Acreage Trees

[B-radshaw]

Any recommendations for some faster growing trees to put on a new acreage?

[Okotok]

Fast growing usually means shorter lives. Poplar, Laurel leaf willow and Caragana (if your'e looking for a windbreak). From 30 to 60 years lifespan.

[JeanCretien]

If you can get the Canadian government shelter belt programs old website it has very good information. Too bad they sacked the program few years back. We planted 150000 trees from them over the years. The free trees are gone but the website still worked last I checked.


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[covey ridge]

Of all the trees on my place, the poplars have grown the fastest.

25 years later, of all the trees on my place, the ones I wish I had less of are the poplars.

[ghfalls]

I planted a bunch of Assiniboine poplar that I got from boreal horticultural services in 2009. I used a skid steer and drilled a 36” deep hole for each tree then filled the holes with screened topsoil. I fertilized and watered for th3 first few years and the growth was absolutely amazing. Within within 6 years they were as tall as the power lines and now at 9 years, they are taller than the lines and getting thicker every year. They have a website and are based out of bonnyville.

[HunterDave]

Manitoba Maple

[expedition]

I have a choke cherry tree . Planted 12 years ago it's like a weed .

[ronkaren]

cottonwoods and river bottom poplars grow fast.

[Red Bullets]

For fencelines and a low windbreak even though it is seasonal hemp grows really fast. You can have a dense 6 to 14 foot tall stand along a fence in a few months. Grows great in Alberta too.

[josey]

I agree with the poplar comments. Caragana doesn't have a short lifespan though. You can coppice them and they last forever. If you want something more showy go with lilacs. Any willow will grow rather fast but needs moisture and should be planted away from foundations and pipelines (sewer etc.).
Conifers are slow but have benefits.

I opt for a mix of a lot of different trees and shrubs. You will get different use out of them. Look up treetime.ca for a reasonable priced option if you want seedlings to start with. They also post information on shelterbelt planting etc.

Also, don't forget fruit trees. Edible is always great, cherry and apple also make nice wood for smoking. You can grow them from seed yourself if you are patient. Again, a good mix of them all is my preferred way to go.

[Big Grey Wolf]

Russian poplar were one of fastest growing trees, check with Alpac mill in Athabasca they are planting fast growing polar on farm land as future feed for
world scale pulp mill.

[curtis_rak]

A lot depends on your soil type and drainage. In my well drained areas I’ve planted a bunch of white pine. They grow fast; 12-20” per year. I plant a few every year because I can’t stand not seeing some green in the wintertime. Poplars etc are fine, but come wintertime everything is completely barren.

In the slightly moister areas I have some Siberian larch. Consistently grow 2’ per year. And they look awesome in the fall. But again, go bare for the winter.

Wetter areas I have diamond willows, paper birch and griffin poplar. All grow fast.

The slow growers are any spruce without a doubt. 6-8” per year we seem to get.


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[Moosetalker]

Don't forget Saskatoon cultivars for fruit trees in shelter-belt plantings also.

Another downside to willow species is their proclivity to dropping twigs and even whole branches in cold and or windy conditions . lots of extra work pruning dead wood and picking up deadfall in spring. Running over the fallen branches is tough on mower blades.

[MountainTi]

One of the fastest growing? Swedish aspen/towering poplar. Good for tree rows or lining driveways. Plant close together

[dmcbride]

Lodgepole pine is a good choice and stays green in the winter.

[sharpstick]

This is a great question as I am looking for more trees to plant as well.
My acerage soil is quite poor, very rocky/pitrun under the surface. We have many spruce trees in the front yard but would like to plant some trees along property line (about 300-400 feet) and then more fruit and nice trees in the back yard. The moose and deer have had their way with many that we have planted so I think I am going to have to cage anything new that I plant. We also have a low spot with a pond that has some willows that seem to do well there. the water soaks away fairly quick because of the rocky subsoil. Anyway, keep the tips coming guys, and places to get bulk orders. I would like to start with bigger trees to begin with, haven't had much luck with the little twigs as starters.

Cheers,
SS

[Smokinyotes]

28 years ago I planted laurel leaf willows. About 25 years ago I started regretting planting them. Every time the wind blows the yard is full of branches, the eavestroughs are always full of leaves. This coming winter they are going to meet mr. chainsaw.

If I had to do it over I would just plant spruce and pine.

[B-radshaw]

Thanks for the tips everyone! I have some homework to do!

[Bigrib]

Sea Buckthorn is good for a shelterbelt .

The berries can be eaten and sold , make a tea from it too .

http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex1007

http://naturalsociety.com/23-health-...miracle-berry/

[Jack Hardin]

Originally Posted by Smokinyotes

28 years ago I planted laurel leaf willows. About 25 years ago I started regretting planting them. Every time the wind blows the yard is full of branches, the eavestroughs are always full of leaves. This coming winter they are going to meet mr. chainsaw.

If I had to do it over I would just plant spruce and pine.

I did exactly the same thing 30 yrs ago and regretted it ever since. We cut down 13 of them so far. They make good firewood as they are almost a hardwood.

Whatever you do, do not plant Laurel Leaf willows as you will curse and swear every time the wind blows.

[silver]

If you are going to plant an evergreen, go pine. On my acreage there were a couple of rows of spruce, the carragana got into it and choked out the spruce. The pine has a tap root and will take dry weather better.

[Mister Bee]

have a look at treetime.ca I have ordered from there a few times and have been very happy. Just finished planting 330 trees last week.

[Bigrib]

It's good to see so much interest in tree planting .

My Uncle had a farm in southern Alberta with caraganas around the home area they gave shelter and nesting areas to many birds , he had a dugout and a pond which he slowly filled in . Then he retired and sold the farm to the Hutterites who removed the trees , filled in the dugout , everything gone , just a field where mono-cropping is done .

All those pot holes on the prairie made it a paradise for birds , now the vast majority of the small wet lands in southern alberta are gone .