Norway Spruce Screen Decisions

[tlzkaasen]

Ten Point, Those do look rough. We're having the same crappy weather as you. Summer (3 days of beautiful 70's all we've seen) - Winter - Spring -winter. Just received 8" of snow on April 30.

I did get 25 Blue Spruce planted last weekend that I received from Chief River Nursery. These were the 5 year 15-24" variety. Trees did look fantastic before putting them in the ground (Most were 15" only 2 were 24" which I find extremely disappointing). We'll see how the weather treats them in the next month. I'm also officially done buying these smaller trees. I paid a premium for those 15-24". I'd rather put (2) 4 foot in the ground moving forward for the same price. Lesson learned.

 

[TenPoint]

Ten Point, Those do look rough. We're having the same crappy weather as you. Summer (3 days of beautiful 70's all we've seen) - Winter - Spring -winter. Just received 8" of snow on April 30.

I did get 25 Blue Spruce planted last weekend that I received from Chief River Nursery. These were the 5 year 15-24" variety. Trees did look fantastic before putting them in the ground (Most were 15" only 2 were 24" which I find extremely disappointing). We'll see how the weather treats them in the next month. I'm also officially done buying these smaller trees. I paid a premium for those 15-24". I'd rather put (2) 4 foot in the ground moving forward for the same price. Lesson learned.

Just be careful with larger ones. I thought the same thing until I planted these 3-4’. Now I’m going back smaller. Smaller seems to take the transplant shock better.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Just be careful with larger ones. I thought the same thing until I planted these 3-4’. Now I’m going back smaller. Smaller seems to take the transplant shock better.

I found the same thing here. 12" to 15" Norways all did fine. Make sure to keep the roots wet while doing the planting. I throw a few moisture-retaining granules into the planting holes to hang onto water, too. Some places ship seedlings with roots NOT packed too well - some roots drying out when you open the package. I've opened shipping packages and the moss / newspaper clippings were dry. If that's the case, it's time to get money back.

Whipsaw temps don't help things. Cold - hot - cold - warm - cold again. Good luck with your trees.

 

[Brian662]

I planted 22 3-4’ norways from cold stream farm a couple weeks ago. Most look like shit. A couple have lost all needles. Some look ok. Pretty disappointed in that. Going back to plugs next year and white spruce and BHS. 2nd time trying Norway and just have had no luck with them.

Cold Stream guarantees they throw buds. You may get replacements or your money back.

 

[TenPoint]

Cold Stream guarantees they throw buds. You may get replacements or your money back.

It says no guarantee for anything over 24” on their website…

 

[Brian662]

It says no guarantee for anything over 24” on their website…

They must've changed it recently. A few years ago a co-worker got some cash back for some 24-36" norways.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

The Norways I planted in spring 2022 mostly got weed mats but I snapped some pictures of the ratty ones I didn’t mat/cage and the ones I did right next to them. Big difference.

You can see 2 spindly ones behind the 2 in the foreground if you look close.

 

[BuckSutherland]

^^^^

Yep... There is no comparison. If you really want them to go a bag of mulch and about a large tuna can of 19-19-19 injected under with weed mat. Then they really go. Trees just cant grow worth a damn in grass. They need the weed suppression to properly establish roots.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

^^^^

Yep... There is no comparison. If you really want them to go a bag of mulch and about a large tuna can of 19-19-19 injected under with weed mat. Then they really go. Trees just cant grow worth a damn in grass. They need the weed suppression to properly establish roots.

I put mulch on a handful of them last year and noticed yesterday that nearly all of it had blown away in this open field since them. I thought someone stole my redneck ghillie blind from this same field for a second on friday but it just got blown out of the field!

 

[Tree Spud]

^^^^

Yep... There is no comparison. If you really want them to go a bag of mulch and about a large tuna can of 19-19-19 injected under with weed mat. Then they really go. Trees just cant grow worth a damn in grass. They need the weed suppression to properly establish roots.

Personally I would stick with 10-10-10 fertilizer. I used 17-17-17 once on my confiners and burned the heck out of them. Too hot a mix and they died.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

Personally I would stick with 10-10-10 fertilizer. I used 17-17-17 once on my confiners and burned the heck out of them. Too hot a mix and they died.

Glad you said that I was all hyped to start getting some more growth on my conifer screen and was going to try to find something hotter than 10-10-10, though mine are 2 years in the ground think they could handle a bit more than 10-10-10?

