My Husband Wondered If He Could Plant A Cherry Tree…
Kathy Asked
My husband wondered if he could plant a cherry tree in the same spot that he is going to cut down a 6-inch diameter maple tree that died down?
The Gardener’s Answer
Hello, Kathy in Iowa: It is always unfortunate to lose a tree in the landscape. As gardeners our initial thought is to of course replace it right away. There needs to be some consideration taken as to how you will remove the dead tree and where you will plant a replacement. If you want to plant in the exact spot where the maple was then you will need to hire an arborist, preferably a certified one to completely grind out the stump, remove the chips, and refill with new soil. Be sure to let the arborist know what your plans are in terms of replanting so they can be certain to remove all the chips. If all these steps are not taken it is not going to be a healthy environment for any new tree to thrive. If you are not going to have the stump ground out and want to plant in the same area that is fine, but you want to make sure you are far enough away from where the maple was growing that the roots of the cherry have sufficient space to grow. You can contact your county Extension service for recommendations for certified arborists in your area.
