Sitting here mad…need tall thick screen shrub for my top fencerow

[Derek Reese 29]

As I watch the farmer (same one I’ve mentioned in previous peeved posts) drive in the field that borders my northern line 100 yards above me, arriving 5 minutes before sunset during the heat of the rut..a question comes to my mind..what kinda tree/shrub/anything can I plant in said fence row to make the deer feel more secure in my plots. Would help if it were about 10-15’ tall and bushy… already have some big trees there that I would like to keep and some bush honeysuckle that will be taken care of this winter..if it’s native to PA that’s cool but right now I don’t really care …probably needs to be somewhat shade tolerant because of the larger trees but the slope it’s on faces south and gets good sun..

 

[356]

Sounds like time for switchgrass or something similar, for sure.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

Sounds like time for switchgrass or something similar, for sure.

Guess I could put the switch down the hill a bit from the fence row…now you got me thinking..

 

[Bill]

Switch won't be tall enough. Miscanthus 15 to 20 yards off the hedgerow would be my suggestion. I have a field on a highway that would be cleared of deer as someone slowed to look. Now no one slows to look and deer care less about traffic.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

Switch won't be tall enough. Miscanthus 15 to 20 yards off the hedgerow would be my suggestion. I have a field on a highway that would be cleared of deer as someone slowed to look. Now no one slows to look and deer care less about traffic.

issue is I have a row of apple trees about 10’ below the fence row..I could probably squeeze an offset double row of miscanthus if I got rid of the shrubs in the fence row…

 

[Bill]

You could go closer to the trees if it would get good sunlight. It doesn't like heavy shade but would probably tolerate partial shade.

 

[T-Max]

How tolerant are your apple trees to CAR?


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[Dan Maranto]

I would go double row of miscanthus, then a row of green giants behind or in front of it. (On the full sun side). The grass will be a solid screen and when the green giants catch up, it will be even better.

I know there not really “wildlife” trees, but they have been great here in MD. I planted a row along my driveway to screen. I planted around 30 in spring of 2017, 8’ apart. They were about 18” tall. This year they are 20-22’ tall, and have been a full screen for atleast 2 years now.

I lost a few to bucks running them, so the next year I replaced those, caged them all with a good layer of mulch. I watered through the first summer, but haven’t touched them since. No fertilezer, nothing, and they have blown me away.

I don’t know how they compare to something like a Norway, which I see recommend a lot for a screen, but I could be happier.

I got the originals from a local orchard, but every year around now I wait for home depot or tractor supply to do their annual 50% off sale and buy all I can to keep extending my screen around the yard. I got 8 6’ers last fall for around 18 bucks a piece and they survived the summer with nothing from me

 

[bigboreblr]

You got a place you can trnasplant seom conifer trees. Anything shrub or small tree pretty much needs to be caged. Tried white cedar, red cedar, prarie willow, dogwood, and spruce.

You could maybe get some raspberries or transplant some shrubs.

Where do the deer run to? You can make a seclusion spot for them there. They can sneek back into a little cove instead of heading ino the thick of the woods. I did that at home. MY inlaws next door have people coming in and out around sunset alot. They come back sometimes 5 minutes instead of 45 to an hour.

 

[Electrodigical]

A wall of bamboo. (oh God, don't do that lol)

Would a few... 6-12 rows of corn along the edge of the field help? (you'd need someone to do it obviously)

 

[Robert86]

Honestly I'm surprised the deer run from farm equipment. All my years or plowing, chopping or combining corn and beans, I can usually get pretty close before they run off. Like Bill said, if I stop they run but if you just keep going they usually don't care. I know one, I'd be sitting that picked corn field the next couple of nights. That's a deer magnet.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

So there weren’t any deer out that I could see, but someone driving a truck up into the field at sunset wasn’t gonna help any sneak into my plot at prime time…

 

[Derek Reese 29]

Honestly I'm surprised the deer run from farm equipment. All my years or plowing, chopping or combining corn and beans, I can usually get pretty close before they run off. Like Bill said, if I stop they run but if you just keep going they usually don't care. I know one, I'd be sitting that picked corn field the next couple of nights. That's a deer magnet.

