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

[Derek Reese 29]

Plums would be a great addition in my opinion. Probably have to protect them for a few years so they can amount to something.

I’m thinking of clearing out the invasive honeysuckle in the fence row then using it as a “cage” around a couple plums or doing what I think of as a “half cage” where it’s still 5’ tall but only about 1.5’ around…

 

[Telemark]

Spud like your concept. The only change should have been white pine on the outside to grow fast and spruce preferably Norway spruce behind the white pine. Norway grow much faster than blue or whites. But believe me great job on your shelterbelt

Why would you put the white pine on the outside? My plan is to put the white pine on the inside so that when the screen is mature (after I'm dead probably) the white pine loses its lower branches, and the deer travel under the canopy of the white pines while still being screened by the spruce.

 

[Telemark]

Love how the MG looks, especially in conjunction with the conifer screen…anyone have thoughts on plums(American)…like the idea of planting them a bit apart then letting the suckers grow them together..and also the food aspect

I view plums more as a barrier than a screen. I may be wrong about this, but I intend to plant plums as a natural barrier to direct travel, which I can potential then hunt if animals utilize the fruit as a food source. My neighbor has a plum hedge, and it loses all its leaves around this time. It's thick enough to block deer movement, but I can still see in his windows when his lights are on.

 

[Derek Reese 29]

I view plums more as a barrier than a screen. I may be wrong about this, but I intend to plant plums as a natural barrier to direct travel, which I can potential then hunt if animals utilize the fruit as a food source. My neighbor has a plum hedge, and it loses all its leaves around this time. It's thick enough to block deer movement, but I can still see in his windows when his lights are on.

I think barrier may be more what I’m going for….the area around the field/plot I had mentioned gets a ton of pressure so if I can make them feel safer, even a little bit, then that’s cool..I’m not trying to block anyone’s view and they may be hard as the top of the hill above the field is about 40’ higher..the big benefits as I see for the plums lie in their self-spreading and food attributes…

 

[matinc]

Tele you have a great idea and I understand your logic. However due to how slow spruce grow the white pines on the outside will make the screen quicker. I can tell you this my Norway spruce at 30 years old have lost the lower limbs and its thick habitat underneath. Being honest what I don't find is any use under the spruce at all. What's helped the most is actually cutting trails through the spruce so deer use the runways. Today I was blowing out the trails that were grooved in. Maybe a combined application with white pine on outside and inside is best approach. Sorry to ramble

 

[cavey]

Nothings going to be perfect and all will take some time, GM in a 3+ row planting will be up and great in 3 years and then be forever for the most part. The spruces - truth is - it will be 10 years before you benefit from them, white pine a little faster unless you start with bigger trees $$$$ then eventually unless you have enough spacing and depth to those trees they will lose their lower branches opening up right back to the line, willows will be up faster and say 3 -4 years will be a fairly good block but will eventually require some cutting back to reestablish the thicket look. A plum thicket is not a bad idea but any deciduous trees and or shrubs will have the leaf drop about the time you want that added cover density - if you get a dense enough thicket the trunks do block but not 100%
You could do Egyptian wheat for a few years just in front of 3-4 rows of GM until its established. GM is the bomb for a lot of these simple screening issues ... good luck with what ever options you choose

 

[bigboreblr]

White spruce in background planted 2017. 6-8f tall. Were 8-12 in seedling from state nursery sale.

 

[bigboreblr]

Fight fire with fire......

Rototill on the border and grow some of your own corn, milo, millet, or something else tall. Forgot who posted that Ethiopian cabbage over the summer, stuff looked interesting.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Tele you have a great idea and I understand your logic. However due to how slow spruce grow the white pines on the outside will make the screen quicker. I can tell you this my Norway spruce at 30 years old have lost the lower limbs and its thick habitat underneath. Being honest what I don't find is any use under the spruce at all. What's helped the most is actually cutting trails through the spruce so deer use the runways. Today I was blowing out the trails that were grooved in. Maybe a combined application with white pine on outside and inside is best approach. Sorry to ramble

Interesting observation on the spruce losing lower limbs. Haven't seen any of that here with our Norways or white spruce. Parents had a Norway spruce in their yard for over 40 years and lowest limbs laid on the grass. Same with camp spruce planted 1997.

I 100% agree with cutting trails through spruces - and any other cover- because deer will use them readily. Did that same thing here. Deer don't like wading through heavy stuff any more than people do. Steer your deer ....... make "walkways" for them!!!