My father on the hidden dangers of arborism

Sometimes I wonder if my father actually researches the nuggets of knowledge he shares, or if he just makes them all up on the fly.

I was talking with my father Saturday evening, when I mentioned that I had a few saplings in pots that I've been very pleased to see doing so well. The first is a walnut tree that started growing when our neighbor's tree dropped a walnut into a flower pot of ours last year. (I have several other walnut seedlings around the yard, but they never survive the first lawn mowing of the season.)

My father had no comment on this one, which is odd. He's taken seedlings in the past to plant on his mother's farm to help it recover from the strip-mining done there about 20 or 30 years ago.

The second seedling is an apple tree I started from seed this year from an organic apple I bought at the supermarket this past winter. Quoth Dad: "You have to be careful where you plant an apple tree. I would probably plant it out in the middle of your front yard, as far from your house as I could. Their branches spread out up to 30 feet, and will run into the house."

Last is a willow tree I started this spring with a downed and broken willow branch I found walking the dog. Willows root very easily, and their branches also can be used for rooting other plants that otherwise do not root easily.

Quoth good old Dad: "I wouldn't plant that anywhere in your yard. Willow roots spread out 50 feet to find water, and they'll destroy your sewer pipe in no time.

Knowing my father, he's probably right. He does have an uncanny knack for accumulating trivia like this. Still, as I said, none of the trees is planted in the ground, although I have that is the goal. Planting something besides the maple trees everyone has around here has would be nice, and leafy trees also reduce energy bills by blocking the sun in the summer.

There's also a Haitian tradition of planting a tree for each child born to your family. Maybe I should plant the willow in my dad's back yard next spring so it can soak up all the water that floods his property, and let it grow to record heights in a short period.