Norway Spruce Screen Decisions

[Wind Gypsy]

Folks, I've decided to go with Norway spruce to be the long term solution for screening an open field on my property from the road/access. I'm looking for input on execution.

1. Should I be looking at potted or bare root trees? It's important to me to have a screen as soon as possible and also to minimize failed plantings/re-planting
2. What sources are good for supplying the trees? I'm in central MN or just NW of the metro area.
3. Any tips on planting execution to ensure success?
4. I was thinking 2 rows of 10-12' spacing on these to get them filled in faster, open to consider other suggestions. I'm looking at about 370 yards total length of screening. 3 rows would be nice but I need to add temporary screening (EW or hybrid sorghum) and probably a layer of CIR switchgrass as well and am concerned with the amount of room i'm going to eat up with the screen.

Thanks for any input!

 

[Bassattackr]

My opinions, for what they're worth..

1. If quick growth and planting success and your goals, I'd go with potted seedlings as finances allow. Much quicker to establish IMO.
2. MDC has a nursery that's a good value for seedlings, albiet they are small: https://mdc12.mdc.mo.gov/Applications/TreeSeedling/Home/ProductDetails/49?
3. Personally after planting alternating rows of the spruce trees, I'd just use an annual screen like EW, Sorghum Sudan, etc. and wouldn't bother with the switchgrass. One 6' pass with the disc or tiller and pack it in and you're set. Much less maintenance and super easy to grow. Unless you have great soils, first year switch won't get that tall either.

Good luck!

 

[Wind Gypsy]

My opinions, for what they're worth..

1. If quick growth and planting success and your goals, I'd go with potted seedlings as finances allow. Much quicker to establish IMO.
2. MDC has a nursery that's a good value for seedlings, albiet they are small: https://mdc12.mdc.mo.gov/Applications/TreeSeedling/Home/ProductDetails/49?
3. Personally after planting alternating rows of the spruce trees, I'd just use an annual screen like EW, Sorghum Sudan, etc. and wouldn't bother with the switchgrass. One 6' pass with the disc or tiller and pack it in and you're set. Much less maintenance and super easy to grow. Unless you have great soils, first year switch won't get that tall either.

Good luck!

Thanks.

My thoughts with the Switch was that years 3-6ish could minimize the annual screen planting work once it establishes but after thinking about it I might be overcomplicating things and not really saving much for efforts because I'd be doubling up on efforts the first couple years.

 

[Bassattackr]

My thoughts with the Switch was that years 3-6ish could minimize the annual screen planting work once it establishes but after thinking about it I might be overcomplicating things and not really saving much for efforts because I'd be doubling up on efforts the first couple years.

Agreed, you'll also run into sun / shading issues between the two. The switch will grow a lot slower if there is an adjacent annual screen, losing sunlight for half the day...

What planting tools do you have at your disposal for the annual screen?

 

[Tree Spud]

Folks, I've decided to go with Norway spruce to be the long term solution for screening an open field on my property from the road/access. I'm looking for input on execution.

1. Should I be looking at potted or bare root trees? It's important to me to have a screen as soon as possible and also to minimize failed plantings/re-planting
2. What sources are good for supplying the trees? I'm in central MN or just NW of the metro area.
3. Any tips on planting execution to ensure success?
4. I was thinking 2 rows of 10-12' spacing on these to get them filled in faster, open to consider other suggestions. I'm looking at about 370 yards total length of screening. 3 rows would be nice but I need to add temporary screening (EW or hybrid sorghum) and probably a layer of CIR switchgrass as well and am concerned with the amount of room i'm going to eat up with the screen.

Thanks for any input!

Go a minimum of 12' spacing, as they grow and get larger diameter, lower branches can crowd and die offer.

Go with larger, 3' bare root if you can. Keep the inside rows clean of grass/weeds to reduction nutrient & water competition. Spread 10-10-10 fertilizer around spruces in late winter.

Cage if possible to avoid browsing. Note rabbits will browse spruce main leader in winter if small seedlings are used.

Go with MG versus switch on your inside of property, 2 rows and you will have a a faster, taller screen.

Switch is great for inside bedding & screening transition edges.

 

[Tree Spud]

Check you local county tree sale program. Mine offers some large spruce tree bareroots.

