North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Sam Franc <franc@oregonfast.net>]

I don't know what kind of spruce you have there.
Here we have the timber spruce Sitka.
It is a large tree when full grown.
About 250 feet tall and 7 feet in diameter.
Of course this takes a few hundred years.
It grows fairly fast on the cool Oregon coast.
I don't know how your summers are. Ours only get up to 75.
If you are hotter it should grow faster.
Does not take well to topping but can be done.
Tap root is not existant.
Supports itself with broad running suface rooting.
Doug fir has a tap root and will take shearing and topping.
I had some hedge ones that were topped at 12 feet and were 25 years old when 
I felled them.
They are the preferred timber tree here and can get $10,000 per tree when 
full grown at 200 feet.
If they are kept trimmed up so there are no knots they are very desired for 
peeler logs.
I know timber is not your interest but I thought I would throw this in.
You can buy large quantities of all kinds of these seedlings from Lawyers 
Nursery in MT at very
reasonable prices. They also buy seeds from individuals for planting.
Personally I like evergreens.
I use several types that would not be usable in your climate.
My favorite wind screen tree is English Laurel.
Grows to 30 feet and is a very dense growing tree.
Won't work for you as it will freeze out there.
Sam

del stubbs wrote:

> I'm years late, but at last I am working toward a much needed wind break on
> the north west side of our orchard ....(to deflect the winter nor'westers
> that Bernie and Dean send this way - after their done with 'em).
>
> Most of the literature I have seen on wind breaks seems to focus on
> deciduous bushes.....but I need the wind break in winter.
> I suppose a 10' thick row of caragana might work?
> It would be nice for the windbreak  to produce something to eat as well.
> Dream on?
> Another thought is a fast growing evergreen, and  one that won't get over 15
> feet tall.
> What do other northerners do ?
>
> I ordered a batch of white cedar to plant out for conservation plantings, I
> was wondering if I planted some of them what their growth might be like if I
> pruned them to a single leader....rather then the bush they start as.  Have
> got endless spruce seedlings to transplant from our woods also , but no idea
> how to control the eventual size.
> Is it good, or unadvisable, to heavily prune evergreens when transplanting?
>
> Thanks, Del  Z2/3
>
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