Tree Planting in Novi, MI

Why Novi yards need new trees

Emerald ash borer was first found in southeast Michigan in 2002, and over the following decade it killed nearly every untreated ash in the region. Novi subdivisions built in the 1980s and 1990s often had ash as the main street and yard tree, so whole blocks lost their canopy at once. Newer neighborhoods off Wixom Road, Beck Road and Napier Road were frequently carved out of farmland or woods and left with only a few small trees per lot. Either way, the result is a lot of hot, exposed yards that would be more comfortable and more valuable with shade.

The fix is not just to plant anything that is on sale. The ash story is a reminder that a neighborhood full of one species is fragile. We aim for a mix, so one pest or disease cannot wipe out your whole yard again.

Woodland replacement plantings

Novi takes its trees seriously. The city's Woodland Protection Ordinance covers trees 8 inches in diameter or larger inside mapped regulated woodlands, plus any tree over 36 inches elsewhere. When a permit allows a protected tree to come down, replacements are required, from one to four trees depending on the size of the tree removed, and they must be Michigan native species at least two and a half inches in caliper. If you are building, adding on or clearing for a pool, we can plant your required replacements to the spec on your permit. Check with the city before any removal, and if a tree has to go, our tree removal crew can handle that side.

Species that do well here

Much of Novi sits on heavy clay that drains slowly and compacts easily after construction. Winters bring hard freezes and road salt along the curbs. Good choices include:

• Swamp white oak and bur oak. Tough, native, tolerant of clay and wet spots.
• Red oak and white oak for larger lots with room to spread.
• Red maple and sugar maple for fall color, kept away from salty curb strips.
• Tulip tree, black gum and hackberry to add variety.
• Serviceberry, redbud and dogwood for smaller yards, patios and the edge of woods.
• White pine and eastern red cedar for year-round screening along lot lines.

Many Novi subdivisions have HOA rules about front-yard trees. Bring your guidelines and we will work within them.

Planting in clay

The most common reason a new tree fails in Novi is that it was planted too deep. In clay, a deep, narrow hole fills with water like a bucket, and the roots suffocate. We dig a hole two to three times as wide as the root ball but no deeper, so the root flare sits at or slightly above grade. We cut away wire baskets and burlap from the top of the ball, loosen circling roots on container trees, and backfill with the native soil rather than rich compost that would hold water. Mulch goes on two to three inches deep in a wide ring, pulled back from the trunk.

Before any digging, we call MISS DIG 811 to have underground utilities marked. We also look up: power lines, the house, the driveway and where the tree will be in 30 years.

When to plant

Fall is the best time in southeast Michigan, from mid-September until the ground starts to freeze, usually in November. Roots keep growing in cool soil while the top is dormant. Spring, from about April into early June, is the second window. Summer planting works with careful watering, but we try to avoid the hottest weeks of July and August.

Questions we hear often

How big a tree should I buy? Smaller trees, around one and a half to two and a half inches in caliper, establish faster than large ones and often catch up within a few years. Required woodland replacements have to meet the two and a half inch minimum.

Can I plant where an ash stump was? Yes, once the stump is ground out and the chips are mixed with soil or removed. Shifting the new tree a few feet away from the old root mass helps too.

Aftercare

A new tree needs about an inch of water a week for its first two growing seasons, more during dry spells. Slow soaking with a hose or a watering bag beats a quick spray. We stake only when the site is windy or the tree is top heavy, and we remove the stakes after a year. In year two or three, a light structural prune sets up good branch spacing, which our tree trimming crew can handle. If you want a full look at an older tree that might need replacing, book an arborist consultation.

We also plant trees in Northville, Wixom, Walled Lake and Farmington Hills.