Fast Growing Trees?

[beenthere]

Check with a State or local forester for information valuable to your specific area as to varmints, animals, site, diseases, etc. They should be able to help you.

 

[beenthere]

Suckers usually are branches or limbs that come from dormant buds under the surface of the bark that begin to grow as a result of light available at the surface of the bark, or some other stimulant like another part of the tree becomming stressed (maybe from transplanting, or a top being removed or becomming diseased).
Apple trees are a good example where suckers begin growing after a tree has been pruned. Another example is the redwood tree, where opening up the tree (or a stump) to light causes a flourish of sucker growth. There are several trees that use this mechanism to 'regrow' themselves, in lieu of or in addition to dropping seeds to continue their cycle.

 

[rancar]

Kevin,

OK -- I've done a bit of reading up on appropriate screen type of trees. Unfortunately, I couldn't find anything on Ameri-Willow. This may be a more generic name for a traditional species whose name is harder to pronounce. Marketers do this at times for selling purposes which today's consumer can better relate to.

The following are other possibilities for very fast growing trees...in no particular preferred order. Bat Willow (Salix caerulea), Black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa), Crack Willow (Salix fragilis), Lombardy Poplar (Populas nigra), and 'Robusta' poplar (Populus 'Robusta'). I've only given you ones here that I think would adapt well to Michigan's soil and climate. Only drawback to all of these are they are angiosperm varieties, in other words trees that shed their leaves in the fall and winter months. This being the case, I think you would want to go with gymnosperm varieties...or needled trees that maintain foliage all thoughout the year.

This being the case... I still recommend the White Pine (Pinus Strobus). These will grow 1'-2' per year when young. Despite it's cabbage tree tendencies, if planted close together these trees will grow close together from tree base to upper canopy and give you a nice tree screen. Another gymnosperm variety you may want to consider is Austrian Pine (Pinus nigra). These are a fast growing European import (again 1'-2' growth per year) which have adapted well to American climate and soil conditions. Many of the conifers you see planted alongside state highways after road reconstruction are Austrian Pines. They are not susceptible to White Pine Blister Rust, very tolerant of poor air quality or air pollution, very adaptable to most soil and moisture conditions. They are beautiful landscape or speciman trees but will also do well as a screen if planted in a staggered format...maybe spaced out a bit more than the White Pine...that is 8-10' vis-a-vis 6' for White Pine. The only drawback to these are those white tailed critters love to munch on the tops and branches. If you go with these, you'll have to fence these in when young, especially if you have a deer problem.

I've ordered many trees from Musser Forests. See link below. Order their free catalog, but also browse the website...it's highly educational and will give you pretty much all the information I think you're looking for on trees which are very fast growing. The trees can be ordered in lots of 10, 50, 100, or 500 I think. The more you order per lot, the less expensive they will be per tree. Also, order them if you can as transplants, not seedlings. Transplants are a bit more expensive but they are bigger in size when you receive them and they are more durable than the seedlings...that is they have a greater chance of surviving the first year.

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.musserforests.com>http://www.musserforests.com</A>

Hope all this helps. Wow, this brings back good memories from my forestry school days at Utah State Univ. Wish I was working in the field...but back in the 70s the jobs just were not there. Let me know if you need further advice. I'll try to help any way I can.

Bob

 

[Rch]

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.walinursery.com/index.html>Wali Nursery</A>
I've planted tens of thousand of tree over 15 years. For windbreaks/sightbreaks, perimeter trees or landscape trees, Wali Nursery,northwest WI, has 5 year transplant conifers for ~ $2.50 apiece when bought in lots of 100. They are cold hardy, bare root that are available middle of April, first of May. You get a tree about 12-14" which gets you above the grass. I've got 20-22' white pines and 18-20' spruces that where planted 15 years ago.
I've got 40' hybrid poplar that are 15 years old. Lombardy are fast growers but a viral disease usually kills them within 15 years (lower branches start dying off)
Green ash here in central WI are moderately fast with 6" trunks, 22' high in 14 years.

