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screening around a pond

hillrunner

hillrunner

PMA Member
I had a new pond built this summer. Thinking towards next spring I would like to do quite a bit of screening to hide it from the road. I like Hybrid willows but what I have read leads me to believe they are a poor choice to use on the dam due to aggressive root systems.
Is there a fast growing tree or brush that would be more suited for planting on the dam? I would be planting them roughly 35' away from the water on the opposite side of the dam.
 
Not a direct answer to your question...but something for you to consider while your permanent visual barrier is growing perhaps...

I have used Egyptian Wheat as an annual visual barrier for several years now with fair to good success, but I also tried white proso millet this year and was very impressed with how well, and how tall, it grew. I will be using it again next year. So you may want to consider that as an option for a year or two while you get a more permanent thing started.
 
hillrunner said:
If grass, or EW/millet like Daver suggested are my only options, that will work ok. Any idea how far away from the dam I would have to stay to safely use willows?
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IMO willows will definitely spread somewhat aggressively...BUT...if you can mow them off once a year, etc, I would think that you could keep them off your dam if you maintained, say, a 15 foot barrier...'ish. :D
 
This is 3 year old miscanthus giganteus. It will fill in solid and is used to screen me from the deer in the woods when crossing to a stand.
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Yeah, Giant Miscanthus is one of the taller grasses that can work for screening. Unlike some, it also clumps, so don't have to worry about it spreading. By spring, it may look pretty ratty, fallen over some with snow and wind, but in summer and at this time of the year, looks pretty thick and cool with the plumes on top right now. Using trees or shrubs, would want to keep off top of the dam and also the whole run of the backside of the dam, so would depend what space is below all that for installing woody plants.
 
How high did
Daver said:
Not a direct answer to your question...but something for you to consider while your permanent visual barrier is growing perhaps...

I have used Egyptian Wheat as an annual visual barrier for several years now with fair to good success, but I also tried white proso millet this year and was very impressed with how well, and how tall, it grew. I will be using it again next year. So you may want to consider that as an option for a year or two while you get a more permanent thing started.
Click to expand...

How tall did the millet get?
 
hillrunner said:
How high did

How tall did the millet get?
Click to expand...

8'-10' tall, very impressive stuff, I will definitely be planting it again. I still do struggle though with millet/milo plantings in two main ways.

#1. I routinely have ridiculous weed competition in some areas of my milo/millet plot(s)/screen(s). But where I am able to defeat the weeds, I get super growth in the milo/millet. I need some sort of serious herbicide management, as I pretty much have none other than killing the sod/brome prior to tilling. I pretty much till the soil to incorporate the healthy amount of urea that I put down and then either broadcast or drill in the hard little millet/milo seeds. These plantings are usually in late May/early June...when IMO there is maximum seasonal potential for weed competition. So they look beautiful at the time of planting, but a few weeks later I often have crazy competition from foxtail/pigweed/whatever.

#2. I also think I need to prepare a firmer seedbed after tilling, but before planting. My opinion is that after tilling only, I have relatively "fluffy" soil and I think that aids weed growth.

But where it grows well...it grows super well. I just need to get dialed in on the points above so I have a consistent stand, not a sporadic one. I watched a covey of quail running around underneath some of this tall millet last weekend...they seemed to really like it.
 
Personally I would plant a row of Techny Arborvitae for fast growth and optimum blockage. On the inside you can then plant some trees that take a bit more time to grow, but give a permanent blockage at a mature height such as a Spruce. Plus you will have no issues with leaves or seeds falling into the pond which over time will accumulate on the bottom thus creating more "muck" on the bottom of the pond.
 
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