It appears the builder was generous enough to plant 2 silver maples as part of the landscape of our new home. I see that silver maples are identified as "junk trees" & should never be planted.

My question is: Do I remove them now & replace with better trees? OR Do I plant better trees now & remove the silver maples later after the new trees get established?

The problem is that while the silver maples are not mature trees by any means, they are about 10' tall with 3" caliper trunks. I cannot currently afford to purchase replacement trees of similar size. There are no mature trees in my yard or the neighborhood for that matter.

Thank you,
Kevin

Well here's the thing.

In much more northerly climates they're not all that bad. Down here they tend to grow fast, look pretty, then fall over on your truck one windy night after reaching full size.

If they're no larger than you describe then they're not really doing you a bg favor with shade yet, I take it. So removing them now isn't a loss in that department. Planting a good pair of Texas Ash or White Ash (or one of each) that are just the 5-gallon pot size trees will mean they reach the size of these two in just 3-4 years max. Then they'll continue to grow and in 10 years be bigger than those maples would likely have been by then... and these will be strong healty trees. Tey'll look great AND they won't fall on your truck.

_________________
Shepherd of the Trees
It is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succor of those years wherein we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields we know so that those who live after may have clean earth to till.

Thanks, that was kinda my thoughts too. The existing trees give ZERO shade, so no reason not to replace them.

Hope the HOA doesn't have a problem with me taking them out.

Kevin

Don't get me started on HOA's....

_________________
Shepherd of the Trees
It is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succor of those years wherein we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields we know so that those who live after may have clean earth to till.