Norway Spruce Screen Decisions
- Thread starter Wind Gypsy
- Start date
My neighbor bought these trees from a guy on Craigslist. One of the things was he had a bobcat and a flatbed trailer to help haul and plant. Also, he did have one cut off at a certain point... we are guessing someone needed a Christmas tree real bad.
The tree rubbed in my picture was transplanted from another of my neighbors properties. His house is on an old Christmas tree farm with badly overgrown trees. I dig trees from his place for cheap.
Another option is nurseries have fall sales. A local one here has all trees buy one get 2nd half off, no limits that I know. Might even be willing to give bulk discount.
In Cambridge I commonly see auctions at the fair grounds with a bunch of fairly good size spruce balled and burlapped.
Just my 2 cents again since those little evergreens can be hard to get going.
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greekfreak
5 year old buck +
I hopped on here to see if anyone has any experience panting pine trees fro bedding.
I have some areas on our properties that are clearcut frost seeded native grasses and areas we will be doing that this winter. Also, a few little pockets here and there that i believe conifers could add a little something extra. Right now, on all of our properties, there is almost no pine trees. Where there are, the trees are a good 100 ft and they are huge. But dead at the bottom.
Bassattackr
5 year old buck +
If bedding is your #1 priority, I like cedars over pine. Young cedars are great thermal blockers..
I didn't plant them for bedding, but the deer are always bedded in my screen 30 yards off the road. The same at my friends 5 miles away. It is a good place to find sheds come spring. It's hard to believe that even the mature bucks for some reason will bed right next to the road. It might be cause it is probably the best thermal cover in the area.
I noticed the deer really like to lay under the lone big white pines at my place. The pines keep the snow of them and the fallen needles make a soft bed off the frozen ground.I thought it would be cool to put a pocket of white pines surrounded by Norway's for bedding. Thermal cover from the sides and above.
Our screens are 4 rows of pines and spruce about 150 yards long. Trees are 15 -20 years old. I would say they started bedding in them when they were about 6ft tall.
Bassattackr
5 year old buck +
Some of the biggest bucks I've seen bed in a mixture of cedars and switchgrass.. Going to create some of this on our place this year.
Tree Spud
5 year old buck +
Size and quantity can vary by area and the make-up of your property. The shape can be irregular for smaller planting blocks say 20-25 trees. I have planted smaller blocks in mature wooded areas and small dry raised areas. The advantage of small blocks is they create smaller bedding areas. This can encourage buck movement from block to block. Irregular planting pattern can reduce wind effect.
Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
Big white pines get used as "umbrellas" here too, especially in areas of really thick mountain laurel and scrub brush. Your idea of surrounding a white pine with Norway spruce sounds good. Great winter bedding for staying out of the wind and snow.
Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
^ ^ ^ ^ THIS !!!!! I've planted as few as 10 and deer take to the bedding blocks like rabbits - here at least. 10 or 12 spruce with weeds and grass in between in areas of open hardwoods will draw deer. Bucks will travel from pocket to pocket. Spud nailed it.
I've planted them in "lines" to mimic what I've seen on other mountain properties. The deer will use the spruce as "walkways" of cover in open hardwoods. I learned this from another property where they logged about 35 years ago, then planted Norway spruce along both sides of the skid trails. Those skid trails are DEER HIGHWAYS. Nice, dark, shadowy cover for deer to feel "safe." Wise tree stand placement can produce predictable shot opportunities.
Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
That's usually the case, Brian662. Eastern red cedar is common in many states. It's actually NOT a true cedar - it's in the juniper family. Why it got named "cedar" is anyone's guess. They can make great bedding cover, but are a bad idea if you want apple trees around, because they're the alternate host for the CAR fungus which infects apple and crab trees. FWIW.
White cedar, AKA arborvitae, is native to northern states like Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Maine, etc. In Maine it grows around the edges of marshes and swamps naturally. Deer WILL browse white cedar.
Brian662
5 year old buck +
Thanks, that's what I figured. I have some volunteer ERC on my land and plenty of apple trees, but I haven't seen a negative impact yet although the closest proximity is probably 200 yards between the two.
