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12:46 pm
October 31, 2010
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Looking for your opinions/experiences with using evergreens for privacy and wind break.
We will be planting trees across the front of one part of our pieces of property that is wide open to a state highway. My main concern is privacy and I want trees that will grow hardy without diseases. We've had blue spruce trees in the past that lost their needles/branches from the bottom up, so I'm looking for something that isn't predisposed to that kind of thing. I DO like the look of the needles on spruce trees, however!
The field where we'll plant the trees may be used to pasture various animals including chickens, cow(s), etc. I'm planning on putting the trees just OUTSIDE the fencing just in case there are goats in the future…. 
1:42 pm
January 26, 2010
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Depends on your soil and weather conditions, but around here at the edge of the Ozarks, Easter Red Cedar is the most reliable choice for that use. They're not as attractive as spruce or pines, but they make a great screen and are very hardy.
9:30 pm
December 14, 2010
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Virginia Juniper is good but northern white cedar is softer to the touch. How much land can you devote to the screen. Several rows are better than a single row. While waiting for the small trees to become big trees, Giant sunflowers are good in the summertime. Even a few rows of corn will provide a good screen. The state forester can advise and supply seedlings for a small cost .You will need to plan four or five years for trees to make the size that will start to be effective.. A mixed hedge of short and long life trees may be the way to go. Fruit trees grow fast and get out of control quickly. they also lend themselves to hard pruning. Yew grows rather quickly and is very long life. It is however poisonous to livestock. How tall do you want this hedge to be? Rhodendron can make a good screen and is very pretty. Blueberries are a possiblity and of course blackberries are intruder resistant.
7:19 am
October 31, 2010
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Those are a lot of good thoughts, Ross. I particularly like the idea of the Rhododendron but I'm not sure if it would survive out in the open during the winter. I have good luck with it on the East side or North side of a building (which breaks the cold west winds), but not sure it it would do well out there in the open.
As far as how tall…I'd love it to be full spruce-tree size but I would consider other options as long as I continue to get the privacy in the winter too!
12:44 pm
December 14, 2010
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We have a rhododendron that is about fifteen feet tall and about 40 years old. It is exposed on all sides and stands facing south. When the weather gets really cold the leaves roll tight and almost cigar size. It grows naturally on the high slopes of the mountains here in Maryland. Our weather and yours is remarkably similar, occassional sub zero winter days and of course snow but they don't seem to break down under snow loads.
2:49 pm
February 10, 2009
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I myself would probably plant Eastern Red Cedar, and mix some other things in there. Red Cedar does really well in poor soil, cold weather and is a great windbreak, plus birds love it for shelter and eat the berries. If there's room to stagger the trees, having a double row is helpful as I believe Ross suggested, which would allow you to mix in some other trees too so if one variety is struggling, the other can take up the slack. Mono-culture isn't the best, two or three options will help if there's a problem with something.
You could plant some Ninebark, (common ninebark?) out in front or in between too, I have no idea what the real name of that is, but it does very well and offers summer interest with nectar for bees, and in the winter even though it drops the leaves, it still gives lots of cover to birds and small mammals.
3:06 pm
December 14, 2010
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During the 1930's the department of agriculture recommended to farmers out on the praires that they plant windbreaks on the north and west sides of the farm yards. These were large and extensive and intended to provide farm timber and fuel wood for the farm. With that in mind mulberry is a good tree to mix in, black locust always has usefulness and locust fixes nitrogen in the soil. The extent that you go here will be somewhat governed by the length and depth of the planting. Wildcherry will show up in a few years as will maple and mulberry. Just for fancy I would also plant spring bulbs for the flowers.
3:10 pm
February 10, 2009
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Most cherries are poisonous to too many animals… not when it's green, but if the leaves wilt, there is a chemical produced which is VERY dangerous to horses, and somewhat toxic to goats, possibly other animals too. Even if you don't plan on having horses or goats, you never know what the future may bring.
3:24 pm
December 14, 2010
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Not just cherries but all species prunus includes peaches, plums, apricots. never have know livestock to eat fall leaves if there was other fodder.
