It has been a while since I last wrote a post about gardening. But, the other day I passed a stand of poplar trees and thought how wonderful they looked. Even denuded of their leaves, they looked fantastic. These trees have a wonderful branch structure and very tall. You could almost say they are the supermodels of the tree world.
Their startling green foliage and almost conical shape mean that they would look quite striking when you plant one or two in your garden. So, when I got home I spent a little time finding out a bit more about these lovely trees. Here is a brief summary of what you need to know if you want to plant them in your garden.
Poplars grow really quickly
The first thing is that these trees grow fast, super fast. Some varieties, particularly the hybrid ones can easily put on 8ft per year. Although that rate of growth tends not to happen immediately. Apparently, they need a good year or two to bed down and put out enough roots to take off and sustain a fast rate of growth.
Poplars are big, huge even
These are not small trees. When fully grown they can easily reach heights of between 40 and 165 feet. Yes, you did read that right, it is not a typo, I did say 165ft.
This is a very important fact because if you were to plant them along the boundary of your property you could easily end up blocking out a lot of your neighbor’s light. If that happens, the chances are that at some point they are going to make a complaint. It is not unheard of for disputes over tall trees to end up in court.
Stay within the regulations
You also have to bear in mind the relevant regulations. In most places, planting trees that reach more than a certain height is prohibited. If you break that rule you could face a big fine plus the expense of having the tree taken down and disposed of.
There are nearly 30 varieties
You need to be a little careful if you do decide to buy one, or more, of these trees. There are 30 varieties available, so it is not difficult to end up buying the wrong type. Often, it will not matter too much, but, sometimes it will. For example, if you wanted the shorter type that grows to about 40 ft you do not want to accidentally plant one that will grow to 100 feet, or more.
Watch the roots
Some varieties of poplars have very long root systems. So, you need to be careful about where you plant them. For example, it would not be a good idea to plant a Hybrid poplar near a house, garage or septic tank. If you did, the roots will quickly invade the foundations of these structures and damage them.
Soil conditions matter
Poplars need the right soil and water conditions. What they need varies depending on which variety you buy. So, before you buy, check what they need with the seller and take the time to test your soil.
This is an associated post
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