I've tried the white cedars and the deer ate them to the ground in a month. I've seen mature white cedars around here that have the bottom 5 feet eaten clean off, the deer definitely enjoy them.
Bassattackr
5 year old buck +
Definitely. Preferred overhanging branches for scrapes as well..
BuckSutherland
5 year old buck +
Planting conifer threads are my favorite. I have MANY MANY failures before I finally figured it out. Only plant the number of trees that you can give the FULL package cause anything else is a complete waste of time:
1. Biggest specimen you can afford ( I like 1-2 gallon pots)
2. 4x4 weed mat to smoother weeds and grass
3. (1) 2 yard bag of mulch per tree
4. Protection if you have a vulnerable species
5. Fertilize/ and add water if needed
I got these 2 gallon norways last year from Blue Earth County SWCD for $13 each they are $15 for 2022:
I think you should think about a row of black hills spruce and baby the shit out of them. They are gonna hold their branches all the way to the ground, my deer dont mess with them cage free at all. They can handle really shitty conditions. Did I mention the deer leave them alone. Only drawback is the grow a little slower, but a weed mat with mulch and a little fertilizer will really help. Don't skip the weed mat and mulch whatever you do. Its worth a lot of early growth. I'm getting the majority of my potted trees to gain height in year one. 12+" on pines, 4-16" on cedars, 6-12" on spruce. You need to kill ALL competition though. Did I mention the weed mat and mulch??? Yes, its that important. You want nothing but the tree growing under the 4x4 mat.
Local NRCS probably have 2 gallon BHS again this year for $15 each. They are wonderful specimens. All the potted trees at NRCS are pretty damn good. 1 gallon BHS is $10. Weed mat is $1. Bag of mulch $3. I'm in Cass County. Deer leave white spruce alone too. Young Norway spruce need protection. They eat them like candy along with white pine, white cedar, scotch pine, red pine, and various firs.
1. Biggest specimen you can afford ( I like 1-2 gallon pots)
2. 4x4 weed mat to smoother weeds and grass
3. (1) 2 yard bag of mulch per tree
4. Protection if you have a vulnerable species
5. Fertilize/ and add water if needed
I got these 2 gallon norways last year from Blue Earth County SWCD for $13 each they are $15 for 2022:
I think you should think about a row of black hills spruce and baby the shit out of them. They are gonna hold their branches all the way to the ground, my deer dont mess with them cage free at all. They can handle really shitty conditions. Did I mention the deer leave them alone. Only drawback is the grow a little slower, but a weed mat with mulch and a little fertilizer will really help. Don't skip the weed mat and mulch whatever you do. Its worth a lot of early growth. I'm getting the majority of my potted trees to gain height in year one. 12+" on pines, 4-16" on cedars, 6-12" on spruce. You need to kill ALL competition though. Did I mention the weed mat and mulch??? Yes, its that important. You want nothing but the tree growing under the 4x4 mat.
Local NRCS probably have 2 gallon BHS again this year for $15 each. They are wonderful specimens. All the potted trees at NRCS are pretty damn good. 1 gallon BHS is $10. Weed mat is $1. Bag of mulch $3. I'm in Cass County. Deer leave white spruce alone too. Young Norway spruce need protection. They eat them like candy along with white pine, white cedar, scotch pine, red pine, and various firs.
Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
Those Black Hills spruce in the pics look good. I thought about trying some here in Pa. - but wasn't sure if they'd do OK here. Slower growing is OK since we have a lot of other spruce (Norways mainly) already growing. I cage any that I - for sure - don't want to lose - others are planted in bulk and I hope for most to be ignored.
I may order some BH spruce and give them a shot.
I may order some BH spruce and give them a shot.
BuckSutherland
5 year old buck +
I planted these little ABP plugs from Itasca greenhouse around May, 1 2019. I gave them a cage, weed mat, mulch, 80% sun, no fertilizer.
27 months later most of them were up to my shoulder area, and we didnt have any fricken rain at all last year. I'm between Leech Lake and Grand Rapids. They should all be 6-7 feet tall by July 4th this year.
27 months later most of them were up to my shoulder area, and we didnt have any fricken rain at all last year. I'm between Leech Lake and Grand Rapids. They should all be 6-7 feet tall by July 4th this year.