4:06 pm
January 26, 2010
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Caution re black locust – make absolutely sure it's a thornless variety. The native black locusts in our region have the nastiest thorns – nail-hard, sharp spikes up to 7 inches. The bark contains a toxin that rubs off when the thorn pierces the skin, leaving a sore spot that festers and heals very slowly. The thorns will pierce even heavy truck tires as easily as nails, go through shoes, and will blind a cow unlucky enough to bump one – I'm six years into an ongoing battle to eradicate them from the heavier traffic spots on our farm and have experienced all of the above.
9:19 pm
January 17, 2011
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You might want to check with your state forestery dept. to see if they offer any kinds of trees at reduced prices. Ours down here sell several different kinds…they are small but for less than $3 ea. depending on variety & how many your get…it beats buying them at a nursery. Most are around $1 if you buy 50 or more….think sharing with someone else if you can't use that many.
1:21 am
June 1, 2010
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Leah's Mom:
Why not check out http://www.IN.gov/dnr/forestry/3606.htm
Indiana has State Seedling Nurseries. This is part of their mission:
Our Mission is to grow and distribute to Indiana landowners high quality plant materials for conservation plantings. Conservation plantings include plantings for timber, windbreaks, wildlife food and habitat, watershed and soil protection, reclamation and education.
From their FAQ:
2:13 pm
February 10, 2009
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Great idea Bonita! Our dept of forestry has a sale every spring that is helped out by our Extension office. This is about the right time to start making inquiries about it too!
2:38 pm
December 14, 2010
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LauraP , you are dealing with Honey Locust not Black Locust.
3:31 pm
October 31, 2010
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Thanks, Bonita, that IS a good idea. I went over briefly to their website this morning to take a look around but had to leave so I'm just getting back home. I saw some interesting notes about not planting at least 1 tree too close to another variety as they cause problems for each other (I was skimming so I don't remember the specifics…) Anyway, I want to take a good look at it and see what they say and hopefully get going.
I may not be able to use their trees for my wind/privacy break as I'm going to guess that they are tiny seedlings and I need something larger. However, there are other areas I may be interested in!
3:41 pm
December 14, 2010
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Different tree species have very different growth rates. From seed to six feet will take a silver maple about two to three years and a red oak 3 to 5 years. Paulownia is also deciduous but will grow to 20 feet in five years. Some hollies are rather fast growing but they top out fairly short.. People around here that want fast results and have the money buy balled and burlaped christmas trees, usually in white pine, and have a head high hedge in one or two years.
6:26 pm
June 1, 2010
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One way to cut the cost of trees of significant height: new-to-the-market bare root trees 6 feet and taller. New technology allows taller living trees to be dug up, roots in tact, dirt removed, ready for transport and sale. These trees cost considerably less —and are easier to handle—than the heavy, cumbersome ball and burlap trees of same height.
Would you believe that the ad that appeared on this page is for the site "fastgrowingtrees.com"?
We have an area (off a high traffic alleyway) where our current privacy-height trees have to be removed because of disease. Trees we like grow slowly. We will plant several bamboos and other grasses (in pots, in ground) to get an instant privacy fence whilst the trees grow at their leisurely rate. We'll get privacy and great winter interest while waiting for the trees, removing bamboo as they become superfluous.
8:27 pm
December 14, 2010
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Good luck with keeping bamboo in the pots.
9:32 pm
January 26, 2010
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Ross – Wild forms of both types have thorns, though what we have here on this farm has the long spikes associated with honey locust in most of the reliable guides BUT the pods and leaf form more closely match those in the guides for black locust, as does the tendency for root suckering. The flowers match honey locust, much to the disappointment of the goats (and me because one of my favorite spring pastimes at our old place was watching the goats balance on their hind legs to nibble the locust flowers, and the fragrance was intoxicating).
The conservation agents I've had out here call the long-spiked problem trees here black locusts, though they could easily be mistaken as to the actual scientific identification and using the locally vernacular given that they've both lived around here all their lives and were on site for their predator expertise, not botany credentials. My warning about thorns still stands — if you're buying them for landscape use, make sure they're thornless.
10:00 am
February 10, 2009
Online
The difference between the two are that Honey Locust has thorns on the trunk AND branches, Black Locust has thorns mostly on just the branches near the leaves, still sharp and all, but considerably smaller and less deadly! There are other differences too, but that's the biggie!
Luckily we have mostly black locust near the house, they still send up suckers and can be annoying but that's just how it goes sometimes.
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