He was actually just loading up some big hay bales..why right at sunset I have no idea..

 

[Derek Reese 29]

A wall of bamboo. (oh God, don't do that lol)

Would a few... 6-12 rows of corn along the edge of the field help? (you'd need someone to do it obviously)

They would be awesome, but don’t think there’s enough room around my apple trees

 

[Derek Reese 29]

You got a place you can trnasplant seom conifer trees. Anything shrub or small tree pretty much needs to be caged. Tried white cedar, red cedar, prarie willow, dogwood, and spruce.

You could maybe get some raspberries or transplant some shrubs.

Where do the deer run to? You can make a seclusion spot for them there. They can sneek back into a little cove instead of heading ino the thick of the woods. I did that at home. MY inlaws next door have people coming in and out around sunset alot. They come back sometimes 5 minutes instead of 45 to an hour.

Love the idea of conifers and have a few I could transplant! Good call! No deer were out at the time but I’ve seen them in that hayfield take off towards some woods to the West (original pic was facing North).

 

[Derek Reese 29]

I would go double row of miscanthus, then a row of green giants behind or in front of it. (On the full sun side). The grass will be a solid screen and when the green giants catch up, it will be even better.

I know there not really “wildlife” trees, but they have been great here in MD. I planted a row along my driveway to screen. I planted around 30 in spring of 2017, 8’ apart. They were about 18” tall. This year they are 20-22’ tall, and have been a full screen for atleast 2 years now.

I lost a few to bucks running them, so the next year I replaced those, caged them all with a good layer of mulch. I watered through the first summer, but haven’t touched them since. No fertilezer, nothing, and they have blown me away.

I don’t know how they compare to something like a Norway, which I see recommend a lot for a screen, but I could be happier.

I got the originals from a local orchard, but every year around now I wait for home depot or tractor supply to do their annual 50% off sale and buy all I can to keep extending my screen around the yard. I got 8 6’ers last fall for around 18 bucks a piece and they survived the summer with nothing from me

Thanks for the heads up on the green giants at HD/TS..could probably even squeeze them in between my apple trees and not have them block any sun if I put them close enough to the fence row.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

How tolerant are your apple trees to CAR?


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Eh mostly DR varieties but definitely not planting cedar..would a thuja green giant fall in the same category?

 

[Derek Reese 29]

Doing some research looks like thuja green giants are a host for CAR…so probably not gonna go that route..love my Norway spruce and white pine from cold stream farms so could definitely throw a couple of those in that fence row in cleared spots..thinking about the miscsnthus idea also but they may require a bit more prep work than I’m willing to put in currently..might be a spring 2026 project after I get 12 more apples planted …

 

[RGrizzzz]

Doing some research looks like thuja green giants are a host for CAR…so probably not gonna go that route..love my Norway spruce and white pine from cold stream farms so could definitely throw a couple of those in that fence row in cleared spots..thinking about the miscsnthus idea also but they may require a bit more prep work than I’m willing to put in currently..might be a spring 2026 project after I get 12 more apples planted …

I'm not convinced Thujas host CAR. Reading this PSU article, it mentions prostrate junipers as hosts. I think the Thujas are NOT prostrate junipers. You can call your local extension office for clarification. There is a lot of CAR around my home, and I have never seen it on any of the Thujas in the neighborhood.

Cedar Apple And Related Rusts on Ornamentals

Cedar-apple rust and closely related diseases, cedar-quince, cedar-hawthorn, and Japanese apple rusts are caused by fungi of the genus Gymnosporangium.

extension.psu.edu

 

[Bill]

one caution on the green giants is bag worms. If bag worms are prevalent in the area you'll have to spray every July once the worms show up. On the plus side Deer won't browse them.