windbreaks and landscaping for zone 5a

Dorothy Pohorelow wrote:  check your state conservation department.  At least here in Wyoming and Colorado they sell windbreak trees at a much reduced price.  They will also have a list of suitable trees for your location.

Kate Muller wrote:I would look into the various native trees of the Shenandoah mountain range for inspiration.      Eastern Hemlock, sugar maples, and various native oaks could be used.  Add in food producing  trees and support trees in the mix like black walnut, mulberries,  and black locust.  To get production while the trees are growing add fruit and nut shrubs  shrubs like blueberries and American Hazel nuts.   All of these plants grow here in 5a New Hampshire and don't have shallow roots like birch and Eastern white pine.  

Good to know on 5a, thanks so much. The plan I am formulating is to concentrate on multiple semi-circles of fast growing, non-deciduous trees and bushes surrounding  the windiest sides of the house, far enough away to be safe and not block out the sun. We lease out about 30 acres for pastureland and the plan is to continue farming around these 3-4 deep tree swaths. The income on the lease is minimal and the long-range wind effect on the new house is my main concern.

We are in prime hunting country where any animal that moves, in season or out, seems to be shot. And while I do understand the need to keep the deer population down, we like to mostly peacefully coexist with about 2-3 dozen white tail deer, red foxes, the occasional bear, nightly coyotes, the cutest ever cottontail bunnies, and whatever other animals that wonder onto our property for food and sanctuary. Food producing areas like my large garden are fenced in--so far quite successfully. A large, fenced orchard is also being planned and that's where berries and nut trees will need to live if we are to garner any food from them first!

Question: do you have any experience in using the eastern white pine? It just kills me I have hundreds of small saplings at hand but can't use them in this project. Are they usable in a tree break if they were surrounded by stronger trees that could anchor their root system as well as provide protection on the upper tree from snapping off?  That's a theory I think I may try out. We rarely get any kind of wind at all from the east. It just doesn't come from that direction, or we are more protected from that direction since our property is fairly close to the base of the mountains on that side of our narrow valley.

Nancy Reading wrote:Hi Molly,
I can sympathise with your windy winters, 70-90mph is quite normal in winter for us too. We`re much milder though - more like zone 8 or 9 here but without the warm summers. It sounds like you`ve done a lot of thinking about it. For what it`s worth here`s my experience.

Thanks, Nancy, I enjoyed reading your post. Sun is most definitely a factor I want to consider in my windbreak planting. We moved from California to the eastern part of the US and I've worked hard to use a lot of wonderful, warm colors in the house to keep us cozy and happy throughout the damp, windy, snowy winters here. There will be lots of calculating tree height vs possible loss of sunlight into the house. We shocked the locals when we built a house with tons of windows to let the light in. Don't want to lose that light in the future.  

Our wind is not constant, just rather dramatic when it is full on 75-80 mph in winter storms. Worse are the sudden gusts that just slam into the house. Fortunately a very strong, well built house. I do have access to local trees and am exploring that as a first option. This is a very rural area we have chosen to move to with any real civilization an hour to several hours away. But I'm finding there are nurseries tucked away here and there if you search them out. Ironically, we are on mostly flat, almost always green pastureland surrounded by ever continuous tree filled 5,000 ft mountains.  

As far as critter damage, yes, the deer are an issue with that. My husband planted a dozen or more small trees last year as the start of a break. Rarely watered them, planted in a too wet area in the winter, and the deer nibbled away...now he's down to one surviving tree. That's why I'm taking on this project. My plan is to use heavy but loose garden netting attached to metal stakes to surround the trees and bushes until they are of sufficient age to be own their own. Also selecting "deer resistant" ones is my very first criteria. Since we will be eventually blocking out what is known as "the best mountain views in the valley" I want the windbreak to not only be effective, but to look nice with various greens and grays in the trees and reds and yellows in the undergrowth bush area. It will be a real trade off in views as we are enjoying the beautiful autumn colors in the mountains and closer trees on neighboring land right now. I comfort myself with the fact a wind break a windbreak will be a savior to our structures,  peace of mind to the winter winds, and a bit more privacy as we do have neighbors and a well-used road a ways off but still too close for my comfort.  It will be nice to block those out in the years to come.

Yes, your "ramblings" were of use, thanks!  It is wonderful to bounce ideas off others. Windbreaks aren't really needed here as so few people are blessed with the amount of open space and flat land we purchased here. And, I've yet to come across any person or organization who has the knowledge of what is best for our area, or isn't just wanting to sell me whatever they can. So, before next spring planting, I'm gleaning as much information and resources as I can to build a matrix of possible trees and plants...and then cull that down to just a few. Call me silly but I want a cohesive look to the property, not a hodge podge of various types of trees, etc.  I have a 3 ft stack of tree/bush/landscaping/deer and pest resistant books specific to the Mid Atlantic area, or at the least, the eastern side of the U.S.  I'm perusing as well. The thing that is sticking out in my mind is a line in one of them to plant as Mother Nature already has: local trees and plantings, as well as in my case, matching the rolling, round topped various ranges of mountains, rounded pines and firs, rounded oak tree, etc. look...as opposed to the upright Italian cypress one of my neighbors has. I now understand why it looks so incredibly out of place in all the rounded hills, mountains, tree shapes, and leaf shapes here. Am a firm believer the comfort level in and outside your home makes a difference in your own view on life and makes your guests feel so very welcome.

Kate Muller wrote: Have you looked at White Spruce?  https://www.fedcoseeds.com/trees/white-spruce-440