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Need a tree that soaks up lots of water

Posted on 1/20/20 at 3:53 pm
Posted by financetiger
Member since Feb 2008
1667 posts
Posted on 1/20/20 at 3:53 pm
We have some areas in our back yard that hold lots of water after it rains. We used to have water oaks there but had to cut them down. Wasn't a problem when we had them. Don't want to go back with water oaks. Any good suggestions? Would prefer something fast growing, not too large.
Posted by soileau123
south louisiana
Member since Oct 2015
125 posts
Posted on 1/20/20 at 4:17 pm to
Nuttall oak is good i met areas is fast growing but will get pretty big. LSU ag says 80 to 100 feet tall and 25 to 40ft canopy.
Posted by BeepNode
Lafayette
Member since Feb 2014
10005 posts
Posted on 1/20/20 at 4:37 pm to
quote:

Nuttall oak is good i met areas is fast growing but will get pretty big. LSU ag says 80 to 100 feet tall and 25 to 40ft canopy.



I wish I could buy/afford a tree that was already big instead of waiting 30 years.
Posted by The Nino
Member since Jan 2010
21521 posts
Posted on 1/20/20 at 5:08 pm to
Have you considered doing a flower bed with shrubs/bushes? That might absorb the water quicker
Posted by Zappas Stache
Utility Muffin Research Kitchen
Member since Apr 2009
38659 posts
Posted on 1/20/20 at 5:10 pm to
Bald Cypress, Swamp Red Maple, River Birch
Posted by LSUEnvy
Hou via Lake Chas
Member since May 2011
12087 posts
Posted on 1/20/20 at 5:35 pm to
Sycamore if you can tolerate the leaves
Posted by East Coast Band
Member since Nov 2010
62734 posts
Posted on 1/20/20 at 6:50 pm to
quote:

Bald Cypress, Swamp Red Maple, River Birch

All of these
Posted by SaDaTayMoses
Member since Oct 2005
4319 posts
Posted on 1/21/20 at 7:47 am to
considered drainage instead of planting? Maybe a pond if your yard is large enough? "wetlands garden"
Posted by TigerB8
End Communism
Member since Oct 2003
9242 posts
Posted on 1/21/20 at 11:49 am to
Willow and as someone stated, the Bald Cypress. I just planted a bald cypress in my front yard as a 4 inch sapling. 4 years later it's 10 feet tall. I have a drainage issue in my front yard and did this for that reason.
Turns out that i have a spring under my house that starts when we get a lot of rain....
Posted by BallsEleven
Member since Mar 2019
6163 posts
Posted on 1/21/20 at 12:08 pm to
quote:

Turns out that i have a spring under my house


How do you find this out?
Posted by michael corleone
baton rouge
Member since Jun 2005
5806 posts
Posted on 1/21/20 at 1:12 pm to
Cypress. Planted a 4-5 ft tall tree in 2012 and it’s 25 plus feet. Pruned the lower branches for the first 5 years and used fert spikes the first three years. It’s gorgeous and really sucks up the water in the area. Added day lilies and agapanthus around it and the area looks great.
Posted by TimeOutdoors
AK
Member since Sep 2014
12120 posts
Posted on 1/21/20 at 1:41 pm to
The only one telling you this will work are the people selling the trees. Yes a tree 50-100 years old will absorb some water but honestly planting a tree is not going to alleviate the problem.

There are some pretty sweet plants for lying areas. Thought about turning the area into a planting area? Moss/Lichen Garden?
Posted by TigerB8
End Communism
Member since Oct 2003
9242 posts
Posted on 1/21/20 at 3:29 pm to
quote:

How do you find this out?


Long story but not determined by any scientific method.

Next door neighbor had been there for about 30 years. Said they had a bubbling up spring in low lying area I was worried about. About 25 years ago that happened but it dried out when droughts hit and rain slacked off. Well, we got about 6 months of constant rain in Georgia and my house is on lower land with a creek running through property. I had water pooling up under my house coming in through cracks seeping into garage. Had to run a sump pump for about 4 months until the rain finally subsided.

Had county come out to test for leaks in street. The patched a couple leaks but wasn't mine. They ran a test on my meter and by process of elimination i was able to finally agree with what neighbor said. I've sealed my garage floor/cracks and i am now in the process of replacing the shitty drainage pipes the original owners had in place which were clogged.
Posted by BengalBlood81
Member since Oct 2014
1292 posts
Posted on 1/21/20 at 10:03 pm to
You may also want to check if the ground has compacted itself from the previous trees sucking the water in from below. Sometimes that creates a hard pan underneath the wet surface
Posted by East Coast Band
Member since Nov 2010
62734 posts
Posted on 1/22/20 at 6:55 am to
quote:

considered drainage instead of planting?

Try to limit the drainage. A reason for a lot of area flooding is the fact of so many clear cut areas and drainage installed. Keeping something there, like a tree, or the pond or wetlands area is a nice idea
Posted by FowlGuy
Member since Nov 2015
1350 posts
Posted on 1/22/20 at 10:54 am to
If it hasn’t been stated, any tree you plant with throw shade and it will make the area stay wet longer. I live in the country and have septic field line that stays wet due to a lot of trees on the west side of the line. This summer, they coming down.
Posted by Churchill
Member since Apr 2009
496 posts
Posted on 1/22/20 at 11:16 am to
Plant some banana trees.
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