sycamore tree planting

Discussion in 'Trees' started by pheobe, Nov 12, 2015.

  1. pheobe

    pheobe Gardener

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    Can anybody advise me the best time to plant some young sycamore tree's I grew them from seed this year in pots, they are now leafless and are to go into an area of willow and shrubs I also need advise on spacing I have tree tubes and stakes and live in a very windy coastal area.
    Thanks up front Eric
     
  2. Jack McHammocklashing

    Jack McHammocklashing Sludgemariner

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    I spend most of autumn picking out sycamore seedlings from my plot about six hundred
    I have no need to produce a sycamore tree 115 foot high, they also grow in my mono bloc drive

    How many would you like

    Sorry I am no friend of the sycamore

    Jack McH
     
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    • WeeTam

      WeeTam Total Gardener

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      Damn things self seed in the gutters,beds,pots,hanging baskets,flat roof,lawn,pondside,and i found one in a crack in my cherry tree.
      Like bindweed of the tree world ;)
       
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      • Silver surfer

        Silver surfer PLANTAHOLIC

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        • Rustler

          Rustler Super Gardener

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          As above! Spent many hours pulling them from ground, borders and even pots earlier this year. Not my favourite either, I'm afraid.
           
        • Scrungee

          Scrungee Well known for it

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          + the seeds are poisonous to horses.
           
        • silu

          silu gardening easy...hmmm

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          Totally agree re Sycamore I have 2 ENORMOUS ones which I'd be quite happy to be rid off. Snag is they are near the road and I'd need to have them taken down professionally and close the road during the process. That sounds to me like some hefty £ signs! The 2 offending trees over hang the field where we have had horses for nearly 20 years and not 1 upset stomach far less anything worse has been caused by the trees. While there is a bit of a "thing" about Sycamore being poisonous to horses atm in various horse magazines, the problems arise when horses are in fields which are bare and there isn't enough alternatives for them to eat at which point they will no doubt eat Sycamore seeds which won't do them any good at all. The same if not more so can be said of Ragwort (really seriously poisonous to horses) and the likes of Foxgloves. Horses will graze carefully around plants which will do them harm and will only resort to eating them if there is nothing else on offer.
           
        • Scrungee

          Scrungee Well known for it

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          Also in a recent NFU magazine, thought worth mentioning, same as Conkers being poisonous to dogs (although differing reports on seriousness) and I stopped ours eating a luminous necklace on the pavement the morning after Halloween.

          (Being somebody who always keeps a lead rein and spare dog lead in the car in case of emergencies, and pleased we've been able to help out with both)
           
        • pete

          pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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          Seen some really good autumn colours on Sycamore trees.

          Not something I would plant in my small area, but all trees have their place in the right setting/ spot, so I'd never condemn them.

          Apparently acorns are also toxic to cattle, or is it horses?

          I think we can get too wrapped up in the hysteria about what is poisonous to what, when I read some of the stuff I often wonder how the worlds wild life has managed to survive for so long without us fussing.
           
        • pheobe

          pheobe Gardener

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          Thank you all but with the wind and salt air, most tree's suffer unless you have a shelter belt of mature woodland or hills (ie Logan Botanical gardens )then most tree's get burnt by winter and spring winds, sycamore is fast enough to make some progress in these winds even willow or ash are slow up here, there are very few tree's out in the open, I have a few ash that have been in some ten years and have all burnt off at the top and are shooting from the base all due to wind, and to Silu if I was closer would have those tree's down for free as long as I can have the wood for the stove,
           
        • Bilbo675

          Bilbo675 Total Gardener

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          There are many more ornamental varieties of Acer that are hardy and may be worth considering instead of the common Sycamore.

          Also the Monterey Pine is an excellent coastal tree as is the evergreen oak, Quercus Ilex :)
           
        • silu

          silu gardening easy...hmmm

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          Yup @Phoebe there is about 3 to 4 years of burning in the 2 trees. Took another Sycamore of similar size down and it fed a 8kw wood burning stove for nearly 2 years. I am very fond of most trees but afraid to me the only useful purpose for Sycamore is as a fuel. Unlike Pete I've never seen Sycamore colour well. My 2 monsters have lost most of their leaves now post high winds yesterday. They were a very boring greeny brown when they fell. I'd always choose Ash over Sycamore for fuel. Easy to split and will burn green too so tend to leave Ash seedlings to grow in our wee wood but pull the Sycamore. You can just see 1 of my Sycamore behind the Silver Birch in the photo...not small!
          IMG_1527.JPG
           
          Last edited: Nov 13, 2015
        • pheobe

          pheobe Gardener

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          yes pine manage fairly well but I have a few and am not a great fan of them, I have a few oak as well but they struggle and even in the glen nearby they are struggling, there is just not enough to break the winds,as for letting Ash seedlings grow I will be under them before there big enough to be used for fuel, Silu your sycamore are impressive,
           
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