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Thursday, June 26, 2008

Valley Ground Is Tough on Trees

By Morrow Hall
For the Telegraph
      About 30 years ago, a woman moved to Estancia and bought a little house on the main street. She promptly hired somebody to cut down the several big elm trees in her yard. When somebody asked her why she had done that, she said she couldn't afford to water them.
    Now, years later, the trees that subsequent owners of that house have planted are just starting to provide some shade.
    What that woman didn't know was that we're lucky, in most parts of the Estancia Valley at least, to have shallow groundwater that provides water for our trees, once they're big enough.
    We don't get much rainfall here (as I'm sure you've noticed). In places where it rains a lot, such as on the other side of the Mississippi River, nitrates and phosphates and salts and minerals in the soil get leached out by the rain. That's why gardeners there always start improving their soil by adding lime — the worst thing you can do here.
    Here all those solids just sit there, a few feet below the surface, and form a hard, white mineralized clay we call caliche, or hardpan. You know it well if you've ever dug a posthole.
    Below that hardpan, though, it's usually wet. If a tree can get below that layer, it can usually find adequate water to thrive.
    Some trees, like our ubiquitous Siberian elms, have mighty roots that easily push through the caliche. Some others are less successful.
    There are many trees that thrive here, but all have upsides and down. Trees shed leaves and a wide variety of seed cases. They sprout. Some of them don't smell good. High winds may break off big branches. Some are susceptible to bugs. Some produce flowers or fruit that can stain your sidewalks. Nonetheless, they're worth it.
    Cottonwoods will grow if you water them well until they reach groundwater. The male trees don't produce cotton, and allergy sufferers will thank you if you plant them.
    Willows, including weeping and globe varieties, also take a lot of water, but they make great specimen trees.
    Silver-leaf poplars grow well here, but they sprout terribly. I'd avoid them. Ash trees seem to have problems here.
    They say Russian olives drink too much water, but one or two planted with other trees will provide a nice color contrast. Their alum-rich olives are yucky to humans, but birds like them, and their flowers produce a delightful scent in the spring.
    Locusts are hardy here and they come in many varieties. You can get thornless locusts, but I think they all produce seed pods that have to be raked up.
    There aren't many oaks or maples here, but that may be because they grow slowly. They're worth trying. There are native oaks and maples in our mountains. Other trees that grow well here, or should, include poplars, sycamores, birches, catalpas, redbuds, hawthorns, aspens and lindens.
    Many fruit trees grow well in the valley, but don't expect to have fruit every year. You'll have better luck setting fruit in the foothills, where it stays cold longer.
    Evergreens do well here. Piñon pines are everywhere, and you can find lots of big ponderosa pines and blue spruces. Don't plant them on the south side of your house if you want the warmth of winter sun.
    When you plant a new tree, try to break through the caliche layer. Improve the soil and water frequently. If it dies, plant another.
    It takes a long time to grow a tree, but it's worth it!
   
    Neighbors is a lighthearted weekly column written by people in the community. If you would like to contribute to Neighbors, contact Rory McClannahan at 823-7102 or online at editor@mvtelegraph.com.>   

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