2 rows of spruce okay, 3 would be better. Trees on north and wide side will create nice deer bedding if more rows are planted.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Agreed, you'll also run into sun / shading issues between the two. The switch will grow a lot slower if there is an adjacent annual screen, losing sunlight for half the day...

What planting tools do you have at your disposal for the annual screen?

As of right now not much. ATV, cultipacker, pull behind rough cut mower, ATV sprayer, bag seeder. My neighbor across the street is a retired fella that has equipment and plants row crops for others in the area so I'm planning on approaching him for assistance already on some tillage and corn planting this year. I could swing buying an ATV disk but might just pay someone with the right equipment to handle any of that.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Go with MG versus switch on your inside of property, 2 rows and you will have a a faster, taller screen.

Would love to use MG but this is on the border of zone 3b and 4a and I fear winter would kill it.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

As far as budget goes, I could justify spending $1k or maybe a little more on the trees if it gets me significantly better/faster results but certainly don't want to spend it if the $0.50/ea option @Bassattackr posted from MDC works just as well.

 

[Bassattackr]

As of right now not much. ATV, cultipacker, pull behind rough cut mower, ATV sprayer, bag seeder. My neighbor across the street is a retired fella that has equipment and plants row crops for others in the area so I'm planning on approaching him for assistance already on some tillage and corn planting this year. I could swing buying an ATV disk but might just pay someone with the right equipment to handle any of that.

Just thinking out loud here. ..that's a tough one.

May have to go the ATV disc route. If the farmer only has planters for row crop use, the plates he has on them will give you too high of a planting rate with the EW/SS. If you watered down the mix with soybeans you'll attract deer to your road screen.

If he has a drill, that would be nice but requires his assistance every year for the first few years...

 

[Tree Spud]

As far as budget goes, I could justify spending $1k or maybe a little more on the trees if it gets me significantly better/faster results but certainly don't want to spend it if the $0.50/ea option @Bassattackr posted from MDC works just as well.

Fewer, taller bareroot transplants that are caged will out perform 100's of small seedlings. Always frustrating to see young spruces being rubbed when they are 3'-6" tall.

 

[Bassattackr]

Fewer, taller bareroot transplants that are caged will out perform 100's of small seedlings. Always frustrating to see young spruces being rubbed when they are 3'-6" tall.

Truth!

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Cage or fence the spruce, or the bucks will have them in tatters. Ask me how I know / learned this the hard way.

FWIW - I've planted Norway spruce here for over 25 years. With protection (cages) and ample sunlight, ours get to about 7 ft. tall in 6 years - sometimes up to 8 ft. That's from bare-root seedlings sized 12" to 18" tall at planting. If they're more shaded - they grow slower. My planting practice is this - plant the spruce seedling with "soil-moist" granules mixed with the dug soil to hold moisture in the planting hole. In each of the next 5 years, in April - I toss some 10-10-10 fertilizer around each spruce - just a handful or 2 scattered around them. Sunlight, cage / fence, and a bit of 10-10-10 and you'll have 7 footers or better in a few years.

Staggering your planting spots / rows will block the gaps between trees. 2 staggered rows will give you pretty good screening, 3 rows will be a living, green WALL. I screened off viewing from our public mountain road with 2 rows. Road-shooters / poachers can't see jack through them.

 

[bwoods11]

I’d recommend 3 rows compared to 2… makes a big difference

 

[Buckly]

I’ve planted just about 3,000 Norway’s as screening in various areas for screening trails and around plots. I went with plugs for speed and low cost. I planted 3 rows staggered And I would suggest you plant so that you can get a mower between the rows for at least 3 years. This will keep the competition down and save costs over spraying. 18-24 inch plugs with no fertilizer take about 6-7 years to start a good screen. If you want faster you’ll have to go bigger. Unfortunately they cost more and are more labor intensive. Everything’s a trade off but, I don’t think you can go wrong with Norway’s as a permanent screen. I used Egyptian wheat as a temp screen for the first 4 years about 10 ft out from the trees and about 10-12 ft wide. Simply tilled the ground and then broadcast seed, then pack. Always worked out good if you put the nitrogen to it.

 

[Jimmy G]

I'll give you my experience......5 years into a Spruce planting that is supposed to be a border/visual barrier.

