|
Post by sd51555 on Mar 20, 2017 17:14:57 GMT -6
Hey team, in looking over the land this past weekend, I realized I need to get a screen going by one of my food plots. I'm thinking balsam fir. It already grows there, the deer don't seem to eat it, and Itasca has some left in stock. What I'm trying to figure out is how far apart I should space them. They seem to do really well when they get crowded, yet, I don't want to be overly thick. I'd rather do three rows.
I have no problem planting them tight and removing them as they begin touching. But how wide can I expect them to get at maturity?
|
|
|
Post by terrifictom on Mar 20, 2017 17:46:55 GMT -6
I have balsams all over my property. They are not the best for creating a screen as their needles and branches are not as dense as other conifers, but will work. With that said I would plant them closer together than you would other conifers. I would go at least 3 staggered rows, 4 would be better.
|
|
|
Post by sd51555 on Mar 20, 2017 18:07:07 GMT -6
Any clue on final width to shoot for?
|
|
|
Post by terrifictom on Mar 20, 2017 21:04:21 GMT -6
Any clue on final width to shoot for? Maybe 6 feet at bottom. One other thing the balsams have a tendency of getting punky and breaking off when they get older. 30 foot or taller is when I noticed they tend to break off. They also loose their lower branches as they get older.
|
|
|
Post by sd51555 on Mar 21, 2017 7:59:36 GMT -6
I went back and looked over my Itasca order last night. I've got extra scotch pine. I may sub in some scotch pine where it's dry out front and use some of my red pine for this spot.
|
|
|
Balsam Fir
May 24, 2017 20:02:31 GMT -6
via mobile
Post by hawaii5joe on May 24, 2017 20:02:31 GMT -6
I tried planting Balsams in a mixture of different trees and found out they are they grow pretty slow in my area.
|
|
|
Post by nhmountains on May 24, 2017 20:06:28 GMT -6
Welcome back Joe!!
Any updated photos of your cuts?
|
|
|
Balsam Fir
May 24, 2017 20:07:23 GMT -6
via mobile
Post by biglakebass on May 24, 2017 20:07:23 GMT -6
Joe.
Youre alive!!!
|
|
|
Post by Sandbur on May 25, 2017 6:22:21 GMT -6
I would use a row of spruce with those balsams. See Terrifictoms post above for the reasons.
|
|
|
Post by sd51555 on May 25, 2017 6:40:37 GMT -6
It's pretty wet back there. I ended up going with balsam because that's all that was available, and we ended up using all the other pines elsewhere. I may go back and double plant it with black spruce next year. I'll need some replant trees for the road screen by then anyway.
|
|