However, I have a field edge that is open, and exposed to a heavily used local road. I would like to get some brush/trees growing up, to provide a visual barrier.
I was thinking of transplanting some new poplars, but have also heard about taking cuttings from the new poplars, and storing them over winter, and planting in the spring.
Have any of you ever tried establishing poplar in a new area? What method do you recommend?
How about some conifer. More of a screen.
I bought some blue spruce ten years ago for my yard. They were perhaps 3 or 4 year olds. The nursery sold them for a $1.25 each if you dig your own. They are now 15+ feet tall and offer both a west wind barrier, sight barrier and sound barrier from a major highway that I live next to. I would plant a staggered couple rows of them ten feet apart between each row and ten feet apart in each row. In no time you will have what you are looking for. Just don't trim the lower boughs.
I did transplant some aspen and balsam fir from our property in Sawyer County after we logged twenty for pulp to my place, and every tree I transplanted took just fine. Hard to beat the color and shape of a spruce though.
The next year I figured I'd try the same with the newly sprouted poplar that was coming-up around the hunt camp trailer home we had for a bit. Cut them-off and plugged them into the wet ground and they did fine. Those trees are now taller than 50 feet and most were 'free'.
If you cut your own get them planted same day if possible and if using cuttings make sure you plant them correct end up. Look for 'scales' on the bark of the cutting and make sure the pointy end of the scale is point upright.
Best to cut and plant in the spring. Cut in the morning when the stems are turgid.
I agree that conifers make a better screen but poplar, aspen and cottonwood grow fast.
This particular area where I want the screen, I have tried to plant White Pine, Red Pine, Blue Spruce and Noway Spruce over the last 15 years. For some reason, they just won't grow there. I have some trees that were planted 8-9 years ago when they were 12" tall. They are now only 20-30 inches tall. (well the ones that survived, seems the deer like to nip their tops in the middle of winter.
I just can't wait another 40 years for pine trees to grow to be useful. I'd rather get some poplars growing and have a wall of trees in 3 years like we do everywhere else we have logged.
Red pine are fast growing ..balsam are like 20 ft. Very happy I planted... big fields and tree lines and nice bigger stands now break up what was huge a fields... works great. If we had any deer left that is.
These were planted at about the same time like 99 or 2000. and are all holding the deer that are left through the winter with the thermal cover they provide.. all toll I planted like 40 thousand trees with the DNR planter and my tractor..now is the time to order them for spring.. I just saw the reminder in the paper today.. Very economical