 

[Brian662]

The nursery I bought my norways from recommended 10-10-10 every spring and fall, fwiw.

 

[OakSeeds]

13-13-13 / compromise ... and ONLY spread it lightly at the drip line

 

[Wind Gypsy]

"drip line" is about 6" from the trunk on these plantings haha!

 

[BuckSutherland]

Personally I would stick with 10-10-10 fertilizer. I used 17-17-17 once on my confiners and burned the heck out of them. Too hot a mix and they died.

I have been using 19-19-19 for 4 years with great success on my land. I like to inject it into the soil approximately 15-18" from the central leader and put it 8-12" deep. I make a slot with my wolverine shovel and dump a little bit in and then close it back up. My soils are high clay content which makes it tough for the fertilizer to move through it. I haven't burnt one up yet. If you have sandier soils then the fertilizer moves through much easier and burning can be an issue. If I broadcast on the surface I'm mostly sprinkling around the perimeter of the weed mats. Not the least bit concerned using 19-19-19 on my land. Your mileage my vary depending on soil type.

 

[BuckSutherland]

I put mulch on a handful of them last year and noticed yesterday that nearly all of it had blown away in this open field since them. I thought someone stole my redneck ghillie blind from this same field for a second on friday but it just got blown out of the field!

I did this to about 10 of my weed mats this weekend.... When I am cutting down basswood and popple to make room for conifers and oaks I like to cut the crap up and get it in contact with the ground so it starts to rot immediately and then use it later on for "mulch". It doesn't take me long to cover the weed mat with this stuff and in a year it will be rotten enough that I can step on it and smash it down. I also used a pair of silo staves on top of a weed mat. Those heavy suckers will really smoother the compettion, but they aren't practical. I have a big pile of rotten basswood that I will be using on some black hills spruce and meyer spruce that we planted inside this switchgrass.

 

[CTA]

I have been using 19-19-19 for 4 years with great success on my land. I like to inject it into the soil approximately 15-18" from the central leader and put it 8-12" deep. I make a slot with my wolverine shovel and dump a little bit in and then close it back up. My soils are high clay content which makes it tough for the fertilizer to move through it. I haven't burnt one up yet. If you have sandier soils then the fertilizer moves through much easier and burning can be an issue. If I broadcast on the surface I'm mostly sprinkling around the perimeter of the weed mats. Not the least bit concerned using 19-19-19 on my land. Your mileage my vary depending on soil type.

I’ve wondered this, how to spread granular fertilizer with a 4 foot weed mat. Does it do any good to drop it on the mat itself or do you think I should sprinkle it only around the outside edge of the mat instead? Conifer trees vary in age from 1-5 years old.

 

[BuckSutherland]

^^^

I have lifted up one corner of the weed mat and injected many times. This method is the most work, but has the best results. Sprinkling around the perimeter is fine too. Last year I simply threw an amount of fertilizer at my trees from a distance with most of it landing ON the weed mat and mulch. I think I would most definitely avoid this method if you don't have mulch. I saw no ill affect on my trees from using this method. I was mostly doing conifers.

 

[CTA]

^^^

I have lifted up one corner of the weed mat and injected many times. This method is the most work, but has the best results. Sprinkling around the perimeter is fine too. Last year I simply threw an amount of fertilizer at my trees from a distance with most of it landing ON the weed mat and mulch. I think I would most definitely avoid this method if you don't have mulch. I saw no ill affect on my trees from using this method. I was mostly doing conifers.

I do have mulch on top of most of the mats, but good idea on targeting the outside edges more than the mat itself. Thanks!

 

[matinc]

As someone who has Norway spruce I planted 30 plus years ago. Spacing minimum 15 feet apart. Rows offset 25 feet back. If I had to do it again I would plant white pine on the outer row as they will easily outgrow the Norway but Norway do grow fast. Remember a 3 2 transplant seedling is a 5 year old tree going in the ground. Do not buy anything less than a 3 2 transplant. You will need to dig holes to plant them or use an augur. Always keep a 5 gallon bucket of water with you and throw the seedlings in the water to soak before you put them in the ground. Keep scissors to even the roots out and cut if needed. Do not j root the seedlings they will die. For those who gave you advice on switch grass it's a great idea. Your talking years for the growth to happen.