Hybrid poplar

[mtholton]

I am planting 1000 white spruce this spring as part of a longer term screening process. I would like to provide a quick screen and boarder for those new areas with hybrid poplar. What is the survival rate in a high deer density area? Does anyone cage theirs? Looks like big rock is a the way to go and I’ll order from there. Knowing a quick screen is my goal, any preferred variety? Thanks as always

 

[Bill]

I've ordered lots of poplar and hybrid willows from John over the years. We have an ongoing disagreement about which grow faster. I say Willow, he says Poplar. I haven't seen any differance in growth rate between poplars but in my soils willows just grow faster.

Ground cover is almost a must unless you can keep the weeds knocked back the first year. Mesh tubes are the only way I can get them going. For some reason deer just love browsing both willows and poplar. When you plant them in a row it's just the gravey train with high deer density. Which is another reason I like hybrid willows. When the deer nip them off they sprout lots of shoots and eventually out compete.

Hybrid willows

 

[Tree Spud]

I agree with Bill they are deer candy if left unprotected. Need to also deal with grass & weed competition, or winter bend over. The dappled willows are multi-stemmed and have more lower width. The hybrid poplars can grow 5-6' a year after 1st year. I have found that they need air to harden the main trunk so fully enclosed tubes can lead to weak trunks.

 

[ruskbucks]

I would say you should definitely do something to deter the deer from them the first year at least. After I had my woods logged the aspen came back really thick in the area that were clear cut. The deer hit them hard but they all survived. They grow so fast that the second season they browsed a what they could reach but at that height the tree will survive any browsing. I think planted seedlings or cuttings will need more protection. A friend of my planted a bunch of seedling and said the deer pulled everyone out,roots and all.

 

[Northbound]

Wow I've had opposite experience with hybrid poplar. Zero protection and grew like weeds even when planting a screen along orchard with high deer numbers. I would actually like if they browse on the shoots, I'm eliminating them now for a sieve spruce screen. I'd gladly skip the tordon on stumps if something would eat the shoots

 

[Bill]

It never ceases to amaze me how deer in different places do different things.

I’ve got a row of unprotected hybrid willow that are 4 years old and about 4 feet tall. They just keep adding new shoots. Surely this year they’ll outgrow the browsing.

 

[Northbound]

Yes so different, I dropped about 50 of them that where 30' tall. Left lay thinking all the buds being a easy meal could maybe earn me a easy shed. No luck. They destroy the box elder and black cherry buds i laid down, but won't touch the poplar.

Are there different types of hybrid poplar? Mine came from a country tree sale, not cuttings. Where like 24" tall at planting if I remember right

 

[Bill]

Are there different types of hybrid poplar? Mine came from a country tree sale, not cuttings. Where like 24" tall at planting if I remember right

There are different varieties. Not sure how many. I've planted two different types and both get nipped.