Littleleaf Linden Replacement?

[youcanreachtrev]

Hi All,

I have just recently moved into a new home in Toronto, Canada. We have only one tree in our front yard, a 40'-50' Littleleaf Linden. It is almost June and most trees are in full bloom, and the Littleleaf is still quite bare. I love trees, but I find this tree sad looking. I am not sure that it will ever get much more in terms of foliage. I find this sad, because it is a fairly mature tree, but I want a nice healthy tree in my yard. I am thinking of cutting it down and replacing it with a Sugar Maple. Do I have to do anything special after cutting down the linden? like dig out the roots several feet down? Can I plant in a similar spot? What size Maple would you suggest to start? and how long would it take for a small maple to grow? Also, Ive seen sites mention drainage and soil conditions. I have no idea how to test this. I have no water pooling... any help on assessing soil conditions would be great.

Thanks,
Trevor

 

[Raintree]

Why don't you give your Linden some more time, you might find it's only off to a slow start.

 

[Oldmaple]

It has been an odd year for leaf out on trees. Could be in weakened condition, frost damage on buds during leaf out would take a while to releaf, etc. Sugar Maple may be a good choice for replacement depending on soil type. Size depends on how much money do you want to put into a replacement.