We have this huge Bradford Pear tree in our front yard. We wanted to get it thinned, shaped and topped, so that it's not so completely overshadowing the Crepe Myrtle behind it, and also not out of proportion to the rest of the house. We've had two separate licensed Arborists come out and take a look at it, and each of them have advised to remove it. We discovered that Bradford Pear trees are very problematic, and found out that here in Tennessee, there's a movement afoot to ban them because of the problems they cause during the winter, when the snow and ice and freezing temps cause them to split and break and bring power lines down, damage homes and roads and sidewalks etc. Anyway, both Arborists said it's in danger of coming down, and pointed out a variety of issues with the trunk where splitting is imminent if it gets just that bit too much snow or ice buildup. And both said they're surprised it hasn't come down already. So, it has to go. But there's an entire garden built up around it, and I need some serious help so that I can save what I can of the garden when it comes time to remove the tree. I'm in Nashville Tennessee. They say they can't get to its removal till towards the end of October, so we'll be well into the fall by then. I'm thinking I need to remove the plants right before they come, store them temporarily while the work is being done (it might span two days) and then put them back in the ground once the crew is gone. Here are some closeups of the garden in question. We moved here in October last year, and most of these plants were already here. As you can see, the tree is ringed with hostas. That's creeping jenny in the foreground, and there's more in the background too. The flowering plant next to it is an annual, so I'm not too worried about it. Another picture to show the rest of the garden. The spiky thing is a daylily, but I don't know what the plants to the right and in front of and behind it are. The one further back seems to be a shrub of some kind, and the one towards the front was some kind of plant that flowered (yellow flowers, sort of like black eyed susans but not that exactly.) The scraggly looking plant to the left of the daylily I have no idea. It never flowered, just sort of sat there. I have close up photos if they're needed. And here's the crepe myrtle behind the Bradford Pear tree, taken from a different angle. It barely flowered this season and is scraggly and struggling. The Arborist said it needs a little work, and has a plan to trim it somehow, and perhaps wire it? Is that the right word? to strengthen it and correct its growth pattern as it seemed to be trying to grow away from the tree, presumably to give itself more light. The guy said it will be gorgeous in a season or two! I am freaking out that the removal of this tree is going to destroy this part of my garden. More than anything, I don't want to lose the hostas and the creeping jenny. I'll sacrifice the rest of the plants if I have no other choice, but I'd REALLY hate to lose those two. So what do I do? Help!!!
My first thought was once that tree is removed, will there be enough shade for your Hostas? If the Crepe Myrtle is going to take a couple of years to fill out, maybe you'll have to relocate the Hostas entirely? Second thought... get those unknown plants ID'd to see if they will be able to handle the extra sun also. I would think/guess that you could pot any of them up for a few days and then replant without too much distress.
See? SEE??? THIS is why I rely on you all so much! Cheryl, thank you SO much for this.....as stupid as it sounds, that hadn't even OCCURRED to me!! Well, that would be a relief! I don't know for how long they'll be out of the ground. They may have to wait as long as a week. If the tree removal is scheduled for a Tuesday let's say, then I'll have to remove them on a Sunday, and then they'd likely have to wait till the following Saturday as the earliest day I'd have available to re-plant them. And when you say "pot them up" what does that mean exactly? Actually do a full-on planting as though I they were going to spend the rest of their lives in pots? Or just kind of rest them in there with some soil and moisture?
Ronni, first take a deep breath and tell yourself everything is going to be all right! Hostas are sold bare-root, hanging around big box stores and nurseries for weeks on end. You can dig yours, put them in a box with sawdust or peat moss, and re-plant at leisure. The leaves will come off, but the important part--roots--will still be there. Pot up your creeping jenny now and replant when you can. The flowering plant is dianthus, which you can save or not, as you wish. The daylily will survive just fine, just dig, hold in moist sawdust/peat moss, and replant. If all this potting up is too much, there is a technique called "heeling in" which involves digging a trench, laying plants in it, and almost completely covering them with dirt (about 1/3 of the plant peeks out.) You unearth the plants as needed. Up north heeling in is used to preserve tender perennials during those ghastly winters. I'm glad the pear is going, and super-glad you got arborists' opinions. You'll enjoy the new look of your yard!
