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Common Landscape Mistakes

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By MONICA BRANDIES | The Brandon News

Published: March 13, 2007

Planting tiny trees too close to the house without realizing how big they are going to grow is one of the biggest mistakes people make.

I planted one tangerine too close in back, moved it when I realized what I had done and still have it too close. It has had to grow crooked to fit.

Living through two years of hurricane threats has made this positioning of trees much more important.
Most trees will grow about as wide as they will high and their roots will spread much farther. As a general rule, allow as much as 65 feet between tall spreading trees and 35 feet between more columnar shapes. Any tree that will grow more than 20 feet tall should be at least 15 feet from buildings.

* Tree branches meeting over a driveway can look nice and give a sense of privacy, but consider what such trees may drop. Every tree drops something.

Flowering trees drop more because both petals and fruit or seedpods are involved. Be sure that trees over a driveway drop only fruit like acorns or such that will be easily pulverized by passing cars, not squished and leaving stains.

Monkey puzzle trees can drop solid, cone-like fruits that can weigh 10 pounds or more.

* At the entrance to a drive, even shrubs can obstruct the view of approaching traffic, so plant accordingly. Your life may depend upon it. And close to the road, overhanging low branches are going to be broken off by trunks and vehicles. I've even had to duck under some palm fronds on my bike ride and been grateful when the palms were pruned higher.

* A homeowner has the right to cut away any branches that hang over his property line from the neighbor's trees that he does not want. When our neighbors began building, they politely asked first if they could cut away part of our largest tree and I suggested they cut the limbs from the trunk rather than leave stubs.

They did so gladly and did a good job.

The day they trimmed I cringed. The tree did look shorn for a while, but it soon grew full again.
I admit to enjoying oranges that dropped in my yard from a neighbor's tree.

* But I made a grave mistake by ignoring the seedling trees that quickly grew large right on the other side of our back privacy fence.

I thought at the time they were someone else's trees, and indeed they may belong to the county since there is a small canal back there. They may even be ours since they are so close to the fence.

Before we knew it, they were large and shading too much of our back yard. We now pay for trimming our side of them higher and higher every time we have the tree men come.

So be aware of what is growing beyond your property line that will soon be hanging over, especially if that property is NOT someone else's yard.

In such a case, it is wise to ask whoever owns the land before you go over there and prune away unwanted seedlings. But if you can't find anyone to ask, prune anyway.

When you are planting near your property line, consider what that tree or shrub might mean to your neighbor and how it will look if shorn at the boundary. And remember that neighbors are not necessarily as permanent as trees.

* Because we have so much wonderful sunshine in Florida, shade is important. Especially through the hot months from April through September, shade can make a marked difference in air conditioning costs and general comfort indoors and out.

Gardening in the shade is more pleasant and takes much less water. By planting deciduous trees in selected spots, we can enjoy the summer shade and the winter sun.

If you do not have enough shade, don't worry. You can get it very quickly. You can even get too much.

Monica Brandies can be reached at monica@gardensflorida.com.

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