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Post by smsmith on Mar 7, 2021 9:25:57 GMT -6
I've been making mental notes about evergreens growing here over the last couple winters. On yesterday's shed hunt, I paid particular attention to a number of different evergreens planted here over the last 9 years.
Norway, white, and black spruces show little browsing except when planted near foodplots. Then new growth gets browsed pretty heavily.
Scotch, white, red, austrian, and ponderosa pine all get browsed heavily when planted anywhere near a travel lane/trail and when near foodplots. Away from high traffic areas, all will get lightly browsed and all grow more quickly than any of the spruces.
Balsam fir gets browsed heavily anywhere they were planted, so do white cedars.
I will not plant any more pines, firs, or white cedars here. Just not worth it. I will likely only plant Norway and white spruce from now on...maybe a few black spruce from time to time.
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Post by Freeborn on Mar 7, 2021 9:30:51 GMT -6
I've been making mental notes about evergreens growing here over the last couple winters. On yesterday's shed hunt, I paid particular attention to a number of different evergreens planted here over the last 9 years. Norway, white, and black spruces show little browsing except when planted near foodplots. Then new growth gets browsed pretty heavily. Scotch, white, red, austrian, and ponderosa pine all get browsed heavily when planted anywhere near a travel lane/trail and when near foodplots. Away from high traffic areas, all will get lightly browsed and all grow more quickly than any of the spruces. Balsam fir gets browsed heavily anywhere they were planted, so do white cedars. I will not plant any more pines, firs, or white cedars here. Just not worth it. I will likely only plant Norway and white spruce from now on...maybe a few black spruce from time to time. I planted all white spruce as part of my CRP planting. I did fill in with Black hills spruce and Austrian pine in some of my worse soil. Agree on the observations on pine, if they are near a travel area or food plot they are browsed but those that are away for those areas they are doing pretty well. |
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Post by sd51555 on Mar 7, 2021 13:06:19 GMT -6
I've been making mental notes about evergreens growing here over the last couple winters. On yesterday's shed hunt, I paid particular attention to a number of different evergreens planted here over the last 9 years. Norway, white, and black spruces show little browsing except when planted near foodplots. Then new growth gets browsed pretty heavily. Scotch, white, red, austrian, and ponderosa pine all get browsed heavily when planted anywhere near a travel lane/trail and when near foodplots. Away from high traffic areas, all will get lightly browsed and all grow more quickly than any of the spruces. Balsam fir gets browsed heavily anywhere they were planted, so do white cedars. I will not plant any more pines, firs, or white cedars here. Just not worth it. I will likely only plant Norway and white spruce from now on...maybe a few black spruce from time to time. Is all of your balsam planted, or do you have naturally occurring balsam as well? |
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Post by Bwoods11 on Mar 7, 2021 17:33:06 GMT -6
It seems to get worse every year. I’m not getting the greatest survival on spruce or pine in the last 3 years...My best overall survival is Black Hills Spruce. We have to cage all pine.
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Post by smsmith on Mar 7, 2021 17:56:23 GMT -6
I've been making mental notes about evergreens growing here over the last couple winters. On yesterday's shed hunt, I paid particular attention to a number of different evergreens planted here over the last 9 years. Norway, white, and black spruces show little browsing except when planted near foodplots. Then new growth gets browsed pretty heavily. Scotch, white, red, austrian, and ponderosa pine all get browsed heavily when planted anywhere near a travel lane/trail and when near foodplots. Away from high traffic areas, all will get lightly browsed and all grow more quickly than any of the spruces. Balsam fir gets browsed heavily anywhere they were planted, so do white cedars. I will not plant any more pines, firs, or white cedars here. Just not worth it. I will likely only plant Norway and white spruce from now on...maybe a few black spruce from time to time. Is all of your balsam planted, or do you have naturally occurring balsam as well? All balsam here is planted. I'm probably at least an hour south of the natural range of balsam fir |
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Post by nhmountains on Mar 7, 2021 18:01:23 GMT -6
How about hemlock Stu? It seems to like moist areas here.
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Post by smsmith on Mar 7, 2021 18:05:54 GMT -6
How about hemlock Stu? It seems to like moist areas here. I'm probably 200 miles(ish) west of native hemlock range. Too dry and too high of ph here |
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Post by terrifictom on Mar 7, 2021 18:20:04 GMT -6
Amazing how deer browse on different trees and brush depending on location. Deer rarely browse on balsam by me, only when in starvation mode. When I planted a screen I used red pine and a few white pine were mixed in. The deer never browsed on red pine but devoured the white pine. How ever the red pines were rubbing magnets until they got older.
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Post by Sandbur on Mar 7, 2021 18:33:37 GMT -6
Is all of your balsam planted, or do you have naturally occurring balsam as well? All balsam here is planted. I'm probably at least an hour south of the natural range of balsam fir Somewhere I read that when early explorers went up the Mississippi, they first found balsam fir somewhere near where Aitkin now exists. |
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Post by sd51555 on Mar 7, 2021 19:05:15 GMT -6
Is all of your balsam planted, or do you have naturally occurring balsam as well? All balsam here is planted. I'm probably at least an hour south of the natural range of balsam fir I've wondered if that browsing pressure isn't more of a product of the foliar fertilizers the tree growers use to scoot these seedlings along. They come so quickly and with such a perfect balance of nutrients, they're just tasty. Kind of like a good fresh garden tomato vs the Burger King tomato. |
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Post by Sandbur on Mar 8, 2021 5:08:27 GMT -6
Any balsam I plant where I live, seems to be quickly rubbed. They are not native here, either.
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Post by smsmith on Mar 8, 2021 8:12:57 GMT -6
All balsam here is planted. I'm probably at least an hour south of the natural range of balsam fir I've wondered if that browsing pressure isn't more of a product of the foliar fertilizers the tree growers use to scoot these seedlings along. They come so quickly and with such a perfect balance of nutrients, they're just tasty. Kind of like a good fresh garden tomato vs the Burger King tomato. My trees being browsed are multiple years old. I don't think the fertilizers used would have that lasting of an impact? |
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Post by Bwoods11 on Mar 8, 2021 8:22:10 GMT -6
They rub cedar too, but cedar is tough. Took this picture yesterday on my Swift County property.  |
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Post by sd51555 on Mar 8, 2021 9:35:01 GMT -6
I've wondered if that browsing pressure isn't more of a product of the foliar fertilizers the tree growers use to scoot these seedlings along. They come so quickly and with such a perfect balance of nutrients, they're just tasty. Kind of like a good fresh garden tomato vs the Burger King tomato. My trees being browsed are multiple years old. I don't think the fertilizers used would have that lasting of an impact? Yeah, no. I was thinking they were eating them up right away. Not sure what to tell you there. |
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Post by smsmith on Mar 8, 2021 9:47:17 GMT -6
It seems to get worse every year. I’m not getting the greatest survival on spruce or pine in the last 3 years...My best overall survival is Black Hills Spruce. We have to cage all pine. The only "Black Hills spruce" I have here are actually blue spruce. I ordered a couple hundred BHS from NCR a number of years ago, they grew so slowwwwwlllllyyyy I was wondering what the heck the deal was. It takes a few years for blue spruces to develop the blue color....that's what they are. That explains their slow growth pattern. At some point, they should be pretty for a few years until the needle cast fungus hits them. |
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