Which shrub to plant?

[Bill]

Many willows respond really well to either coppicing or pollarding. You may do better with one of those techniques than hinging them.

That's an interesting thought. I've only ever done pollarding on sycamore and it was an accident but really turned out cool.

have to try it on the willows.

For those scratching their head coppicing is cutting at ground level. Pollarding is cutting "usually" above browse height. But I think on my willows I'll try like 2 foot above the ground. Since I already cut them at ground level. I'll cut multi trunks at two feet.
Thanks for the idea Stu. I wouldn't have come up with it but I'm going to try it.

 

[soavejas]

Speckled or tag (same species I think) alder may be another option. They grow quick but I'm not sure if they can be grown from cuttings or not. They may get taller than your preference though also.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

I was watching this thread and the pic made it clearer ( situation ). I can tell you Washington hawthorn would make a great staging area addition. We've had them at my camp for 20 years now and those shrubs / trees are only about 15 ft. tall, but they are very dense - very " limb-y and twiggy ". They allow dappled sunlight through to the ground, produce red berries that grouse and turkeys love, and are very tough trees. No problems whatsoever. We have them planted between some heavy pines and mature woods - and our one food plot. Deer seem to love to travel through them on the way out of the woods - they could take other routes, but funnel through the hawthorns on a regular trail. Bucks make scrapes under them, too.

I would think they'd be a good addition to some of the other shrubs / plants that have been suggested already. They don't get so big that they become a hassle to control. They can be pruned also. If I were planting that spot, I'd go with silky dogwood, hawthorn, maybe a crab apple or 2, and ninebark.

 

[ghilliehunter]

Bill, you suggested hybrid willow. I need a road screen along front of my property/pasture by county road. Was thinking red cedar but would willow be a good alternative?

 

[Tap]

I was watching this thread and the pic made it clearer ( situation ). I can tell you Washington hawthorn would make a great staging area addition. We've had them at my camp for 20 years now and those shrubs / trees are only about 15 ft. tall, but they are very dense - very " limb-y and twiggy ". They allow dappled sunlight through to the ground, produce red berries that grouse and turkeys love, and are very tough trees. No problems whatsoever. We have them planted between some heavy pines and mature woods - and our one food plot. Deer seem to love to travel through them on the way out of the woods - they could take other routes, but funnel through the hawthorns on a regular trail. Bucks make scrapes under them, too.

I would think they'd be a good addition to some of the other shrubs / plants that have been suggested already. They don't get so big that they become a hassle to control. They can be pruned also. If I were planting that spot, I'd go with silky dogwood, hawthorn, maybe a crab apple or 2, and ninebark.

And hawthorn hinge, too. Which can become effective travel diverters helping to steer deer closer to stands, or away from unfavorable wind situatios.

SW Pa

 

[Bowsnbucks]

One of our members accidentally pulled one over by hooking the hawthorn with the edge of the big mower deck pulled behind our Farm - All tractor. Laid it right down to the ground, roots pulled up - only a few roots left in the ground. That never slowed the hawthorn down. It pushed up vertical growth from the trunk and kept growing horizontally sideways. That was about 6 years ago and it's still thriving, only now it's also a green " wall " from laying sideways like a hinged tree would. TOUGH TREES !!!!! Love 'em. One of the best trees we ever planted.

 

[Tap]

One of our members accidentally pulled one over by hooking the hawthorn with the edge of the big mower deck pulled behind our Farm - All tractor. Laid it right down to the ground, roots pulled up - only a few roots left in the ground. That never slowed the hawthorn down. It pushed up vertical growth from the trunk and kept growing horizontally sideways. That was about 6 years ago and it's still thriving, only now it's also a green " wall " from laying sideways like a hinged tree would. TOUGH TREES !!!!! Love 'em. One of the best trees we ever planted.

Mother nature planted all of mine. The areas where they now grow was all hay fields when I bought the property in 1985. In the mid 1990s, I decided to allow about 5 acres to revert to cover. I now have dozens and dozens of wild crabs and hawthorn that produce cover and mast in what used to be hay.

SW Pa