Rationale for Tree 101

Tree 101 was designed by Riverside Nursery to help homeowners make informed decisions when buying trees.  The information supplied here is based on scientific research and our own field experience.  The goal of this course is to allow you to grow a handsome tree.  Trees can make a substantial contribution to the value of your property, so start by buying the best, planting them properly and nurturing them while they are young.  The result will be a tree that stands out from all others because of its seasonal beauty and its well developed branching structure.  You will reap the benefits of shade in the summer, a windbreak in the winter and a beautiful landscape throughout the seasons.  Riverside Nursery grows trees in a manner that is best for the trees and thus best for you.   Our commercial customers are extremely pleased with our product, especially their high survival rate.  Riverside Nursery believes this high survival rate can be attained by homeowners with just a little extra time, effort and information, but you must first start with a superior tree.  That is what we consistently grow at Riverside Nursery.  If you have any questions you can email us and we'll do our best to get back to you quickly. Here's how Tree 101 works:  We presume you are in the market for a tree or several trees and we want you to make the best decision for the tree. Planting a defective or damaged tree or planting it in the wrong place will ultimately lead to you being less than satisfied with the tree's performance. Trees are living organisms that have specific cultural requirements.  Choosing the specific site in your yard where this tree may spend centuries is the single biggest factor that determines whether a tree will merely survive...or thrive.  The more closely you match the cultural requirements of the tree to the yard you have the better your tree will perform.  Choosing NATIVE TREES often takes a lot of the guesswork out of buying trees.  Sure there are beautiful flowering trees from distant lands that would look great awash in color all summer long if only...we didn't live in Zone 5, didn't have periodic droughts, didn't have insects that like to bore into wood, didn't have alkaline soils and/or didn't have drying winter winds. The list of factors taht work against trees goes on and on.   The good news is that the trees native to central Ohio are among the most beautiful on Earth.  They grow well despite our unpredictable weather and have terrific spring, summer and fall color.  Some have such a beautiful bark that it's almost a shame to cover them with leaves.  At Riverside Nursery we've sought out the best trees and have grown them to live for centuries.  It's amazing to think that something you are planting today may well live 300 years but that is perspective we have when we start them from a seed.  We do what is best for the tree now so that it can become an ancient monarch later. In the pages that follow we've tried to address the most important aspects of siting, buying, pruning and fertilizing trees.  We've presented it in a format that is easily read and understood.  Along the way we've included a few landscape hints to help you create a home landscape that more closely parallels what we see in Nature. LANDSCAPE HINT:  Diversity is a key to a healthy landscape.  In our area forests have dozens of tree species in an acre.  In the tropics it may well be hundreds of species.  Instead of buying 10 Red Oaks buy 2 each of 5 different varieties.  The differences in leaf shape, color, new growth and fall color will present a different palette of hues textures throughout the growing season.  Having a diverse landscape helps to ensure that if a disease or pest (like Emerald Ash Borer) comes through an area all of your trees are not afflicted.  Keep them spaced properly.