What plant should I grow as a windbreak for my garden?

Hi,

So I am looking for something to grow around the North and West sides of my garden, in a 6 inch high raised bed on top of clay. I need a windbreak and some shade from the afternoon sun. Preferably it would be 3-5 feet high and grow thick enough to slow the wind down. Some other uses/benefits would be excellent. I dunno I am striking out looking for the perfect plant, I need help!

Thanks,

Dan

That's right, I grow palnts. Dammit!!!

Something evergreen as opposed to deciduous, so it will provide year round cover

Dan, I'm assuming that if you only want it 3-5 feet high, it's to protect the garden, not a larger space.  So winter protection isn't nearly as critical...

In my area I'd be looking towards currants, jostaberries, aronia, honeyberry and a few other woody shrubs that get around that size.  I'm not sure how they'd do in your area though.  So I guess maybe look for berry bushes that would live in your area.

What have you tried already and what is your annual precipitation? Will the windbreak be irrigated?

I haven't tried anything yet. I have only recently decided that a windbreak is 100% necessary. I will irrigate it but I'd like to keep that to a minimum. No rain for six months or more so it's gotta be done. Although Mike's suggestion of some berries is a good one, I should have stated that the area around the garden once these plants are in will be kind of tight. Tight enough that I should probably avoid thorny plants. And although you can't really have too many berries I do have another "berry zone" coming together elsewhere.

All that aside, current frontrunner: Currants

Mugo pines are suitable for zone 7, they are drought tolerant and grow short, bushy and wide, providing a good screen.

Junipers work well for the same reasons and attract birds too...

Rosemary would make a lovely windbreak, besides smelling so good it is so useful as it is also medicinal.

It is also very drought tolerant.

I like the idea of using several different plants.

One to see which works best and this is pleasing to the eye.

Sunchoke/Jerusalem Artichoke.   It would be a non-woody perennial that would not suck as much water as corn, but would provide a decent wind-break,--and you could eat the tubers to boot!  Not great on shade, but may be good for the other factors.

I Agree with Anne in that biodiversity is essential for the overall health of the garden...

Sunchoke as a wind brake? Not in my area. Every time a severe thunderstorm is predicted, I know more stalks will be leaning. Also, we have a 2 month seasonal drought. We have rain during this time, but the sunchokes turn mostly brown, and yucky.

Dan, how strong are these winds, and does your wife drake need to be attractive?

Also, is space at a premium?

Is no one going to say siberian pea shrub? It's chicken/sheep/goat food, nitrogen fixing, drought tolerant, fast growing, thick growth, and can coppice.

Some other (non-thorny ) possibilities are cotoneaster, mountain mahogany, utah juniper, sumac, false indigo, and one-needlepinyon.

I recommend Goumi berry. If you're doing a mixed hedge aronia and elderberry may also be good choices though the native blue elderberry will try to get big. If you're trying to break up wind I recommend going a bit taller than 3-5 feet

Thanks, I'll try to answer all the questions real quick.

The winds are usually like a good breeze, say 5-10 MPH. We do get high wind events a few times a year up to like 35MPH but theoretically it would blow the break into my garden fence, so there is a little support there.

I would like the break to be somewhat presentable. Not that good looking but at least contained looking if that makes sense.

Space is pretty tight, on one side at least.

Also, the reason I was thinking I could get away with a lowish windbreak is that my garden beds are sunk to be a hair below grade. It's basically a pit with raised beds in it, surrounded by wood chips.

SO... I am liking the idea of Rosemary (although I think my wife is growing a bunch in her flower garden, I'll have to check), and siberian pea shrub has always been interesting to me. The elderberries also. Really there are a bunch of great ideas here. I am thinking about diversifying it but only among the hardier, less water dependent plants. Just because right now I don't need anymore things to keep an eye on!

Hi Dan,

If you could get the soil requirements right--and I see no reason why you couldn't--blueberries might make a wonderful windbreak while being visually attractive and bear fruit all at the same time.  They get a nice, dark, shiny green leaf in the summer that turns somewhere between orange to bright red in the winter.  You can select a variety for your specific growing height.

Just a thought,

Eric

Thanks Eric! I have tried blueberries before and failed. That was in my first year grwoing anything seriously though so I am thinking I could do much better now.

Also, I just found someone giving away free rosemary starts! So I guess they are definitely going in there.

Too bad about your blueberries—they can be pretty site specific—but good luck on your rosemary!

Eric