1. I started with county tree seedlings. They are small and take awhile to get established. 5 years in my sandy soil (I'm in
Isanti county, 1 hour North of the twin cities) and they aren't up to my hip yet.
2. Quality varies on county trees. The second year i got seedlings they were terrible, poor survival rate. Had to replant.
3. Pocket gophers eat the roots as a nice snack. Had to really work hard to trap them.
4. Another spruce edge I planted this spring had their butts kicked by drought. I watered as often as possible but lost alot.
5. Unprotected spruce in a row are a huge invitation to get rubbed to death by bucks.

I've been thinking about this lately and if I had to do it again I might just plant 10 trees a year but get the biggest balled and burlapped I could afford. My neighbor put in 10 a year ago and its instant decent screen. When I compare my 5 years to his I just shake my head. My edge is 400 feet long and it would take some years but I feel it might be worth it.
Also, red cedars.....they grow pretty fast for me. Worth a thought.
Just my two cents.
Tree in picture is now a stub, been rubbed multiple times

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[Bassattackr]

Only thing bad about Cedars is they tend to self prune the lower branches pretty hard. Spruce are better about keeping them long term, better long term screen IMO..

 

[Diesel5610]

I'll give you my experience......5 years into a Spruce planting that is supposed to be a border/visual barrier.

1. I started with county tree seedlings. They are small and take awhile to get established. 5 years in my sandy soil (I'm in
Isanti county, 1 hour North of the twin cities) and they aren't up to my hip yet.
2. Quality varies on county trees. The second year i got seedlings they were terrible, poor survival rate. Had to replant.
3. Pocket gophers eat the roots as a nice snack. Had to really work hard to trap them.
4. Another spruce edge I planted this spring had their butts kicked by drought. I watered as often as possible but lost alot.
5. Unprotected spruce in a row are a huge invitation to get rubbed to death by bucks.

I've been thinking about this lately and if I had to do it again I might just plant 10 trees a year but get the biggest balled and burlapped I could afford. My neighbor put in 10 a year ago and its instant decent screen. When I compare my 5 years to his I just shake my head. My edge is 400 feet long and it would take some years but I feel it might be worth it.
Also, red cedars.....they grow pretty fast for me. Worth a thought.
Just my two cents.
Tree in picture is now a stub, been rubbed multiple times

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

This has mirrored my experience. I would also go for a few bigger trees with protection until they are big enough. I finally invested in cages after losing trees just when they started getting any size to them and my trees are doing great. I would go with Jimmy’s suggestion of a few large trees and protect them. Add a few every year as you can afford.

 

[ruskbucks]

I agree with your decision on the Norway spruce. I built my screen with 300 scotch pine, 50 white and blue spruce. The deer ate 298 of the scotch. Most survived and they grew fast and made a great screen. Now after 15 years they are losing their bottom branches. The blue and whites never really did that great. Every tree I buy to fill in is a Norway now. The deer don't touch them by me. They keep their droopy branches and screen good. I also transplant balsam from the land.they grow fast and are shade tolerant. The deer also don't browse them at all.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

I'll give you my experience......5 years into a Spruce planting that is supposed to be a border/visual barrier.

1. I started with county tree seedlings. They are small and take awhile to get established. 5 years in my sandy soil (I'm in
Isanti county, 1 hour North of the twin cities) and they aren't up to my hip yet.
2. Quality varies on county trees. The second year i got seedlings they were terrible, poor survival rate. Had to replant.
3. Pocket gophers eat the roots as a nice snack. Had to really work hard to trap them.
4. Another spruce edge I planted this spring had their butts kicked by drought. I watered as often as possible but lost alot.
5. Unprotected spruce in a row are a huge invitation to get rubbed to death by bucks.

I've been thinking about this lately and if I had to do it again I might just plant 10 trees a year but get the biggest balled and burlapped I could afford. My neighbor put in 10 a year ago and its instant decent screen. When I compare my 5 years to his I just shake my head. My edge is 400 feet long and it would take some years but I feel it might be worth it.
Also, red cedars.....they grow pretty fast for me. Worth a thought.
Just my two cents.
Tree in picture is now a stub, been rubbed multiple times

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

Thanks for your input, these are the headaches I’d love to avoid. Any idea where your neighbor got his trees from?