My driveway maples

[NS Gearhead]

When we bought our house lot... oh back around 2007ish... the first part of the driveway was in... but very steep on the sides and made the otherwise forested lot seem very bare where it was. So, I decided to plant some trees on the sides. I've always liked maples, and love that they grow quite quickly... so it began. I gathered a couple and raised them in pots on the deck of our starter home for a year. Then transplanted.

One shovel length from the tire, and 15 steps between each. LOL






So, I think I planted in pots and transplanted for three years... some would die, some got eaten... I'd just replace as needed. I'm up to 19. The plan is that once they're big to trim them into a tunnel above the driveway.

Fast forward to present day


One grew randomly by the cul-de-sac but is very much well spaced with mine, and doing very well.


They tend to take turns growing alot. This is my superstar this year. Probably grew 10" so far.


I just put the mulch on yesterday... that's why I took the pics and thought to post. I also put a red solo cup of 10-10-10 each under the mulch. We'll see what that does. Slow but sure. Probably half of them are 6' tall now.

 

[NS Gearhead]

They may be spaced too close together... but if it comes to it I could cut every other to give some room.

 

[CameronP]

Make sure to keep all that mulch clear of the root flare.

 

[NS Gearhead]

What's a "root flare"? Base of the tree?

 

[CameronP]

What's a "root flare"? Base of the tree?

You got it, where the trunk flares outward and the root system begins.

https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/FNR/FNR-FAQ-18-W.pdf

 

[8N Ren]

They look good NS. You certainly get a sense of pride watching them grow don't you, I know the Wife and I do. We planted around 250 trees, most of which have taken.

 

[oosik]

Nice, VERY nice. I know how much work keeping transplanted trees alive & growing can be.

 

[NS Gearhead]

You got it guys. I'm constantly trimming the grass... pruning them... fertilizing... when they were younger I made a 45gal poly tank into a "tanker" so I could bring them water in the summer. They'd get a watering can each every other day unless it rained... I have put alot of effort into them. It's very rewarding to see them grow. Yup, I'm a proud tree farmer. Everything around here is rock... so this is all the gardening I get for now.

 

[NS Gearhead]

Had to dig deep in my Photobucket account... but found these;

 

[farmer2009]

Looks good. We are adding 5 maples to the yard this year for future shade trees. Been in house 5 years with no shade finally got tired of it. Chose maples because they grow faster than some other trees.

 

[NS Gearhead]

Looks good. We are adding 5 maples to the yard this year for future shade trees. Been in house 5 years with no shade finally got tired of it. Chose maples because they grow faster than some other trees.

Just be prepared to rake leaves! LOL I've got a Stihl Kombi... I plan to get a blower for the driveway and just mulch what falls on the lawn.

Transplanted two more today. They were left over in pots... and not doing the greatest... I guess winter in pots is hard on them... it was either plant them or probably loose them.

 

[EddieWalker]

Very nice. I like the look of driving through a canopy of trees that are all lined up. Every year it's just going to look better and better!!!!

Eddie

 

[NS Gearhead]

Thanks Eddie!

I did go back and brush the mulch away from the base of the trees. I also staked one that was leaning pretty good in the wind. This is why it looked so bare there... when they filled in the clay, it buried the base of the trees on the sides killing them. So I've been cutting them as they died over the years. Also had to cut a big path on one side for the power lines.

One more thing I've had to do to keep these going; I plow that stretch of driveway straight to the end/ corner instead of angling and pushing the snow off to the side. I fear snapping then in half. LOL It'll be a treat when they're big enough to push snow at them.

 

[NS Gearhead]

V8 TJ Plowing inside view - YouTube

Starting at 2:12 You can see them looking like twigs off to the sides. LOL

 

[tcreeley]

I like maples. For a fast growing tree I like honey locusts. They spread on their own as well. Another fast grower is a chinese elm. The locust has no problem with our springtime soggy clay.

 

[DieselnHooters]

Red maple aka soft maple is a fast grower, sugar maple aka rock / hard maple not so much but is much more valuable in every way > sugaring, woodworking, heating, it also gets larger and lives much longer.

 

[farmer2009]

Red maple aka soft maple is a fast grower, sugar maple aka rock / hard maple not so much but is much more valuable in every way > sugaring, woodworking, heating, it also gets larger and lives much longer.

Good info. Mine are October Red Maples.

 

[NS Gearhead]

I have no idea what mine are. LOL

 

[DieselnHooters]

I have no idea what mine are. LOL

3rd pic of your OP definitely is a red maple judging from the leaves shape, its the only one I can see well enough. Since you picked them out from the surrounding land maybe you have both red and sugar maples.

You will be able to easily tell them apart next fall, red maple leaves will turn bright red while sugar will range from yellow to orange, red maple will also bud earlier in the sping and will gain height faster.

 

[dave1949]

3rd pic of your OP definitely is a red maple judging from the leaves shape, its the only one I can see well enough. Since you picked them out from the surrounding land maybe you have both red and sugar maples.

You will be able to easily tell them apart next fall, red maple leaves will turn bright red while sugar will range from yellow to orange, red maple will also bud earlier in the sping and will gain height faster.

That is what I think too, at least some are red maples.

Red maple can be tapped for syrup alone, and it is often mixed in with sugar maple sap. Pure red maple syrup tastes a little bit different than sugar maple, it is good, just different.