Norway Spruce

[Boone]

I found out that some urea had been mixed into my triple 10 fertilizer that I used for the Norways. Fried about half of them. I replaced them with bare roots from LLane.

 

[scott44]

Looks good! How many did you plant?

 

[Boone]

Only about 50 or so. I planted 15 on a south facing point where the deer bed already and the rest replaced some that had died. Next spring I will plant more.

 

[Bill]

What do you guys do for weed control? I read the Atrazine/simazine label and it says you can spray right over them before they break dormancy. March I think it said.

Anyone ever try it?

 

[Buckly]

I use the method that LC recommended. If possible, kill everything off with roundup and Oust XP in the fall prior to planting. That , in my opinion really helps to have a clean start. Then In the spring I will spray Simazine, Prowl H2O and Clethodim with crop oil right over the trees before they are showing any signs of new growth. In the fall, Usually mid September I go right over the trees with Oust XP. This keeps them really clean. Some people don't like them that clean and feel the weeds and grasses will help protect the trees from winter winds and cold. I am in a very cold climate with bad winters but, I don't seem to lose any trees having them clean. I feel that they grow so much faster with no weed or grass competition that I will take the risk on winter. So far so good. I plant plugs and will lose less than 10% the first year then only a very few the second year. I just replace when necessary . I will continue this spray schedule until the trees are either to big to spray over or big enough where the weeds and grass will have little affect on them. 5-6 years.

 

[Bill]

Thanks Buckly.

 

[Bluecollaroutdoors]

I have been plugging 4as from itasca the last three years. Success rate is great....until february when they start eating them. Sadly i could use a winter were they get buried in the snow for once.

Yes I know they dont usually eat them. They sure as hell eat mine. Otherwise they are amazing. Cheap and easy.

 

[chummer]

I have been plugging 4as from itasca the last three years. Success rate is great....until february when they start eating them. Sadly i could use a winter were they get buried in the snow for once.

Yes I know they dont usually eat them. They sure as hell eat mine. Otherwise they are amazing. Cheap and easy.

I started planting them last year in some decent spots. They have put on very little growth. I am only 40 but I am ready to pull the plug. Does anyone in the north have these reach 10' before 10-15 years.

 

[Buckly]

10' in 10 years seems about right. That would be pretty good growth.

 

[Bill]

Chummer,
Pull the plug. I'm planting mine for my son. That or the next guy that owns this place. I just hope it's not a farmer with a dozer :(

 

[rocksnstumps]

10 ft in 10 years would be about average for those that do not get browsed too heavy in early spring. I have some that are over 10 ft in nine years and others that were stunted from browse the first five years or so that are only now getting above the 4-5 ft range. The majority are easily pushing 8-10 ft though on sandy loam on a hillside with full sun

 

[rocksnstumps]

I also take the time each spring to trim back to a central leader on the "bushy" ones that have some hope of growing decent. I think the bushy type if left alone don't push the height like having a central leader does. They just stay bushy and grow less than half new growth compared to others close by.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

I've planted lots of N.S. over the years and I still don't see any big growth in the first year or two. I believe they are just getting their root systems established. In year 2 thru 7, I sprinkle 10-10-10 around them to give them a kick-start. In areas I don't want any failure, such as bedding areas, I put 3 ft. tall, 2" x 4" welded wire fencing cages ( 20" dia. ) around them to keep the deer off them so they can get growing. That seems to help from winter browsing setting them back. I also over-plant. If I want 20 spruce for a bedding spot, I'll plant 25 to 30 to account for a few losses due to bucks rubbing or natural losses. If they all survive, I can thin them or cut out small clearings as needed.

My camp location is on a ridge top in the mountains of N.C. Pa. - It gets pretty cold there - down to minus 15 to minus 20 most winters. Not as cold as some places, but not moderate by any means. Survival of our spruces has increased as the number of our year-round food sources has increased. Takes browse pressure off the spruce and other desirable trees & shrubs. It's worked for us.

 

[Tree Spud]

Seep, creep, leap ... most pines and shrubs spend the first 2 years using their energy establishing their root system. Not until year do you really start to see growth.

Browsing of Norway, white, & black spruce is terrible on our place. This year we cut 150 - 2"x4"x5' wire fence cages to protect them.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Wow, Tree Spud. That's rough when that many evergreens get hit. It's also a lot of cages. We get some spruce nipped, but not like you have number-wise. I think we get more damage once the spruce get 4 to 5 ft. tall and the bucks take a liking to rubbing them. Busted limbs make for some odd-shaped trees, but they recover. We've only lost a few to severe rubbing damage.

 

[chummer]

I shouldn't have browse issues, most deer don't spend the winter. Maybe I will stick with the ones in full sun spots intended for screens. Thanks for the feedback.

 

[Big Snow Man]

I'm getting about 4' on average in full sun on a 9 year planting. Mine are starting to take off the last two years with more moisture in July and August. I don't need to worry about the deer the DNR did that for me.

 

[Natureboy]

Chummer, My camp is located about 60 miles south of Buffalo. It is not uncommon for temperatures to reach -25 degrees F in the winter. The Norway Spruce in the picture are about 10 years old and are between 6 and 12 feet tall.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Nice spruce AND apples trees, Natureboy !! Area looks good.

That's about what we got on our Norways - 12 ft. in 10 yrs. Our oldest are 19 yrs. in the ground and vary from 18 to 25 ft. tall depending on amount of sunlight on them. Some are competing with black birch that have come on after the logging 20 years ago.

 

[Tree Spud]

Wow, Tree Spud. That's rough when that many evergreens get hit. It's also a lot of cages. We get some spruce nipped, but not like you have number-wise. I think we get more damage once the spruce get 4 to 5 ft. tall and the bucks take a liking to rubbing them. Busted limbs make for some odd-shaped trees, but they recover. We've only lost a few to severe rubbing damage.

BnB ... have planted over 300 pines, spruces, etc and the only ones that were not browsed or rubbed were the initial 20-30 that I caged. I have 3-0 transplants that were planted when they were 18-24" and 2 years later are shorter than when they were planted.

My primary habitat improvement need is thermal cover so planting pockets of 40-50 spruces and for road screens, then caging is not that a big expense in my mind. After 3-4 years I can remove and re-use the cages.