Hello there. Looking for suggestions - need summer visual screening for approx. 500 linear feet, 10-12 feet high in Kelowna area (dry summers+winters, temp +35 to minus 15). No irrigation available. Very sandy soil. Pines being currently decimated by the beetle. Any suggestions? Thank you!
If you have no irrigation, the only plants I can think of, which will do the trick, are junipers. They are growing wild in the southern interior right there where the dry grassy slopes rise into the treed areas. I once planted about 80 of these wild ones, covering an area in my property in Kamloops. Once they have rooted properly, they will survive and thrive on only natural rainfall, but it may take a decade or more before they reach your specified height. To help them establish without irrigation, it might be a good idea to plant them in fall, when the roots have a chance to develop and they then get a better start with the springtime moisture. I do not know if cultivated junipers will withstand the climate without irrigation, but the betting is they will too.
Thank you very much. Kelowna (off the lake) is 5b, I believe. Our property has hundreds of pine trees, currently being decimated by the beetle. I will have to replace hundreds of trees. I was hoping to plant some small ponderosa pines - is there a wholesaler in the area? It has been suggested to plant liliacs and caragana trees - any experience? Norway spruce might survive after being occasionally watered the first 2-3 years...? Where does one go for an expert advice around here (Kelowna)? Thanks anyone! PP
Here is a list of nurseries in BC, providing forest seedlings: http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/nursery/extensn/BCDirectory.htm
You'll probably need a lot of patience. I might take three years, before anybody will notice, that there is a small tree, where you planted the seedlings. The forestry people will also be able to advice you, if there is any point of planting new trees, before the pine beetles have moved out of the area, though I believe they feed mostly on the lodge pole pines. In your OP you seemed to indicate, that you just wanted a privacy screen. That would cost you about about 120 plants for 500 feet, providing you select a species of juniper, which grows as high as it grows wide. Wal-Mart here sold those things for $7 to 8.- in 1 gallon pots, last time I checked, for a total of $1,000.- plus replacements, because with lack of irrigation, they may not all take. You might be better off to wait 'til fall, for a better chance at rooting and get some stock directly from some nursery. That will also be a long term project, before you will have an effective screen.
I appreciate the advice. I believe that pine beetle does not attack seedlings. Many o four very small pines are being left untouched. I am also investigating deciduous trees. Black hawthorne seems to be resilient (slow growing) screen tree. I have a couple of junipers (naturally seeded and not irrigated) and they are really slow growers... I am thinking of visiting the research station in Summerland...any value in that? PP
That is probably an excellent idea! They specialize in local flora research. I have never attempted to contact them for advice, so I do not know how approachable they are for 'retail' consultation. You might be well advised to contact them first with your problem by email or phone.
Try to toss some fertilizer at one of them and see if that makes a difference in comparison to the other. I fertilized and irrigated the transplanted wild ones. They did grow faster and more densely than those on 'free range', but still required lots of patience. ;)
I'm just a little south of you and have carriganas in sandy dry soil but they are growing slowly. You might try some tall grasses (Miscanthus or Calamagrostis are nice) until your trees are larger. ps: the plant sale at the Research station is very worth while, go very early.
You just missed it, it was at the end of April. If you check their website (http://www.summerlandornamentalgardens.org/) the next one will be posted. Toni at Grasslands Nursery in Trout Creek is also a very good resource for information and local and drought resistant plants.
Norway spruce aren't very drought resistant. You'll be better off with pines or junipers for evergreen screening. Check out High Country Gardens shrub list. It's a great way to find plants adapted (for the most part) to your climate. Don't know if they'll ship to Canada but even then, it might be easier to source plants closer to home. Think about New Mexico privet, Western Mock Orange species, Silver Buffalo berry, or Ocean Spray.
Hi: Thanks for the tip. As a logger's daughter (he actually has spent more time behind a grader that chopping them down) He often explained to me the suitability of species in verious climate regions. I was taught to look for the trees that are more suitable for this regions. Anyone who wants to plant cedar hedges should really seriously think about how much water and time they want to invest. Mock Ock Orange is the speicies that interest me at this moment for next years planting. Thanks to all.
In dry summers with no irrigation you will have to plant in fall to have much hope of success. And if it possible to mulch after planting that could make quite a difference to results obtained. "Based on our findings, we believe that all restoration sites, but especially those receiving no supplemental water, should be mulched. A thick layer of organic mulch will help retain the soil moisture crucial for plant survival while also reducing growth of weeds that compete for needed resources. The mulch will also help to reduce soil erosion, provide organic matter to the plants and soil organisms, and moderate soil temperatures. These benefits, combined with other good management practices, can improve the success and survival of restoration sites while reducing the need for costly after care." http://www.puyallup.wsu.edu/~Linda Chalker-Scott/FactSheets/Mulch fact sheet.pdf
