Shade trees can add value to your home and help reduce air-conditioning costs, but it's important to find the right tree for your needs. Conduct research on the Web or drive around your community to find examples of tree species that interest you.

Fall and winter are the ideal times to plant shade trees in the Brazos Valley, but what is the best tree to plant?

That depends on what a homeowner needs. Trees can add value to a home by accenting or concealing a view. If carefully sited, a tree can change the effect of the sun and lower air-conditioning costs. Trees can modify wind, shield noise and attract birds and other wildlife.

Whatever your needs, choosing a tree should be a well thought-out decision. The mature size of a tree should be considered, so evaluate the planting area. Measure the site, locate underground and overhead utilities, observe the amount of sunlight and establish property lines and easements. Take into consideration that a tree planted now on your property may affect your neighbor's driveway or backyard in years to come.

Consult with local authorities regarding regulations pertaining to tree placement. Neighborhood associations also may have ordinances governing tree selection and placement. Choose long-lived trees that will be as insect- and disease-resistant as possible. The wrong tree for your property can be a constant maintenance problem or even a hazard during extreme weather.

Clients who call the Brazos County office of Texas AgriLife Extension frequently ask for recommendations of fast-growing shade trees for their yards. Unfortunately, most fast-growing trees are soft-wooded and prone to damage by wind, insects and disease. Examples to avoid are Arizona ash, silver maple and Bradford pear.

Top shade trees

There are some moderately fast-growing shade trees that are resistant to insects and diseases, however.

In his Texas Garden Almanac, Doug Welsh selects five top shade trees for our area: bald cypress, cedar elm, Shumard oak, water oak and live oak. Note that live oaks can grow to well over 60 feet tall and wide, so they are best suited to residential lots of a half-acre or larger. Other good choices are lace bark elm, Chinese pistache and bur oak. Crape myrtles are another option. Larger varieties such as "Natchez" can grow quickly up to 30 feet tall and provide adequate shade to smaller areas, such as patios. View National Arboretum selections on the Web, http://www.usna.usda.gov/PhotoGallery/CrapemyrtleGallery/index.

Proper planting and follow-up care can affect growth significantly. When planting your tree, Welsh recommends that you "dig the hole twice as wide as the root-ball [or container] and no deeper than the height of the root-ball. The soil that you dig out of the hole is what you use to backfill around the root-ball. Firm the soil into the hole to eliminate air pockets. After planting the tree, build a 4-inch-tall berm [a small soil dam] around the edge of the hole and fill and cover the berm with mulch.

"Right after planting, water the tree by filling the bermed basin with water," Welsh writes. "For the first week, water daily and then every other day in the second week. During the third week, water every third day. Water once a week in the fourth week and beyond as needed."

He says "the goal is to slowly wean the tree off supplemental irrigation and grow the root system large enough into the natural soil for the tree to thrive on only natural rainfall."

Be careful that you do not overwater newly planted trees. Touch the soil under the mulch, and if it is dry, then water.

Trees should not be fertilized when they are planted, and most newly planted trees do not require staking. In general, the best time to apply fertilizer is in the spring before growth begins. A good lawn-maintenance program may eliminate the need for supplemental fertilization for trees.

When you're looking at a container-grown tree, you'll have difficulty visualizing the tree at its mature size. For help in choosing a tree, drive around the community to see mature examples. On the Web, check out http://texastreeplanting.tamu.edu and www.treesaregood.org.

In this area, fall- and winter-planted trees will continue to grow during winter and into spring. These trees can then better withstand the next summer's heat and drought.

Join the Brazos County Master Gardeners at their fall plant sale from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 27 at the Brazos County office of Texas AgriLife Extension. There will be a wide selection of unusual and unique plants, adapted to Brazos County. Proceeds from this sale will be used to further educational programs.

Charla Anthony is the horticulture program assistant at Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Brazos County, 2619 Texas 21 W., Bryan, Texas 77803. Her e-mail address is charla.anthony@theeagle.com.

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