Chicago gardeners, autumn is tree planting time. Have your heating bills been skyrocketing? If so, trees will protect your home from the strong north and west winds in the Chicago area. Well-planned, carefully planted and attentively maintained trees also add hundreds of dollars of value to your property.
Planting trees requires research and planning because you have so many choices. Begin a tree planting project by examining your Chicago Garden Notebook. Photos and drawings reveal where shrubs, evergreens and deciduous trees may be used as a windbreak, where shade may be desired and where additional beauty may enhance the property.
Once possible locations are considered, all underground lines need to be marked by local utility companies. If a location passes this test, the next step is to examine it for above-the-ground power and telephone lines. Small trees (15’-25’) need to be 20’-25’ from the lines. Medium trees (30’-50’) need to be 30’-35’ from power lines. Large trees (60’ and up) need to be 40’-45’ from the lines.
Small or medium trees may be best for Chicago gardens. Dense, lush evergreens and sturdy, deciduous trees make excellent windbreaks on the north and west sides of a property. Deciduous trees provide shade on the south and east sides. Other considerations are trees that attract birds, flowering trees, native trees, fruit trees or leaf coloration. Take this data with you to the nursery.
The following shrubs and trees do well if planted in autumn in Chicago and have many species that vary in size: alder, ash, buckeye, catalpa, crabapples, elm, hackberry, hawthorn, honey locust, Kentucky coffee tree, linden, maples, sycamore, pines, spruces and most shrubs. Make sure to choose ashes, elms and maples that are disease and pest resistant.
Live long and well—garden.
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