Tree Country tips: Have a plan, think shade, go big, ask the pros

GRESHAM, Ore. - One reason to take a drive into the Willamette Valley is for the scenery: the snowy Cascades in the distance, the streams coursing through woods and pastures.

Many people have another reason for coming out here - to buy trees.

As you drive along the poky two-lane roads, you encounter one tree farm after another. Vast plantations of blue spruce, arborvitae, Douglas fir and other trees stretch toward the horizon.

Many of these are wholesale operations that sell to garden centers, landscapers and large retailers across the country. Some of the growers also sell to individual customers. Skipper and Jordan Nursery is such an operation.

"It helps to come out and look at the plant material," says Brent Jordan, who owns the 100-acre nursery with his father-in-law, Bob Skipper.

And there's a lot to look at: dwarf Serbian spruce, dappled willows, dogwoods, incense cedars, various varieties of the Japanese maple, and many others.

Oregon, with its fertile soil and wet but moderate winters, is known for its trees. The state leads the nation in sales of coniferous evergreens, deciduous flowering trees and deciduous shade trees, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

California, Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Michigan are other top producers of commercial trees.

TRENDS IN TREES

Native trees are the trend nationwide. But they aren't necessarily the best choice in urban areas.

"Native trees are very nice. But we live in cities," says James Urban, a landscape architect and tree expert.

The soil in cities has been changed by urbanization. "We need to find plants that grow in these difficult urban conditions," he says from his office in Annapolis, Md.

Urban is big on shade trees because of their environmental benefits. For example, they can reduce energy demands by cooling your home.

"I encourage people to try to plant the largest tree the site, or their psyche, can handle," he says.

GETTING STARTED

Before you rush out and buy a tree, come up with a well-thought-out plan, advises David Lewis, a landscape architect in Portland.

"You should develop a theme. Otherwise it will look haphazard," he says.

Trees can act as a centerpiece of a lawn or garden, or they can accent other components, such as shrubs, walkways and patios. Shade trees lend autumn color, while some trees, such as the popular arborvitae, can be used as attractive barriers between neighbors.

Do you want your grounds to have a formal look or a more natural one? Do you want a lot of shade? Lots of color? Some color year-round?

There also are practical considerations: Planting the wrong kind of tree too close to your house could cause roof or foundation problems. Roots might cause your sidewalk to buckle. To avoid future trouble with power lines, anticipate how tall a tree that's being planted near one might become. Be sure a tree won't obscure safe traffic views for drivers.

GETTING ADVICE

Tree nurseries are good places to go for guidance. You can talk directly with the person who has, so to speak, given birth to the trees. Really good nursery owners will show as much care in helping the customer as they have in growing their arboreal offspring.

"Rule No. 1," said Urban. "Get close to the person who grew the tree."

In Oregon, a useful link between growers and buyers is the Oregon Retail Nursery Guide, with a map of nearly 200 businesses in the state. It can be obtained from the Oregon Association of Nurseries.

Nurseries and nursery associations across the country also have Web sites that give advice on what to plant, how to plant it and when.

BREAKING GROUND

Urban stresses the importance of properly preparing the soil before you plant a tree.

You should dig up as much soil as possible, using a shovel, not a roto-tiller. Cover the ground with leaf compost, working it into the soil.

Other planting imperatives include not burying the root ball too deeply, and being sure to cut away the burlap and other coverings before filling in the hole.

Some terms to know when

visiting a tree nursery

Balled and burlapped stock: Plants dug from the ground with a ball of soil around their roots, which is then wrapped in burlap for immediate sale or for shipment. Tree expert James Urban says a nursery tree that's been balled-and-burlapped is "the best tree you can buy." Still, it may be difficult to find a small tree that's been balled and burlapped. If you buy one, keep the soil ball damp before planting and keep the roots protected.

Bare-root stock: Trees and other plants that are dug from the ground without soil around their roots. Bare-root trees are generally smaller than balled and burlapped ones and less expensive. Care must be taken that the roots don't dry up and die before they are replanted. Urban says "bare-root is a very good tree."

Container stock: Plants grown in plastic containers. These trees are usually smaller than balled and burlapped trees and generally less costly. According to the Web site for Penn State Cooperative Extension, http://solutions.psu.edu/Horticulture-Gardening-Landscaping-719.htm, container-grown plants are better able to "survive the shock of transplanting" and can be planted any time the ground isn't frozen.

Conifer: An evergreen that bears cones. Examples are pine, juniper and spruce.

Cultivar: A tree or plant propagated not in the wild but through cultivation, such as by grafting or cuttings. The word "cultivar" comes from "cultivated varieties."

Deciduous: From the Latin word for fall off - decidere. A deciduous tree is one whose leaves completely fall off at the end of the growing season. Examples are maple, ash and oak.

Evergreens: Trees that keep their foliage throughout the year.