OK, anybody who knows me knows that I love trees. I have favorite trees wherever I go. If you don't have any trees in your yard, plant one.

First figure out what kind of soil you have. Go to the US Soil Survey website, go to your property, and study the charts. Use this uTube video created by Solomon Gamboa to navigate the website.

Basic Web Soil Survey Guide

Next use this spreadsheet that lists what trees grow best in what soil conditions.

Tree-Soil Spreadsheet

This is useful for anybody (yards, private property or parks) planting trees in our area. Two steps: you use/study the Soil survey data first, then this spreadsheet to find tree species that will grow best in the soil you have.

Why would you do this? You’re looking very long term with trees. You want good conditions for trees down the road for decades, centuries even. With trees, it’s very difficult to change your mind and move them, especially after they get established. You have to kill them and start over. Bad news. It’s difficult to amend the soil and change it to make the tree happy. It’s better to start with the right trees for the soil you have.