Screening Suggestions For Homesite

[timrod]

Situation: Neighbor has a cattle operation, and a lot of random junk scattered around the pasture. It's not very aesthetically pleasing.

Why- going to have a driveway to a house along the screen in the near future, and really don't wanna see all the crap.

My Ideas: It's the white line in the picture. it is about 800 feet in total length, and I thought about planting a dual screen. Outside closest to the pasture being in either hybrid poplar or Austrees. Another row of some sort of evergreen or conifer to the inside nearest the driveway. I originally was thinking about Thuja Green Giants to the inside, but I'm not sure.

What I'm wanting- Something fast growing close to the pasture line as long as it grows tall and fast. The inside screen I would prefer to be something that isn't deciduous and doesn't lose its leaves in the winter. I know I will catch a lot of flack for this, but I'm not wanting to invest in tree protection since the cost/labor of that alone may end up costing more than it's worth. I already know that planting most pines without protection is a bad idea. Not gonna say how I know, but I do

My questions are basically what would you do? Has anyone had any experience with the Austree willows? I'm open to any tree varieties that will survive here in north central Illinois.

Thanks to everyone for your thought and considerations in this effort

 

[MattJK]

Transplant cedars? Anything on a southern edge will cast shade on you so you may want to limit the height. I want to screen a southern edge but not shade my orchard so I may use a more traditional evergreen hedge. I know I can prune cedars but I also know they harbor cedar apple rust.

 

[CAS_HNTR]

I would consider planting a couple rows of miscanthus giganteus nearest to the driveway, and back that up with some type of conifer mix.......we use a lot of Norway spruce, but you can mix in some cedars, pines, plus some other spruce if you like. Depending on the size of the initial trees, you should have a pretty good screen in 10 years that will last a lifetime. The michanthus will should give you a solid screen in 3 years. You can kill the michanthus with gly when the trees have reached sufficient height.

 

[Neahawg]

Id plant something like a loblolly, or pitch x loblolly pine on your inside row. We planted these trees without protection along with short leaf pine and they are still growing regardless of browse pressure. Then on your outside row plant Norway spruce which I've read deer don't browse as much as others. By the time the pines are to big to provide a good screen your spruce should be.

 

[Neahawg]

Three year old shortleaf pine

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

 

[Fish]

I cant answer for willows. Anything deciduous is going to open up in winter unless you have many stems and layers. Red cedars planted in one of the rows 4 ft apart would be hard to beat as a compliment. Why not two rows of cedars?

 

[timrod]

I see some suggestions for cedars and different pines, but I have concerns that they will not grow as fast as I would like. The driveway would be for my parents who are in their 60's, and not to be morbid, but probobly won't benifit from a screen that take 15-20 years to establish.

The idea I had for a double planting was hopefully to give them an effective enough screen in five years on the first row, while giving something that takes longer to establish but will end up nicer for the second row...

I have planted eastern red cedars in many places for screening/ and general habitat improvements. I can say that I haven't really seen a lot of growth in the past two years. They all came from MDC, and were pretty small seedlings at the time of planting. It's very possible that I did not plant them in the best spots, or with major protection, so that could be the culprit in that case.

I just ordered more miscanthus from maple ridge the other day, but only ordered enough for a small screen on a foodplot. Maybe the miscanthus would be a pretty good start as someone suggested. So far I'm pretty impressed with the stuff even after only one year or trying it. Is it a dense screen after one year? No, but the survival rate of all the rhizomes I planted was 90 percent or better, and I'm hoping to see some filling in a little more this year.

 

[wbpdeer]

Timrod,

Brushpile advised me to plant Ninebark as a shrub and I took his advice. I purchased them from Missouri Depart. of Conversation. I have been extremely pleased with how well they established. I think you would could plant them in two staggered rows. By year three I would think you will see 7 or 8 feet based upon mine in two years.

I basically planted them with a mesh tube and let them grow on their own. I am going to purchase some more for another location where I want a screen and a fence row effect.

I had never heard of Ninebark until I got on the old forum and read the Brushpile thread. If you mixed the Ninebark with cedars or pines I think you might be pleased. I think you can grow Ninebark from cuttings which would be $$ savings too.

 

[timrod]

I will definitely look into that Wayne

 

[Fish]

Timrod,

Brushpile advised me to plant Ninebark as a shrub and I took his advice. I purchased them from Missouri Depart. of Conversation. I have been extremely pleased with how well they established. I think you would could plant them in two staggered rows. By year three I would think you will see 7 or 8 feet based upon mine in two years.

I basically planted them with a mesh tube and let them grow on their own. I am going to purchase some more for another location where I want a screen and a fence row effect.

I had never heard of Ninebark until I got on the old forum and read the Brushpile thread. If you mixed the Ninebark with cedars or pines I think you might be pleased. I think you can grow Ninebark from cuttings which would be $$ savings too.

Good suggestion. My ninebarks will hold their leaves when other shrubs have dropped. And they are early to leaf in the spring. And...... they have outgrown silky and gray dogwoods by far.

 

[wbpdeer]

Fish

I am glad to hear they did well for you also. On my farm they all made and over performed others stuff planted in the same soil.

Thanks
Wayne

 

[timrod]

What was the spacing for the ninebark?

 

[wbpdeer]

Seems like I have mine in the 10 to 12 feet spacing. I got a good line going to break up where I was going to put clover to separate it from other items. I will offset about 10 feet this spring and stagger with the first line of ninebark. It blooms white in the spring if I remember right.

I like it - does well for me.

Wayne

 

[timrod]

I think I've got the screen all decided upon. Triple row. Outside hybrid poplar, next evergreen row, next ninebark wild plum.

I'm taking suggestions on the evergreen row but for now, it may be a mix of pitch loblolly, eastern red cedar, and spruce. Trying to decide what types will be deer resistant as well as moderate to fast growers

 

[Gator]

I think I've got the screen all decided upon. Triple row. Outside hybrid poplar, next evergreen row, next ninebark wild plum.

I'm taking suggestions on the evergreen row but for now, it may be a mix of pitch loblolly, eastern red cedar, and spruce. Trying to decide what types will be deer resistant as well as moderate to fast growers

In my area, the fastest would be the loblolly, followed by the cedar but the cedar is a much better screening tree. I planted Norway spruce 3 years ago and they are either dead or still the same size as when planted. I've been transplanting cedars in the barespots where NS used to be.