll soothe myself by growing the lettuce and herbs that I know will grow (at least a little). I'm excited about the herbs, at least! I want to find a little bay laurel tree to plant somewhere, since we use a lot of bay leaves and those babies are expensive! :lol:

[blessdmommy]

I'm sorry to say that I wouldn't do it either. I love our garden but I love our trees as much and wouldn't take one out unless it was diseased/dead.

[Sunkirst]

Haven't read all the replies, but with 14 trees on 1/3 an acre, you may have significant drought problems even if you have eliminated the shade. Of course you can water, but it requires a surprising amount of water to satisfy plants that are having a portion of their moisture sapped by tree roots. Also, you would need to have the stump ground. When a healthy tree is cut, the root system continues to live on, and will often re-sprout from the stump.

 

Is there a community garden nearby? I LOVE to garden, and I've been able to satisfy that itch with my community garden plot. I've met some great people too. One gardener is a college prof of medieval literature, and he's done some fun programs with our HS group. Our HS group also grew transplants and sold them to the garden. All in all it's been a fantastic experience.

[CalicoKat]

What if it was a tree that helped keep your house cool during the warmer months?

 

OK, here's the deal. We have three gigantic oak trees on our property--the kind that are so big you need a crane if you want to take one down. They are lovely. One in front is kind of a non-issue, but the other in front blocks the house from the sun for the first half of the day. Then there's one in our backyard that blocks the sun from the house for most of the second half of the day. For most of the spring, summer and fall, we don't need to turn on the air conditioning until about 2:00 each day because of the shade, and I don't need to worry about sunscreen in the yard because between our two trees and our neighbors trees, the majority of our yard is shaded at all times. It's great.

 

However, because of the way this is all set up, I can't grow anything but herbs and some greens in my yard. I've tried, but they just don't get enough sun. If I took out that tree in front, we'd have the sun to garden, my neighbor would be happy (fewer leaves in his impeccable yard), and our front yard landscaping would finally look decent (it blocks the sun there as well, so nothing grows). But we'd lose the shade we get from it, we'd have to run the air conditioner more because the house would then be in full sun all day, and it would probably cost $1,000 (or more) to remove the tree.

 

Every year I agonize over this whole thing. WWYD?

 

Editing to add: We actually have four oaks and a total of 14 other full-sized trees shading our 1/3 acre property, so it's not like we'd be down to two trees total.

Nope, the soil under the oak tree won't be any good for a garden. There are tannins or something from the leaves that make it not work. Can't compost oak leaves either. Here's a link.

[LibraryLover]

Is this your forever home? I can't imgaine living somehwere for the rest of my life and not being able to to something as life-enhancing as gardening. You said you love it so, so how can you think about never doing it again?

 

I would call a landscape artist who knows about local needs and plants. Ask her/him about all of the things you are wondering about. Stump, roots, what the rest of the area needs as far as shade etc.

[Joanna from CAP]

Well, here are the things that I would consider. I love vegetable gardening and trees, so I sympathize greatly!

This summer I got very in to learning about trees, and native plantings. I am from central PA so we would share many of the same types of trees.

 

Do you know what kind of oak it is? This would really weigh in to my decision. Almost all oaks are native to the US, and oaks are an incredibly important foodsource for insects and wildlife. Did you know that more types of moths and butterflies can use oaks as their host plant (for the caterpillars to eat) than any other type of plant, especially in our area? White Oaks win as the very best. I would never, ever take down a White Oak. (In fact, I planted one this summer!)

 

Since it sounds like you are in a suburban setting, it is likely that you have a Pin Oak. They seem to have been quite popular to plant in suburban settings. Pin Oaks are lovely, wonderful trees as well. However, there have been some problems with a blight on many Pin Oaks, called Oak Wilt. If you have a Pin Oak, watch it this spring/summer to see if all of the leaves stay healthy and green. If they become brown, or leaves fall, it may be a sign that it is not very healthy anyway. We have two large Pin Oaks in our yard, and I am a bit worried about them. The trees don't recover, so it might be best to take them down anyway.

 

These are some of my thoughts. If you were considering taking down a Norway Maple, or some other non-native tree, I would say to go ahead! A healthy Oak, though...they are a treasure!

[LibraryLover]

Exactly what i was thinking. It's unlikey the house was built around the trees. It's more likely the area was mowed down for a house, and then non-native and/or invasive trees were planted. Get someone in who knows. You might be doing your native ecosystem a favor by taking down something that didn't belong there in the first place, and replacing it with something native. You might find a different tree that works well, and still lets you have your garden.

[melissel]

Based on my quick research, they are all pin oaks. The acorns are teeny-tiny, definitely not like those of a white oak. We've not noticed many caterpillars, just a few of the teeny green ones each spring. We do, however, have an insane number of wackadoo squirrels :lol: I'll keep my eyes open for any problems. My mom has been convinced that what I think is lichen on our trees is actually some kind of disease. Maybe she's right? The trees generally stay green and hang onto their leaves until early December.

 

The house was built in 1964 or thereabouts, so I would guess that would be the general age of the trees.

 

I wouldn't be gardening directly under an oak, but I'll look into that more. I've never heard that about oaks, only walnuts! The tree in question is in the front yard, but it blocks the rising sun and cresting sun from the side yard until about 1:00. The side yard is then in full sun for an hour or so until the sun passes over and behind the coverage of the next big tree, the one that shades the backyard.

 

They really planted the trees perfectly for shade coverage!

Edited February 9, 2011 by melissel

[alpidarkomama]

We're about to have 3 VERY tall southern pines taken out. We have lots of oaks too. The pines going will give us a veggie garden area in the front with full sun. Because of all the roots below-ground, we'll be doing raised beds and have been preparing the compost for the beds for quite while so we won't have to purchase very much. We also saved the carpet we took out of two rooms and are going to use that under the beds to keep live roots from reaching into the beds (for now!). Then recycled concrete for the bed borders from the recyclying center, and we're talking nearly free! :) I love trees, but I wish they were all productive trees. :)

[Tap]

Have you contacted an arborist? That is where I would start. Here is a bit of into on arborists and some questions to ask

 

 

There are so many factors to consider. After looking at your trees, the arborist may recommend that another is a better candidate that the one you are thinking about.

 

Have you thought about what you would do with the wood? A stump can be ground down, but what about the roots? What kind of soil is under the tree; is it plantable or will you need topsoil too? The land under the tree may not be recoverable as quickly as you think!

 

We had to cut down a large tree last year and it still makes me sad to see the whole it left in our yard canopy. :(

[Lady Florida.]

Nope, the soil under the oak tree won't be any good for a garden. There are tannins or something from the leaves that make it not work. Can't compost oak leaves either. Here's a link.

 

The people commenting at that site don't seem to have any problem planting under or near oak trees. And here, they don't have any problem with the composted leaves.

[Dobela]

Have you priced sutting down the tree and having the stump ground? The previous owners of our house gut down many, many trees (to get an above ground pool) and then left the stumps. The smallest amount we could get them ground for was $100 a stump. Tree cutters are also not cheap by any means. If you are going to spend significant amounts of money on having the tree removed and your utility bill is going to rise significantly, I just don't know that I would do it. I would just plan on beautiful shade gardens and use the money I saved to buy organic and thru farmers markets and such.