Remember your hostas are going dormant soon. If you pot them up and cover the pots with mulch in a protected area you will have lots of time for making decisions. I had many of my hostas in large pots the first year or so. I got to move them around to figure out where I wanted them. Still have two of them in pots so I can enjoy them at whatever my favorite sitting area is. You could also use the opportunity to divide the hostas and make more plants if you wanted. Same goes for the creeping jenny you like. You are going to have fun redoing the area.
I'm not feeling so panicked now about my garden, so thank you all SO much. I have this idea (it may be incorrect, and I don't even know where I got it from) that if you plant perennials too late in the fall, you'll kill them because they won't have time to establish themselves enough to weather the cold winter temps. And that leads me to my next question: Is there a point at which I should just wait till the spring to re-plant the hostas and the creeping jenny? Some cutoff date or weather condition? We don't have a definite removal date yet from the Arborist, and this is one of his busiest times, so I'm still not sure exactly when he's coming, other than "end of October" which could push into the beginning of November. How late can I push this re-planting before it becomes a better idea just to wait?
Ronni, what you have to worry about with fall planting of perennials is that the root ball is not established, and the repeated freeze/thaw of the surrounding soil can heave the plant, and/or damage the roots. Go ahead and plant right up to mid-November, but mulch heavily. I think your plants will survive just fine.
Oh, ok cool! Thanks MG, so much! Man, I seriously don't know what I'd do without y'all! When the whole tree thing came up, and I knew I was going to have to move the plants, I got worried about the logistics of that, and was discussing it anxiously with Lee, my housemate. His response? "Talk to your friends on that gardening forum you love. They'll know what to do." And you do. Every time!
I never heard of a problem with the Bradford Pear here in PA. I would check with your county farm agent.
John, here are a couple of articles of the MANY I've found in my research, after the Arborist cautioned us against the tree. That first link is to a landscape company on your side of the country. http://www.chapelvalley.com/blog-news/v ... ford-pears http://www.gardenguides.com/96115-probl ... trees.html
Wow I never heard of this although it is more of a problem in the Eastern part of PA state. In PA, where the power lines run through or along private property, you are not allowed to plant any tree that if it falls it can reach the power lines. I read an article (see below) that when you cut one down you are supposed to put a chemical on the stump to keep it from resprouting. http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/cs/groups/public/documents/document/dcnr_010291.pdf
I had one that did split and fall during the winter during an ice storm several years ago. Yipee! I hated the thing. Now I have another one that is a nuisance and I will be just as happy to have it gone. I have it sending up suckers and dropping its nasty "fruits" everywhere and germinating all over the yard. Not to mention the noxious smell the flowers emit each spring. trust me Ronni, you won't mind it being gone if you have never smelled the flowers before.
Does the entire root HAVE to come out? Couldn't it be left in situ and then you could make a feature of it or disguise it as you see fit.If some of it gets left to rot then you'll get some beneficial insects too.Leaving the root would also avoid having to remove some of your plants. Just a thought.
That's what I'm saying, I agree with Kiasmum can't you leave the stump and decorate it... I had a tree cut down when I owned my own house and the people wrote my kids names in it for me... was so cool to watch the guy do it... he had some awesome skills!! Good luck
Some trees will produce an abundance of root suckers to perpetuate the tree in case of a catastrophic occurrence due to weather damage, BUT the tree I had split, we cut it down and left a stump sticking up so we could pull it out with a machine, but it has not produced any suckers, soooooo, you may find you may be able to leave a portion of the stump if you want to. I am not saying that it won't produce them, mine didn't and it has been several years now. You could cut off or spray any new growth with a weed killer, too.
