Buck Hollow Sporting Goods - click or touch to visit their website Midwest Habitat Company

hybrid trees

Reit38

Member
i purchased a small acreage last fall (just under 2 acres) i am wanting to plant a windbreak of pines/spruce but missed out on the availability for the year through the state nursery so i am looking at hybrid willows or hybrid poplar this year just to get something going for the time being and establish the northern border due to not having a fence and crop field behind me.

my plan was to let the hybrids grow for a few years and then cutting them down once the pine/spruce get established and growing. my property is only 200 ft wide so i wouldnt be planting that many and using the rest as a screen on a different hunting property

i know there are pros and cons to hybrid trees but im looking for real life experience with either tree. i also cant seem to find a definite answer on if they are invasive or not.
 
Last edited:
What is the goal of your windbreak...just blocking wind, or do you want wildlife in it, etc...

Ok, I re-read you want some wildlife.

This is what I would do:

2 rows of conifers--possibly 3 row
1 or 2 rows of swamp bur oak hybrids, grow fast and early acorns
Maybe a row or two of Chokecherry/Plum or crabapple
 
The hybrids would be more of a windbreak till the pines grow up 10ft or so and become established. Then take them out. I plan on running 2 rows of pines next year. I don't see this being our forever home, maybe 10yrs or so. Our home sits on top of a hill and always has a nasty wind no matter what
 
Hybrid poplars have some issues, but they may work in your case. They need to be watered. Just me, but I'd look at a variety of yard trees, like maple, hackberry or even oak. If watered they will grow fast.

Poplar breaks off limbs as they get older,
 
From what I've gathered the poplar seems to be the weaker of the 2 and more prone to disease
dcgdb7.png

dcgdb7.png

Here is a pic of the property. I plan on planting 1 row of red dogwood on west and east side. The 1 row of hybrid willow on North side. Then next year planting 2 rows of pines spruce on the west and north side. North would be up on the pic
 
If you drive through N iowa or ag-land iowa (most the state).... Look by any newer acreage, willows mostly. Grow fast and they don't seem to spread (could be wrong). Then, go look around interstates, highways on what DNR or road folks planted, you'll see groves of dead poplars, pretty sure that's what they are. Hardwood is right, and especially right if that's what I'm noticing while I see dead and dying diseased trees at 75mph while I glance. Willows "Appear" to always be pretty healthy. The only tree I saw spread badly, man, I gotta think back..... It's almost a poplar, cottonwood, aspen looking tree with almost a "fuzzy tint" to the leaves. Like a velvet shiny coat on them. It's on top of my tongue and back in my brain BUT..... Look around those trees and there will be new trees coming up EVERYWHERE. I still doubt it's as invasive as stuff like: black locust, chinese elm, Autumn olive, etc. BigfootWillows will get on here and set the record straight on this topic. Hold tight! :)
*side note, when looking at pines of any type, look around some state game or pine planted areas, Iowa is not the friendliest place for pines. Disease can be bad or something killing them (even climate, soil type, whatever) if they get past the deer. Cedars are only conifer I'd personally do.
 
From what I've gathered the poplar seems to be the weaker of the 2 and more prone to disease
dcgdb7.png

dcgdb7.png

Here is a pic of the property. I plan on planting 1 row of red dogwood on west and east side. The 1 row of hybrid willow on North side. Then next year planting 2 rows of pines spruce on the west and north side. North would be up on the pic

Are those ag fields around your place? If so, I would be potentially concerned about over spray/wind drift from adjacent farming operations. I would hate for you to make a splurge and plant a nice wind break that is later compromised by unintentional over spray. Even if the neighboring farmer is conscientious, the task of spraying is often hired out and I have seen a couple of scenarios where a planting adjacent to an ag field got accidentally hit by herbicide drifted by wind, etc.
 
I quit pines years ago. Only red cedar now. Tried loblolly-pitch pine but deer eat it to nothing. Different hybrid poplar. Tall skinny dies after mature. