location,location,location

[Panache]

Longleaf pine will grow good in sand. There are sources of LL pine. find one similar to your environment. I have to get mountain LL. South of me they use coastal LL. Kind of a different shaped tree but huge cones and fire resistant. I am planting 16 acres of it next winter.

 

[thegreatrandini]

I LIVED OUTSIDE OF COLORADO SPRINGS IN ELBERT COUNTY FOR 5 YRS OR SO 5YRS AGO. WINTERS ARE NOT SHORT. ELEVATION IS OVER 6K EVEN THOUGH YOU ARE EAST OF CS. I THINK IT WAS 1997 WHEN WE HAD A 4 DAY WHITE OUT BLIZZARD 12 FT DRIFTS. YOU COULD GET LOST BETWEEN THE HOUSE AND BARN. 7FT FENCES WERE BURIED. THE HORSES JUST HAD BOWLS OF SNOW TO LIVE IN. ON THE THIRD DAY I CRAWLED OUT AND FOUND THE TWO CALVES.. DUG THEM OUT OF SNOW. DUG THE SHELTER OUT. I DRUG A BALE OF ALFALFA AND MANAGED TO GET THEM A DRINK. ON THAT DAY I COULD SEE 20FT OR SO. I HAD TO CRAWL OVER THE DRIFTS WITH A GRAIN SCOOP USE AS A SNOW SHOE IN ORDER TO NOT BREAK THROUGH THE CRUST. SNOW BLEW IN THE SOFITS OF THE HOUSE AND A LIGHT FIXTURE FILLED WITH WATER. BIG MESS. SOME DAYS IT TOOK ME 2 HRS + ONE WAY 20 MILES TO WORK.. TRAFFIC WAS ALWAYS BAD. YOU GET ALOT OF NICE SUNNY DAYS BUT IT CAN BE NASTY FROM SEPT TO MAY. IT IS NICER TO LIVE AROUND TOPEKA. A DIFFERENT KIND OF PRETTY. IF YOU HAVE BIG BUCKS AND CAN BUILD FIRST CLASS BARNS/ARENAS ETC.. I WOULD SAY CS IS OK IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORK.....

 

[thegreatrandini]

ALSO THE PASURE GRASS IS BROWN MOST OF THE YEAR AROUND CS. MUCH BETTER AROUND HERE.

 

[jinman]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I might try some Burr Oaks )</font>

Don't they have acorns the size of golf balls? Oh well, at least you didn't say bois d'arc. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif I like Shumard red oaks, but many people like the chinkapin oak. They both will tolerate our soils. Bur oak will too, but I don't want to mow over those gigantic acorns every fall. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif