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Norway Spruce Screen Decisions

I have only ever used 4' tall 2"x 4" welded wire. Never really had an issue. The smaller you go the more time you will spend cutting the roll apart. I unroll the entire roll, "measure" with a 10 foot 2x4, and just make a snip or two on the side I'm measuring, and then come back and cut the whole roll up at once. I just use a hand held tin snips to cut it all apart. Then I form the individual 10 foot pieces into cages. I can get 10 cages made in about 20-25 mins if I'm really feeling good. This year most of my cages will get one T post and 3 zip ties to hold it down. Seems to be all the deterrent my woods requires. Your mileage may vary. I buy old T post for $1 from retired farmers.

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I like the idea of making the cages in a short amount of time. I just don't know if the bunnies or other little critters will do much harm. I also have to make ~30 cages. I used a sawzall with a metal blade to cut the remesh when I was using that. Way easier on the hands but you almost need another person to help. Working on when to get the tress shipped now. Do you use weed fabric or mulch? Thanks for the advice!
 
This part is depressing.. not sure I’ll be able to cage 100-200+ this year. Thinking I’ll stick a row of hybrid willow cuttings in the ground parallel to the spruce. Im wondering if this will help deter spruce browsing if say every other spruce got a cage. My gut tells me it’s not worth the risk of spending time/money on spruce if I’m going to take that risk of not caging.

What about taping the central leader? I’ve had very little rubbing activity on my land.


I have done a couple thousand bud caps over the last 4 years. 4x6 index card with a few staples. Try to get it on tight. Deer still rip them off occasionally. Maybe 90% success with them. In my area norway gets browsed pretty hard. Much lower then 90% success on Norway. Maybe 75%. Its worse if the deer dont leave your land in the winter for better cover. Mine leave and they still used to wipe us out before they left with no protection. Cage solved everything.


Not sure where you are located, but I have also noticed I lost plenty of norways to winter burn their first two years, especially in the open. They are kind of a pansy tree for how far north I am.

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I like the idea of making the cages in a short amount of time. I just don't know if the bunnies or other little critters will do much harm. I also have to make ~30 cages. I used a sawzall with a metal blade to cut the remesh when I was using that. Way easier on the hands but you almost need another person to help. Working on when to get the tress shipped now. Do you use weed fabric or mulch? Thanks for the advice!


I like to plant bigger trees (1 and 2 gallon pots) and have never had an issue with a single tree. Did have a red squirrel get 2 tiny white pine seedlings on me in a cage 2 years ago. They have never bothered the bigger specimens. I used dewitt 5oz 4x300 roll of fabric and approximately 2 yards of mulch per tree.



White pine approximately 1 foot tall at planting. 5' tall after 29 months in the ground, went through a severe drought (D3) last summer. Cage, mat, mulch. Kill their competition, no cutting corners.
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Not sure where you are located, but I have also noticed I lost plenty of norways to winter burn their first two years, especially in the open. They are kind of a pansy tree for how far north I am.

In Kanabec county south of Mille Lacs, should be a little milder than you but I'd guess pretty comparable. There is no good thermal cover on the land so I'm expecting minimal wintering population but I guess we'll find out soon.

Thinking i'm going to go the route of getting bigger potted trees if I can and maybe only do a single row this year if the task is too large.
 
In Kanabec county south of Mille Lacs, should be a little milder than you but I'd guess pretty comparable. There is no good thermal cover on the land so I'm expecting minimal wintering population but I guess we'll find out soon.

Thinking i'm going to go the route of getting bigger potted trees if I can and maybe only do a single row this year if the task is too large.


My winterkill losses were ABP plugs from Itasca. I just dont think they were big enough. The norways in this picture (1 gallon pots) are from the Meeker county SWCD. They have their tree sale opening soon. 1 gallon pots are likely $10 each again this year. Pick up is third weekend in April. They could maybe get you some additional trees from Schumacher's if they sell out early. Schumacher's show a couple hundred left. If you dont have deer pressure where you are planting them you may get away without a cage, but I wouldn't count on it. These are the cheapest and best quality trees I have found for the money by a long way. If you are planting in an open area I would think 50-60 trees with a weed mat, mulch and no cage would be a very easy day and cost about $1,000. Probably 90 mins one way from Mille Lacs to Litchfield. Easily get 100+ 1 gallon pots in the back of a truck.





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Not sure where you are located, but I have also noticed I lost plenty of norways to winter burn their first two years, especially in the open. They are kind of a pansy tree for how far north I am.

Norway is much farther North than you are. :emoji_grin:
 
I used a sawzall with a metal
I've used a sawzall many times in my work life. Save the aggravation & vibration - buy a small set of bolt cutters - 18" long ones at Lowes or Home Depot will do just fine. You don't need a second person to cut the re-mesh wire. I unroll the roll and lay cement blocks at the intervals I want to cut at - that way the mesh doesn't spring back at you when you cut it. Once cut, the pieces will re-form into circular shape. All you have to do is tie the ends together and off you go. I use #12 insulated, solid copper wire (single strand) to tie with. It never corrodes and is easy on the fingers to tie and untie as needed. Rolls of soft steel tie wire are cheaper - but they'll be a rusty mess in a year. Solid copper insulated wire is a once-and-done deal. Zip ties deteriorate from UV rays of the sun, so some may break on their own.

I use high-leverage lineman's pliers to cut 2" X 4" welded wire - when I use it - not often anymore. They cut easier than tin snips.

Bolt cutters will EASILY cut even heavy concrete re-mesh wire with no strain - no pain. Ask Santa for a set of bolt cutters. :emoji_wink:
 
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Buck -
Do you use an auger to dig your holes for those 1 gal. pots?? That'd be a LOT of hand digging if no auger. Trees look really good.
 
I have only ever used 4' tall 2"x 4" welded wire. Never really had an issue. The smaller you go the more time you will spend cutting the roll apart. I unroll the entire roll, "measure" with a 10 foot 2x4, and just make a snip or two on the side I'm measuring, and then come back and cut the whole roll up at once. I just use a hand held tin snips to cut it all apart. Then I form the individual 10 foot pieces into cages. I can get 10 cages made in about 20-25 mins if I'm really feeling good. This year most of my cages will get one T post and 3 zip ties to hold it down. Seems to be all the deterrent my woods requires. Your mileage may vary. I buy old T post for $1 from retired farmers.

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This "line" is like the lines I've spoken about in other posts concerning spruce. Once planted in a line, look for deer - especially bucks - to utilize your "line" as a travel corridor for the security / cover the spruce provide. Once the spruce get to 6 ft. tall and beyond, I'd have several tree stands within easy shot distance - not kidding!! I've seen - and used (!) - such spruce lines in open hardwoods many times. Once the leaves drop - the spruce lines are the only cover left for deer seeking "safe" travel lanes.

Sandbur has spoken about HIS spruce and balsam as good deer travel spots. Bur noticed the same things I have once the leaves drop. Sandbur can comment on what he's noticed. I've added balsam fir at camp based on what Sandbur posted about his place.
 
I bought this shovel from Pac forest supply last year. All steel and completely indestructible (i've tried). Its an absolute machine and really helps me slice and chop through tree roots. I plant everything with it. 2 gallon pots are a bit of a workout. Also works on invasive species. I will never be without one ever again. Has really speeded things up when I rip balsam fir and white spruce out of the road ditch and transplant them onto my land. Allows me to really crank on the tree roots in the soil to sneak the transplant roots down where they need to be.



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I bought this shovel from Pac forest supply last year. All steel and completely indestructible (i've tried). Its an absolute machine and really helps me slice and chop through tree roots. I plant everything with it. 2 gallon pots are a bit of a workout. Also works on invasive species. I will never be without one ever again. Has really speeded things up when I rip balsam fir and white spruce out of the road ditch and transplant them onto my land. Allows me to really crank on the tree roots in the soil to sneak the transplant roots down where they need to be.



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i learned about the wolverine tree spade from Cavey

I am never without it

It resides in the back of the Kawasaki mule because I use it so much planting thousands of trees thus far

bill
 
I buy 2"x4"x 100ft rolls of 14 gauge welded wire (4 feet tall) mostly from Tractor Supply. Last spring I got 7 rolls for $54.99/roll. Exact same roll right now is $99.99. I make exactly 10 cages out of a 100' roll. Tractor supply does price matching so if you see it anywhere else cheaper (Blains fleet farm) I usually bring it in and show them and get the discount. Home depot has them listed right now for $89/ roll so I might be making a drive to tractor supply in Rockford tomorrow morning. Anything under $100 now is likely to be a "bargin".

I actually do 2'-2.5' diameter cages and get 12-14 cages out of a 100' roll. As the tree gets big enough to start poking out the cage, just undo the cage end connectors and allow the cage to expand as the tree grows.

An extra 3-4 cages per roll adds up when you are doing 200+ cages a years.
 
This "line" is like the lines I've spoken about in other posts concerning spruce. Once planted in a line, look for deer - especially bucks - to utilize your "line" as a travel corridor for the security / cover the spruce provide. Once the spruce get to 6 ft. tall and beyond, I'd have several tree stands within easy shot distance - not kidding!! I've seen - and used (!) - such spruce lines in open hardwoods many times. Once the leaves drop - the spruce lines are the only cover left for deer seeking "safe" travel lanes.

Sandbur has spoken about HIS spruce and balsam as good deer travel spots. Bur noticed the same things I have once the leaves drop. Sandbur can comment on what he's noticed. I've added balsam fir at camp based on what Sandbur posted about his place.
Are you referring to an individual line of trees used for movement corridors or rows that they walk in between?
 
Got a pic from my Tactacam cam today. Looks like one of my Norway’s might be taking a little browsing. Should be ok as long as she didn’t chomp the central leader. I’ve only been in my woods twice since Labor Day weekend. I decided not to bud cap this year due to hunting considerations, and then barely got to hunt anyways. I have way more trees then cages. Snow is deep already. The whole area surrounding this scenery is ready to explode with spruce and cedar. Switchgrass planted on either side with a tiny patch of clover and some mock scrapes down here.

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Are you referring to an individual line of trees used for movement corridors or rows that they walk in between?


Single lines of trees. They dont have to be perfectly straight or anything. Mine are kinda randomly placed. Just kinda leading in the general direction you want them to go. I have about 4 bedding pockets on my land with spruce, pine and firs connecting the pockets and leading them on and off my land where I want them to cross the road. They walk from one conifer to the next for security. Makes it very easy to find trails in my area.
 
I like to use a Dewalt 20 volt cordless 4" grinder with the cutoff blade to buzz through rolls of wire. Quicker than sawzall and easier than bolt cutters IMO.
 
Got a pic from my Tactacam cam today. Looks like one of my Norway’s might be taking a little browsing. Should be ok as long as she didn’t chomp the central leader. I’ve only been in my woods twice since Labor Day weekend. I decided not to bud cap this year due to hunting considerations, and then barely got to hunt anyways. I have way more trees then cages. Snow is deep already. The whole area surrounding this scenery is ready to explode with spruce and cedar. Switchgrass planted on either side with a tiny patch of clover and some mock scrapes down here.

I worry just as much about rabbits browsing new buds as I do deer. as snow piles up they can reach up and browse the main leader.
 
^^^^We dont worry about rabbits too much where my land is. The predators have them wiped out just like they did to the deer population. I dont think I have seen a dozen rabbits in 10 years. Too bad the bastards dont eat all the stinky turkeys we have running around.
 
Are you referring to an individual line of trees used for movement corridors or rows that they walk in between?
Either / both. I've seen deer movement along a single line of spruce, and in the walkway BETWEEN 2 lines of them. I've set myself up for shots using the "spruce cover" deer movement pattern many times. Once the leaves are down, the evergreens (spruce, hemlocks, or pines) are the only darker, shadowy cover left. Deer make use of them.

Another example with hemlocks - not spruce ....... some years ago I was sitting in an elevated spot overlooking a saddle between 2 ridges. A bunch of deer came up from the ag valley below and into the saddle. The woods were 98% open, leafless hardwoods. A scattering of hemlocks and a couple white pines were the only dark, shadowy cover. I watched as the deer walked slowly from hemlock to hemlock, hemlock to white pine, pine to another hemlock. They'd stop under / near each evergreen to survey the surroundings for danger & test the wind. It was "connect-the-dots" travel in an otherwise open, barren mountain woods. I watched as the deer made their way up the opposite ridge to their bedding spots - using each hemlock or pine as darker cover for safety. I got no shot that day - but the lesson the deer taught me turned out to be more valuable than a dead deer .......... at least in the long run.
 
Single lines of trees. They dont have to be perfectly straight or anything. Mine are kinda randomly placed. Just kinda leading in the general direction you want them to go. I have about 4 bedding pockets on my land with spruce, pine and firs connecting the pockets and leading them on and off my land where I want them to cross the road. They walk from one conifer to the next for security. Makes it very easy to find trails in my area.
Bingo.
 
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