Is there a mathamatician out there?

I need to know how many square feet 5 acres is. Actually, I need a rough estimate of how many feet wide by how many feet long 5 acres would be. I'm trying to figure out our almost square 5 acre lot into feet so I can plan the landscaping. So, if you are mathamatically inclined, think square and tell me how many feet wide and how many feet long. Does that make sense? I hope so. If you can help, I thank you profusely in advance.

Joan (who's feeling really mathamatically challenged right now.)

Hi Joan,no math wiz but there are 43,560 sq.ft.in an acre or 4,840sq.yards' As for length or width I don't know'HTH,Sis'

Thanks Sis, this helps alot. So, I can roughly figure the lot at about 466 feet x 466 feet I think. Give or take a foot or two here and there. At least this will give me a rough estimate of what I'm looking at.

Wow! That's a lot of bare ground to deal with. I have basically no trees and only the few plants I planted last year. Gonna take awhile to get this place into shape I think.

I'm working on it though! LOL! Planning, Planning, Planning!

LOL,you're right' Lotta water,a tractor and a CD,you'll have it done in no time,eh??? You lucky lady''':D

Got the tractor, have a well. CD? Hmmm...gonna have to think on that one. I don't think Prince is gonna do the trick. Maybe the soundtrack from Green Acres?

Lucky? I'm not sure about that. This place looks awfully big and bare to me. And, I really don't know how to start, except with a huge drawing of how I would like it to look. One step at a time, right? LOL! I would give anything for some more shade. I love the hostas and shade plants, but I'm pretty much out of shade for about 10 years until I can get some trees to grow a little.

Gonna be a lot of work I'm thinking. But I'm committed to getting this done.

Thanks Sis. I can go back to the drawing board now. (Translate - Kitchen floor!)

This message was edited Saturday, Jan 26th 12:59 AM

I don't know if Siberian Elm will grow there, but if it will, I will be happy to send you seeds. Mine grew to 20' in about 3 years. They are fairly common here, so I have never learned anything about them, didn't have to know. This is what I do have in a gardening encyclopedia: Ulmus pumila, a native of China, Manchuria and Korea, grows to a maximum height of 75 ft., flowers are relatively inconspicuous, borne in spring instead of fall. Grows quickly, is especially recommended for planting as a street tree and as a shade tree in arid parts of North America. It is perfectly hardy in the North. Leaf-losing in the North. Has a rounded, broad head, and has leaves from 1-3 in. long. Wood is weak, might suffer damage from storms.

Thank you Aimee! I'm going to see if it is hardy here. Looking for more info. I'll let you know what I find out.
Joan

Joan - I'm almost in the same boat as you but smaller - just under 2 acres. I do have forested areas though but I know what you mean about looking bare. Where the builders cleared the land to build the house they took down far too many trees, even though I specifically asked them not to!! They always had some excuse or other. We two should get together to rack our brains huh!! Aimee I could do with those quick growers but am actually looking for windbreaks for the front of the property and thought Thuja might do the trick!! Although if you have any spare I could use them at the back of the property!! Do you want any tulip tree babies??

I haven't checked the trees for seeds lately, they usually hang on for months. Will look tomorrow, but will also look in the beds for seedlings. I think there will be bushels of seeds. I do have plenty of wax leaf ligustrum, which gets pretty tall here and grows fast. It's evergreen here, and the birds just love those berries, so I end up with the trees all over the property. Can send you seeds and/or seedlings of those. I guess you don't want chinaberry? You might also consider Pawlonia, it's beautiful. Grows about 10' a year. I don't have them, but might have seed. Of course, there is also mimosa. But for windbreaks, you would want evergreen. Ligustrum is probably the best I have for that, unless you want blueberry juniper.

Aimee - will you stop chasing me around so that I can get back to bed!! Sorry - I will reiterate!! We are all chasing each other around tonight...lol!! There's Joan, Sis, you and me!! The proverbial night owls to be sure. I think I've got mail...lol!! Aimee I will take anything to fill my space!! I'll catch up with you later and see if there is anything I can offer you!!

I don't know where my head is. Margaret, do you want cuttings for Thuja? I have some I planted in Austin, where DS lives now, and can make all the cuttings you want if you don't want to buy them. These were planted about 1975, because I wanted to shield the front of the house from the street. Just hated living in a goldfish bowl. They thrived, to say the least, and soon were blocking the sidewalk. Some had to be taken out, but there is still a small forest of them.

This is so funny Aimee - uhum!! (stop laughing Margaret))!! Don't worry your lovely head about things at this hour. Go get some sleep!! I'm off now!! God bless!!

Aimee:
I checked out the Siberian elms and was excited that they would grow here, but then I made a mistake and told DH about them. He said "no elm trees". Granted, when we moved here we had to dig out lots of Chinese elms in the shelterbelt that had died from dutch elm disease. I showed him on arborquest.com that the siberian elms were 'dutch elm disease resistant', but he's not budging. So, thanks for the offer, but I really don't think he'd let them survive even if I got them going well.

I have a flat of baby crabapples planted and so far 6 of them are up and doing well. They are sitting beside the coffee pot, in front of the window, waiting for the growlight system to get done. I hope he looks at them enough to get attached! LOL!

Well, I have a Blanco crabapple full of fruit if you need more seeds. This one covers itself with white blooms every spring, very early, and produces litle tan fruits that are very tart and about the size of a large plum. And the leaves even turn red here, a beautiful pinkish red we don't usually see on our trees. We'll get that place tree-studded before a year passes.

LOL! Thanks Aimee! I like that - "tree studded". I'm gonna remember that line.

Wish it was original, but every realtor in Texas advertises any lot with two trees or shrubs as tree-studded.

Contact your Agricultural Extension Service and find the Natural Resource Conservation people. They have tree seedlings suited for your area. Now is the time to do it...they sell seedlings of trees and shrubs that are native to your area and will help encourage wildlife conservation. The natives are much less prone to disease and are adapted to your environment. Also, consider windbreaks as they will shield your house and garden from extremes of the weather. They are also nice backgrounds for highlighting beds and borders.

I agree with Lanatana's advice on all counts. If they can provide you with pine seedlings suitable for your climate, you will have VERY large trees in about five years, from no more than an 8" rooted seedling. Even if you don't do the "traditional" windbreak (a double row of evergreens on the north side of the property, generally speaking), plan to intersperse the pines throughout the deciduous trees to create a "woodlands" feel to the property.

That's right Joan,cuts down on the winter utilities too'

Nearly forgot but several years ago,I got our neighbors to go in with me and the Arbor Foundation sent us all the trees we needed at a very minimal price' The seedlings are grown for many regions,natives are what I'd also reccomend' I'll find a link and BRB'

Here it is Joan....http://www.arborday.org/

I ditto lantana's advice. I think your winds are even stronger and colder than ours. We ordered shelter break seedling trees through the National Conservation Service 25 years ago. I regret that we didn't take pictures every year. If they are taken care of properly those first few years, you won't believe how fast they grow. I believe the Conservation Service will help you pick trees best suited for your area. Our shelter break runs north and west of our house. It is unbelievable how much this cuts down on those cold northwest winds we get in the winter and hot winds in the summer.

Thanks. I'll check into this. We did order some trees from the extension service last year, but we just used them to fill in some of the bare spots in the shelter belt. I think it may be too late to order them for this spring, but I'l give them a call.
Joan