Monday, August 8, 2016

The Ginko



In 1994 I stuck a little tree in the ground in front of my house in Florida. It was a Live Oak sapling and I figured in a few years I'd have some shade to park my car under. It took about nineteen years, but I eventually got my shade. That, and a lot of leaves and bird shit. Well bird shit be damned, I loved that tree. I festooned it with a few sprigs of Spanish Moss back in 2007 and that took off, spreading from branch to branch. My oak tree was beautiful. I was so happy with that tree that I planted a companion Live Oak on the other side of the front yard for symmetry. The Spanish Moss took a liking to that tree and spread over to her branches. I was living in the Southern United States, and now my home looked the part. Truly, the only thing I miss about Florida are those trees.

So I bought a home in Chicago and moved up here. Unfortunately, this house has not one tree in the yard. Nothing but small patches of lawn. The first week I moved here I contacted the city and requested a tree to be planted in the parkway out in front of the house. They still have not planted a tree there. I may take matters in my own hands, but I'll wait until next year. What I have done, is go on line and order a ginko tree for the back yard. I need my shade, I need my trees. So two days after ordering the tree on line, FedEx dropped a long box off at my house. I popped it open and there it was, the twig. A skinny four foot long twig with no planting instructions. So I dug a big hole in the back yard and made an educated guess as to what the twig needed. Hopefully it will thrive and within a few years I'll have a nice tree back there. My only worry are the dogs. Scout likes to dig holes, and Chandler... well Chandler is a big male who loves to lift his leg on new things he finds in the yard.


4 comments:

  1. What are the roots like on that species? Might want to move it far enough away from sidewalk and foundation.

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  2. About: Ginkgo Tree
    does it have invasive root system?
    Diana on May 29, 2015
    0
    BEST ANSWER: No, gingko trees are deep rooted, and while it is possible they could sprout buds from the trunk, they ordinarily reproduce by pollination, instead of rapidly spreading by the root system like bamboo.


    My ginkgo is now about 8 ft tall in two years, but there is no evidence of invasive roots.



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  3. I would still move it away from the walk.
    Also, fashion a cage a foot or so out around it out of chicken white to keep the critters and dogs away. 😊
    Every thing I've ever planted from twig state did very well!

    ReplyDelete