Do you look outside and feel like your property is a bit bare? Are you wanting to plant a tree or two to beautify your property? If all you've got on your property right now are plots of grass and maybe a few shrubs, then things can look a bit boring and empty. While it can be tempting to just go to your local garden center or nursery and just pick out the first things that strike your fancy, this isn't the best way to go about things. Before you buy anything, it's a good idea to have a solid plan in place so you know what will work best for you and your property. Some things that you'll want to take into consideration include:
Purpose
There are many different reasons for planting trees; almost as many reasons as there are types of trees. For instance, some trees are going to be better at providing shade than others, some trees are going to provide edible food, and some trees just look really nice. If you would like fruit but you plant a pine tree because it looks nice, then you're obviously going to be disappointed. On the other hand, if you don't want to deal with picking fruit every year then you'll want a purely ornamental tree of some kind.
Care
Some trees require a lot more care than other trees do. Citrus trees are popular for both ornamental reasons and because they provide fruit. However, they are more resource-intensive than other tree varieties. They need more nitrogen, more water, and just more work in general for them to be worthwhile. This doesn't mean that you should avoid them but you do need to know about how to properly care for them before you decide to plant one on your property.
Lifespan
Although we think of trees as having long lives, this isn't always true. Some trees grow fast and die off fast within just a few years. Other trees grow more slowly but can live for decades or even centuries. If you plant a fast-growing tree to have some shade right now, you should be aware that you may have to have it removed a few years down the line. On the other hand, if you plant a fruit tree today then you might not get any fruit from it for some time. In order to choose the best tree, you're going to have to think about not only what will be best for right now but also what you'll be wanting and needing in a couple of years.
