Screening/visual break

[roymunson]

I know MG grass is preferable or used more often than say willows or hybrid poplars, but what's the reasoning on that. Seems the hybrid willows grow faster, though they may not fill out quite as quickly, but is it a browse thing? I know deer can be tough on poplars and willows.

As a sewer and drain cleaner for a living, I cuss at willows any time they're close to a drain line as they get into the sewer lines and are next to impossible to cut, but other than that, what is the reason people like MG grass as a screen vs hybrid willows or poplars?

I have probably 1200' of road frontage that I'd love to screen off in the coming years (I don't have the time or money to do it all in 1 year and I have other projects ahead of it), just wondered what you guys like best and why.

 

[Jordan Selsor]

I have not messed with willows. But some of the post I see on here are impressive!
I really like sawtooth oaks for visual break. They grow so fast and keep their leaves all winter until new sprout in spring. I understand you prolly don’t want deer eating right by the road though. Red cedars maybe? Switchgrass and Indian grass for the short term? Several options that’s for sure!

 

[Bill]

My only complaint with hybrid willows and poplar are that they drop their leaves early. By mid October their bare at my place.

Willows have a higher stem count if you or the deer prune them back. A few rows might keep acting as a screen after leaf drop.

MG is the only real way to go in my book. Or a slow growing evergreen.

 

[trampledbyturtles]

Planted a 150ft row of hybrid willows 3 years ago. They about 2ft tall currently. Deer keep them mowed to the ground.
Will be interplanting with white poplar in tubes and a white willow (flame). That I have noticed far less browsing on.

Meanwhile the MG I planted the same year. Is slowing chugging along. Maybe 4ft at this point. About the same height as the surrounding native grass, hoping they pop this year.

Furthermore the conifer screens planted the same year are just a little shorter 3ft tall. But imo are my best bet for long term screening with added thermal benefit.

Each has its merits.
Needed something in low wet spots.
Otherwise would have gone all confier.

 

[roymunson]

Planted a 150ft row of hybrid willows 3 years ago. They about 2ft tall currently. Deer keep them mowed to the ground.
Will be interplanting with white poplar in tubes and a white willow (flame). That I have noticed far less browsing on.

Meanwhile the MG I planted the same year. Is slowing chugging along. Maybe 4ft at this point. About the same height as the surrounding native grass, hoping they pop this year.

Furthermore the conifer screens planted the same year are just a little shorter 3ft tall. But imo are my best bet for long term screening with added thermal benefit.

Each has its merits.
Needed something in low wet spots.
Otherwise would have gone all confier.

We do have a high population of deer, so keeping browse down would be tough.

Good pros and cons list for sure. Thanks

 

[H20fwler]

I have a lot of roadside I’m trying to screen also, have been working on it for about four years. It has a couple hundred foot low spot that I have planted some silky dogwood cuttings in, going to ad a bunch of ROD in that spot with them this spring.
I’ve also planted a bunch of white pines and white cedar the only way I have been able to keep deer off them is to cage them.
Have a nice row of three year old MG planted too but have been having trouble with the county reaching over and mowing it.
Luckily we put the spoil dirt from digging a two acre pond along road about twenty yards into property making a long hill and it’s planted with native grasses that have helped block view a bunch.
Road screens take time and an open mind on different plants/shrubs and trees to try.

 

[willy]

Where I have planted miscanthus I have also planted cedars in a line along it. In some places I planted hybrid willows and poplars along them as well. The willows and poplars were heavily browsed and resulted in poor obstruction of view. The miscanthus was good after 3 years. The cedars will take over the job well after 8 years or so. They grow about a foot a year.

I didn't want to wait that long so I planted miscanthus to speed up the results. It was well worth it as it greatly improved deer use of property where they were reluctant to be in day light and stand access.

I'd recommend biting the bullet and get going on miscanthus gigantus x.

Deer don't browse miscanthus and cedars so you won't have to worry about protecting them. Electric fence could be put up for willows and poplars but I'm betting deer going across the road will plow into in regardless and basically be worthless in the long run.

 

[NT179]

In our area, white pine and white cedar are a perferred winter food. Most cedar are bare the first 6-7 feet up, not much for screening value

 

[roymunson]

Where I have planted miscanthus I have also planted cedars in a line along it. In some places I planted hybrid willows and poplars along them as well. The willows and poplars were heavily browsed and resulted in poor obstruction of view. The miscanthus was good after 3 years. The cedars will take over the job well after 8 years or so. They grow about a foot a year.

I didn't want to wait that long so I planted miscanthus to speed up the results. It was well worth it as it greatly improved deer use of property where they were reluctant to be in day light and stand access.

I'd recommend biting the bullet and get going on miscanthus gigantus x.

Deer don't browse miscanthus and cedars so you won't have to worry about protecting them. Electric fence could be put up for willows and poplars but I'm betting deer going across the road will plow into in regardless and basically be worthless in the long run.

