What is the Most Important Factor to Consider When Choosing a Tree?
One of the most frequent questions I receive is "What is the most important factor to consider when choosing a tree?"
My answer is one factor - SITE CONDITIONS - but that is made up of MANY components.
When we do a site visit, we review all of these, plus more.
Several of the Site Condition items of concern:
Space - Determine that there is enough space for the tree selection.
Drainage - flow patterns, lack of drainage, excessive moisture or excessively dry.
Moisture - existing soil moisture, involves soil texture etc. Extremely important to know.
Pest Threats - there are many from Deer to Beavers, ants to exceedingly small insects and too many others to list.
Soil analysis - extremely important, many items here to look for and test for, especially if soil is poor quality and if older trees are to be installed. We also check for contaminants.
Sun Exposure - number of hours per day of direct sun. How much shade if applicable. Hillsides and reflective exposure can be a challenge. Too much shade or sun may limit species or dictate sizes. Shade or sunlight changes significantly over the years as existing trees grow or are removed.
Wind - prevailing wind direction and amount of exposure should be considered. Hillsides and open areas can be a challenge. Funneling winds may be present. There may be other wind conditions as well.
Neighboring trees/shrubs - Are any toxic to new trees or are they aggressive growers that are too close?
Wildlife - what would benefit from this new tree?
As you can see, site condition analysis is multi-faceted and can make a BIG difference in which tree to choose, and how well that tree will flourish in the future.