Trees...visual barrier...norway, white pine, white spruce question??

[g squared 23]

Nobody mentioned black spruce as an option. Is it too slow growing to be a reasonable contributer to a screen? Supposedly they can tolerate moist soil but grow faster in dry areas. I'm considering adding a few plugs for the above mentioned diversity/insurance to my norway screens.

 

[JFK52]

What ever trees you decide on I would recommend a sizable spacing between the individual trees and also the rows of trees. I spaced mine at 6'x6' or even 7'x7'. This allowed me to use my 60 inch brush hog for the first few years to mow between the rows. Keeping the weed growth down allowed the trees to get more of the sunshine and rain when they were young. After about 4 years or so, the lower branches spread out to the point that I could no longer get my 6 foot spaced rear tire Kubota between the rows without doing some damage. I think spraying roundup is too labor intensive and I would worry about spray drift with young trees. I have seen deer browse the white pine I have planted on my land. They did this in bad winters when other food supplies were not available to them.

I like the MG suggestion. If you want to do a planting every year look into Egyptian wheat as a tall barrier until the trees reach a suitable height. I have no love for Scotch pine and I do not think red pine would do well in the heavy clay soil.

 

[NE PA QDM]

I am about 4 years into planting a screen w Norway spruce, double row, spaced about 10' apart. They are just now starting to take off and grow quickly. I hope in another 3 years we have a solid visual screen from the road. Even though they are "fast growing" for spruce trees it still takes some patience. I do like that they hold their lower branches forever, that is why I planted them so hopefully it will be worth the wait eventually.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

^^^^^ Ne Pa - I've done the Norway spruce planting for about 22 years now. The first 3 years are just the trees getting their root systems established. I sprinkled 10-10-10 around them starting in year 3 and continued through year 7. By then they were taking off on their own and I stopped the 10-10-10, but you could continue if you wanted to. The trees my son and I planted 21 years ago are now about 20 to 22 ft. tall and thick. No road shooting onto our property anymore !!! AND - the deer hole-up in that area in cold, windy weather during winter. I've been in that spruce thicket in really windy conditions and it's so calm in there you can strike a match & it won't blow out. Beds in there.

 

[NWWI]

If you have room and want something quick plant a couple rows of hybrid poplar cuttings. You should have a complete visual barrier from the road in two years until the leaves drop. They grow fast and can give you a good screen fast. You can plant both the poplars and spruce. After a few years the spruce will get big enough and do the job. I would stay away from red and white pine myself. A rough winter and the deer will eat them up.