Tree lines and groves come in a variety of styles and layouts that you can customize to have a natural or a formal feel. Installing a tree line or grove of trees requires safety, planning and maintenance. Here are a few best practices for creating a breathtaking tree line or grove in your landscape.
Tree Line vs Tree Grove
Tree lines create privacy from neighbors and the road in any landscape. They can also aid in the climate control of your home and make a wind break in your yard. Tree lines increase property values and have been shown to have positive psychological benefits for people living near then. They also cut down on traffic and neighborhood noise while providing beauty to your landscape.
A grove is a group of trees that doesn’t have undergrowth. A grove can be just a handful of trees or many acres in size. Do you daydream about sitting under a tree with a book, music, or food, while relaxing and listening to the branches rustling? Then planting a grove of trees is a great way to design a relaxing space of your own.
A small grove of carefully-chosen trees can add depth and a sense of lushness to your property. Once established, the canopy and meshing branches shelter the area beneath from wind, weather, and sun. Depending on the trees chosen, it can provide fresh fruit or nuts, or attract wild birds.
Installing a Tree Line
When installing a tree line, preparation is needed to achieve the best results. Below you will find a few tips and suggestions to consider during the installation phase.
- Trees require adequate room. Keep in mind the estimated size of the tree and its roots as it grows.
- Look out for boundaries; this includes fences, roofs, power lines and any object that may be an obstruction in the growth of the tree.
- In some areas power and pipelines are installed underground. Contact your local utility company for information on underground pipes and power lines.
The following trees are fast growing, and will each reach a height that is tall enough to provide the privacy you want. Some of the best types of trees to use in your landscape’s tree line are:
- Leyland Cypress
- Willow Hybrids
- Emerald Green Arborvitae
- Douglas Fir
- American Holly
Planning a Tree Grove Installation
Consider what you want to do with your grove. Think about whether you are going to focus on shade, on colors, on native trees, or on a place for children to play. Most trees need to have about 15 feet between them, so include proper spacing in your planning.
When you are planting a grove, you are usually looking for a natural effect; rather than planting your trees in grids, you will most likely choose a more organic layout. Plan your grove so that when the trees are mature, their canopies mesh for a sheltered, shady effect; this makes the grove a comfortable place, even in windy or snowy weather, and helps keep undergrowth from forming.
There are many kinds of trees that would make good additions to a grove.
- If you want flowers in your grove, consider dogwood, silver bell, or tulip trees. These are native to the New Jersey area and will grow happily as well as being beautiful trees. Sweetbay magnolia also grows well in NJ.
- Birch trees are graceful and delicate looking. They often grow multiple trunks, and their gorgeous white bark makes them an outstanding addition to groves.
- Maple trees provide great shade, grow readily, and provide sap from which to harvest maple syrup in the early spring. They also have spectacular autumn colors.
- The broad leaves of the autumn rain tree also provide effective shade. It’s drought-hardy, and blooms in July, well after most other blooming trees have stopped.
- If you want some color even in winter, add a holly tree. You can even trim it to add to your Christmas decorations.
- Pines are also lovely grove trees. A thick layer of pine needles is a wonderful, soft pillow under a picnic blanket. Remember the branches start growing low down on pine trees and you might need to prune some lower branches.
- If you want to have fruit trees, consider apples, pears, peaches, quince, or cherry.
- For nuts, chestnut, hazelnut, hickory, or butternut are good. Black walnuts are toxic to many other plants and would not be good additions to a grove.
Maintaining Your Trees
According to Tree Care Industry Association in 2016, there were 153 tree incidents, and about 60% of those were fatal. These events included falls, being struck by an object, electric shock, and many other types of occurrences.
Once you have, your beautiful trees installed maintenance is essential. According to OSHA here are a few best practices to follow when maintaining trees.
- Use qualified tree specialists to direct tree maintenance operations and immediately correct any identified hazards or improper work practices.
- Follow instructions for usage of tree equipment and maintain equipment used for tree work.
- Keep gravity in mind, remain aware of falling object and moving debris.
- Use signals before dropping branches from the tree, always assume there is someone or something below that can be hurt or damaged.
- Check the weather before beginning work, hot and stormy weather poses unique dangers. Make sure you choose a day with the best weather for the job.
We hope this article will serve as a useful resource when considering a tree line or grove installation and performing the necessary maintenance work on the trees around your home. Increasing the number of trees in your landscape will offer privacy, serenity, and connection that will enrich your life, health, and well-being. Here at Tree Unlimited LLC, we are happy to schedule a consultation at a time that works best for you.
