Windbreak

[orezok]

I finally am getting around to planting a windbreak. The two things we don't lack in the desert is sun and wind.

I put the main irrigation lines in a couple of weeks ago and now I ready to plant. I got a great deal on these Eldarica Pines (also known as Afghan or Mondell pines). They're perfect for the desert as they survive well in poor soils, need little water and will eventually grow to 50-80 feet tall. I found a wholesale nursery who was totally overstocked. These 15 gallon trees are 12' to 15' with 1.5 to 2" caliper. They were selling them at $10 each!

I'll be putting in a double row spaced at 15'. Fortunately I have a phd so it shouldn't be too bad. I got 30 this trip as that was about all I could fit on my equipment trailer.

 

[SandburRanch]

I finally am getting around to planting a windbreak. The two things we don't lack in the desert is sun and wind.

I put the main irrigation lines in a couple of weeks ago and now I ready to plant. I got a great deal on these Eldarica Pines (also known as Afghan or Mondell pines). They're perfect for the desert as they survive well in poor soils, need little water and will eventually grow to 50-80 feet tall. I found a wholesale nursery who was totally overstocked. These 15 gallon trees are 12' to 15' with 1.5 to 2" caliper. They were selling them at $10 each!

I'll be putting in a double row spaced at 15'. Fortunately I have a phd so it shouldn't be too bad. I got 30 this trip as that was about all I could fit on my equipment trailer.

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The price was right that's for sure.

Did you know the best windbreak has this shape ^ but I'll bet that wasn't in the plan. A 3 sided break with 90 degree corners create unwanted eddy currents and the V shape doesn't.

 

[Treemonkey1000]

Sandbur ranch beat me to it. He is right. Sort of the same affect as birds flying in V's I think.
Make sure and take some before and after pictures. If those get that tall plant them so that they or their roots won't interfere with overhead or underground wires and pipes. Another thing is how close to structures. I have to go out on tree jobs where the folks planted "a little" tree and 15 years later it is dropping crud on the roof or ready to break and damage the structure.

 

[Ford tractor]

A good wind break will have several layers of trees at differing heights and distances. You want to have wind and sun protection in the summer, but sun in the winter can be a positive. So the close ring having deciduous trees (at least up north here) is most common.

 

[beenthere]

There are reports that this pine is susceptible to root rot, borers and death from irrigation (they like it dry).
Might be something to check into, and a reason they are selling so cheap?

 

[orezok]

There are reports that this pine is susceptible to root rot, borers and death from irrigation (they like it dry).
Might be something to check into, and a reason they are selling so cheap?

I live in the Mojave Desert, not an issue out here.

 

[beenthere]

I live in the Mojave Desert, not an issue out here.

I put the main irrigation lines in a couple of weeks ago and now I ready to plant.

This is what I was going by, that you said. :confused3:

But you know better what you are doing in the desert.

 

[RobertBrown]

I live in the Mojave Desert, not an issue out here.

I can't remember seeing 80' conifirs in the desert. A pinion pine maybe. No doubt a good price, but unless your 4 years old I don't think you'll see 30' let alone 80'. A wind break is a good idea, but before you buy any more I'd give these a year or 2. A couple of years is not going to make any difference under those conditions.

 

[orezok]

This is what I was going by, that you said. :confused3:

But you know better what you are doing in the desert.

Our annual rain fall is 1" to 10" per year. Nothing substantial grows out here without irrigation.

 

[orezok]

I can't remember seeing 80' conifirs in the desert. A pinion pine maybe. No doubt a good price, but unless your 4 years old I don't think you'll see 30' let alone 80'. A wind break is a good idea, but before you buy any more I'd give these a year or 2. A couple of years is not going to make any difference under those conditions.

We plant hundreds of these at our school sites and with irrigation I have seen them reach 40' within 10 years. I have a lot of experience with them and they do well out here.

Yes, I doubt that they will reach 80' but they do get substantial.

 

[RobertBrown]

We plant hundreds of these at our school sites and with irrigation I have seen them reach 40' within 10 years. I have a lot of experience with them and they do well out here.

Yes, I doubt that they will reach 80' but they do get substantial.

At what point (in the life cycle) can you discontinue irrigation?

 

[orezok]

At what point (in the life cycle) can you discontinue irrigation?

Probably never. The trees rely on the irrigation and probably never develop roots deep enough to reach ground water. Five hundred feet at my property.

 

[socallly]

Orezok,

I live in the HD as well, these trees grow very fast, attached are two pictures the first showing my trees at three years the following at six.

I've seen no less than three feet a year from these things, I fertilize every march and water three times a week for 15 minutes.

Crape mrytles do very good also

 

[AHNC]

I don't think advanced degrees are necessary for this kind of work,

 

[AchingBack]

A good wind break will have several layers of trees at differing heights and distances. You want to have wind and sun protection in the summer, but sun in the winter can be a positive. So the close ring having deciduous trees (at least up north here) is most common.

Good point. A well designed wind break will have at least three rows. As the wind hits the first row of large shrubs or small trees, it sweeps up to encounter the next row of larger trees where it is further buffered. By the time it hits the back row with the largest trees, the forces have been greatly diminished.

In most cases, one row windbreaks are not very effective. The link below provides very good planning information. Shelterbelt/Windbreak Implementation on the Farm

 

[Western]

WOW, good buy on the trees. I bought 30 seedlings from our state nursery (Afghan Pines) like $1.50 for 12"-18"

 

[orezok]

WOW, good buy on the trees. I bought 30 seedlings from our state nursery (Afghan Pines) like $1.50 for 12"-18"

They were selling just about every 15 gallon tree they had for $10. The nursery was 40 acres and had thousands of plants. The economy caught them short and it would have been costly to move many of the plants to 24" boxes and there is no market for them either right now. The owner told me that their water bill right now is $12,000 per month. Less product means less water.

Many of the 15 gal Afghan Pines were 2 1/2" caliper and 18' tall. That should have been in a 24" box. I chose only those that were still appropriate size for 15 gal as I didn't want root bound plants.

I plan to double row these with an offset between rows.