Questions & steps
Answers, in the order people ask
The screens, one by one
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Why you are planting it
2 answers
Most tree problems are planting problems: the right tree in a space that cannot take it. Start with the job you want done, and the width you can genuinely give away.
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Sun, ground and wind
3 answers
These three answers choose your species for you if you let them. On this coast the wind and the salt are the two that are not negotiable.
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What is in the way
3 answers
Power lines, a leach field and the question of natives are the three constraints that remove otherwise perfect trees from the list.
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What to plant
The answer
The three best matches for the spot you described, with the mature size and the distance each one needs from the house, the line and the leach field.
Questions
What trees grow best on the Cambria coast?
Monterey cypress and fruiting olive take salt and wind best; incense cedar is the best narrow tree for a small lot; coast live oak is the best native for habitat and is very drought tolerant. Coast redwood grows but needs summer water and space.
Which trees are most fire resistant?
Broadleaf evergreens with low resin and little dead material — coast live oak, toyon and other natives — are generally the most resistant. Resinous species like pines and eucalyptus are the least, and should be kept away from the structure.
How far should a tree be from my septic system?
At least 20 ft, and further for a fast-growing or thirsty species. Roots follow water, and a leach field is the most reliable water source on the property.
When is the best time to plant a tree here?
Late autumn through early spring, while the ground is cool and rain does the watering. Planting in high summer means the tree spends its first season surviving instead of growing.
Why not just plant a redwood? It grows here.
It grows, and it wants summer water and about 25 ft of clearance from any structure to do it well, which most Cambria lots cannot give it. Coastal salt and wind do not suit it either. Monterey cypress and olive take both, and incense cedar is the best narrow tree for a small lot.
How big will the tree actually get?
The mature size is in the result, and it is usually wider than the tree you buy. A 15-gallon cypress reaches 25 ft across and a coast live oak 45 ft. Plan for the width at twenty years rather than at planting, and measure that against your boundary and the house before you dig.
Terms, and what these figures are not
Every figure this tool returns is an estimate or general information — not a quote, a bid, an offer, an appraisal, an inspection or legal advice.
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