This is probably the right route. I want to do it right over the long term. Plus, along the road, a row of pines would look pretty slick too...I'm thinking put plugs in with a dibble bar or a planter.

 

[j-bird]

My 2 cents on screens.... #1 - I want nothing to draw deer to it. I don't want it to be thick enough to provide "cover" and certainly no food value. #2 - I want something that is a perennial type and essentially a wall. #3 - the height needed depends on the situation and function.

For 4 or 5 feet tall - switchgrass....in 2 or 3 years switchgrass will grow to 5 feet or so (actual grass) and I have good luck with it standing up to the wind and snow and the like. For a screen to 8 or 10 feet I am going with MG. I have not had the history with MG as some others here and I am still working with it on my place. But the ability to plant rhizomes in a great quantity for a reasonable price could make it a real option (it doesn't like water and does best in full sun). But a screen even taller I think your looking at conifers....yes they take time, but to get that sort of height I am not sure of a better option.

Another thing I do on my road screen is it's in layers. Right along the road I have a woven wire fence that I transplanted vine honeysuckle into. It is nearly an evergreen here and will eventually spread along the entire fence. I then have a space where I can get my tractor/mower thru and then a row of transplanted eastern red cedars. I transplant 6 to a dozen a year off my place in the early spring (normally 1 to 2 feet tall). I then have another row I can mow with then a row planted of MG. The "plan" is that once complete either the cedar or MG can be removed if needed or the MG can be used as a source for rhizomes for other screening projects.

I transplanted some MG rhizomes recently in efforts to screen plots and stand access routes, but I have no idea how those will turn out. I have lots of switchgrass on my place and it's great for hiding the deer, but it's not so good at hiding a 6 foot tall man on level ground from the deer.

My concern with willows and the like are after leaf drop. Having a screen 1/2 the year doesn't appeal to me. I also have concerns about how dense they will really get. Like was also mentioned they could be browsed or rubbed as well.

 

[Telemark]

Rather than willows, consider beech or hornbeam.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

In NW WI I planted a 6 row visual screen/windbreak and I tried some hybrid willows as well as hybrid poplars and cottonwoods. The hybrid willows grew well in year 1, but they couldn't survive the winter temps. The hybrid poplars had poor root systems at planting and they all died. The cottonwoods had big roots and they did well in the wettest 10% of the tree row. the other 90% died.

I also planted white spruce, white pine and red pine. They did awesome and my field edges look great. If I had to do it again I would plant mostly white spruce with just a few white pine and red pine for variety. Nothing ate the white spruce, but the deer would browse on the pines.

I think you can experiment with different deciduous trees or grasses, but in the long run nothing beats a wall of spruce.

 

[scott44]

I know MG grass is preferable or used more often than say willows or hybrid poplars, but what's the reasoning on that. Seems the hybrid willows grow faster, though they may not fill out quite as quickly, but is it a browse thing? I know deer can be tough on poplars and willows.

As a sewer and drain cleaner for a living, I cuss at willows any time they're close to a drain line as they get into the sewer lines and are next to impossible to cut, but other than that, what is the reason people like MG grass as a screen vs hybrid willows or poplars?

I have probably 1200' of road frontage that I'd love to screen off in the coming years (I don't have the time or money to do it all in 1 year and I have other projects ahead of it), just wondered what you guys like best and why.

I like MG for screening because you can have a pretty good screen in 3 yrs but it dosen't do well in wet areas, maybe do a multi row screen with MG, evergreens like spruce and cedar and row of diciduous trees.

 

[titan23_87]

I like MG for screening because you can have a pretty good screen in 3 yrs but it dosen't do well in wet areas, maybe do a multi row screen with MG, evergreens like spruce and cedar and row of diciduous trees.

I've actually seen the opposite, my 8 + year old MG has thrived in wet areas, and I have elected to use that as a tool in areas that getting trees to grow with wet feet is difficult.

 

[TreeDaddy]

I've actually seen the opposite, my 8 + year old MG has thrived in wet areas, and I have elected to use that as a tool in areas that getting trees to grow with wet feet is difficult.

Titan,where are you?

bill

 

[scott44]

I've actually seen the opposite, my 8 + year old MG has thrived in wet areas, and I have elected to use that as a tool in areas that getting trees to grow with wet feet is difficult.

Did you plant rhyzomes in the wet areas or was it more of a cluster? I have a couple natural drainages that run through one of my screens and you can tell exactly where they are just by the heighth or lack of MG.

 

[titan23_87]

Titan,where are you?

bill

NW Ohio

 

[titan23_87]

Did you plant rhyzomes in the wet areas or was it more of a cluster? I have a couple natural drainages that run through one of my screens and you can tell exactly where they are just by the heighth or lack of MG.

I planted in wet areas themselves. Even at the time of planting some areas I was planting in a pool of water. Obviously those areas are the wettest in the spring during time of planting. But now it has helped even soak up a lot of that, allowing me to plant trees/shrubs that struggled there before. Now I will say those areas did take longer to establish than the not so wet areas, but over time have still been fine.