Need fast growing shade trees?

Drake Elm. Very fast growing, relatively small 25' - 35' tall. Can be multi trunked or single trunk.. Very small leaves so raking is not an issue. Dense foliage so it provides good shade. If you are planting more than one allow for mature spacing. They get 2/3 as wide as they get tall. Do not be tricked into buying a large specimen. University based research has shown that if you plant 2 trees 1 with a 5" caliper (diameter) and another with a 2" - 2 1/2" caliper and treat them exactly the same in 5 years the tree with the smaller caliper will be as large if not larger than the tree with the larger caliper. Proper planting is essential to tree growth and overall tree health. Your hole should be no deeper than the existing root ball but it should be 3 or 4 times wider. If your tree is in a container gently loosen the roots when you remove. do not purchase a container plant with roots sticking out of the holes or showing on the top of the soil. It is root bound. If you purchase B&B trees (Balled in burlap) remove the wire cage if there is one. Gently set the tree in the hole then loosen the burlap and cut out as much as you can. If you try to remove the burlap first you risk breaking the root ball. B&B trees are usually larger trees with more established root systems than container grown trees. Container grown trees can tolerate more root disturbance than B&B trees. Do not amend the soil. Do not fertilize or prune until the spring after your tree has been in the ground for a year. Amending the soil causes the roots to remain in the nice soft amended soil instead of spreading out. Fertilizing and pruning push foliage growth which takes energy from the root system that you are trying to establish. When you water - water deeply. I planted a satsuma last March. I watered ever day for the 1st month then every other day after that. When you water - water deeply. Getting the top layer of the soil damp does nothing for the root system. You have to get the water to the roots. I would drag my hose to my tree and turn it on with a low flow. Hard to describe. Not heavy enough to disturb the soil. Let the water run for 10 minutes. Turn it off. Let the water soak into the soil then repeat.

Good luck

Do they need to be under 30 feet tall at maturity? That puts a big limit on your choices, as most of the fast-growing trees get taller than 30 feet.

You might look into ornamental trees, which as a group, generally are less than 30 feet. Flowering cherry and ornamental plums grow the fastest, and both will do well in New York.. Visit your local garden center, and see what they carry that fits your criteria.

There are some poplar hybrids that grow anywhere upwards of 5 feet per year. My parents planted some a few years ago, and now they are a solid wall. Combine that with a privacy fence, and you can't even tell they have neighbors.

Just plant some damn trees You can find seeds anywhere.

This is why Jeebus invented tarps

cottonwoods

no i think