I Just Lost A Huge Pin Oak That Shaded My…
Ann Asked
I just lost a huge pin oak that shaded my house. What type of tree should I plant, and when, to replace it? It will get sun all day.
The Gardener’s Answer
Hello, Ann: Losing a large shade tree immediately changes the landscape of your home and gives a once shady garden more sun than it can handle. As far a replacing a pin oak there are many good choices. Assuming you are looking for another large majestic tree the following are all options: white oak (Quercus alba), bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa), American elm (Ulmus americana) both ‘Princeton’ and ‘Valley Forge’ are good cultivars, dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides), American beech (Fagus grandifolia), European beech (Fagus sylvatica), sycamore (Platanus occidentalis), Kentucky coffeetree (Gymnocladus dioicus), Northern pecan (carya illinoiensis), and a male ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) would all be similar in terms of height and width. In terms of planting you can install these trees all year except when the ground is frozen. That being said there are certain times of the year that are going to require less maintenance on your part. Adding a tree to the garden in the middle of the summer is going to require you to be around to water if Mother Nature does not provide enough moisture. Fall planting is ideal since the temperatures are cooler and it still give the tree enough time to get its root settled before winter arrives. Of course spring is normally wet and moderate in temperature, which is very suitable for root establishment. If your goal is to get a new tree as soon as possible you can certainly plant one now but just make sure you or someone is going to be in town to water if needed. The next best time would be in the fall. Depending on whether or not you had the stump ground out you may not be able to plant in the exact space where your oak was planted but in the same general area will be fine.