 

[OCDLubeman]

Hi Kevin,

It's difficult to wade through all the information, is'nt it? I would contact the extension specialist at the Forestry Department at Michigan State University (www.for.msu.edu). They are there to answer your questions.

Usually there are pros and cons to any species you choose. "Fast" usually (not always) equates to weak and short lived. Consider hybrid poplars for a temporary screen while another, slower, more durable row of trees is getting up to height next to it (if you have room). Austrian Pine is prone to diplodia disease after 20 years. Blue spruce gets cytosphora, the list goes on. Two of my favorites are Norway spruce (not pine) and northern white cedar. Both are somewhat disease and insect resistant - Norway grows large and fast while the cedar grows slow, but very thick. Beware....deer damage is a MAJOR problem and you will have to be very vigilant in keeping them away.

Again, call the guys up at East Lansing - they have literature and advice.

Here is a very good US Forest Service website regarding tree planting - www.rngr.fs.fed.us/ Work through the navigation list to nursery directory and look under Michigan for a list of about 25 private MI nurseries equal to or better than Mussers (and probably cheaper). A good 15" to 24" bare root transplant can be had for under 50 cents each.

Good luck,

Randy


P.S. - I looked at that willow site - $6.00 a tree! Ouch. If you buy one, grow it for a year, you can take many ten inch stem cuttings from the first year whips and start your own trees.

 

[rancar]

Kevin,

I should have just given you these links. They'll give you all the info you need to learn about appropriate tree species for screens, windbreaks, etc.

http://www.musserforests.com/browse.asp?m=2&p=20

Bob

 

[kbarrett]

Thanks everyone! There is a diverse community on this forum. I especially enjoy the willingness to help!

Hopefully I'll be able to return the favor sometime.

I have a bit more reading to do!!

 

[kbarrett]

Randy,

I failed to mention that about eight years ago (when I originally thought I'd be building on this property), I planted
about 200 Norway spruce seedlings.

Well, about eight survived and are about 3 - 4' tall. It was a miracle that I even had that many survive because I really didn't know what I was doing. Weeds grew up around these little guys and virtually choked them out.

Hopfully, with care I can coax this survivors into a little faster schedule. Anyway, maybe I should reconsider the Norway?With care, they'll probably grow faster etc.

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P.S. - I looked at that willow site - $6.00 a tree! Ouch. If you buy one, grow it for a year, you can take many ten inch stem cuttings from the first year whips and start your own trees.

<hr></blockquote>



That's a great idea! You're right six bucks a stick (tree) is pretty steep.

 

[kbarrett]

Bob,

Thank you for taking the time to educate me. I'm learning that there is a bit more to this than I originally thought.

You mention something very interesting that caught my eye

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Despite it's cabbage tree tendencies, if planted close together these trees will grow close together from tree base to upper canopy and give you a nice tree screen.

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I'm assuming this means that the tree takes on more of a "bushy" shape than the probably more desired "tree" shape?

 

[TresCrows]

I can recommend the Austrian pines. They are tough and tolerent of severe conditions. They do grow relatively fast and have a very nice pyramid shape when young/middle aged with branching all the way to the ground like the Spuces. When the become old they tend to thin out and take on more of an umbrella shape. I have been building a north wind break and slowly filling it in with Austrians along with a variety of deciduous trees (pin oak, pear, gum, maple and a few cottonless cottonwoods) for Fall color and Spring flower and wild life habitat. I have also planted a few Austrians as specimen trees and the same with some Fat Alberta Blue Spruce (a smaller blue spruce with a fat pyramid shape). My landscaping kinda looks like helter skelter right now but there is method behind the maddness. I also planted some Lombardy Poplar along another line. Thses have out performed the so called Aus Trees which are a Willow Hybrid of some sort that were planted by my neighbor two houses away, I planted them for a quick screen and I intend to plant a more desireable species in between this Spring, maybe some more pines. J
J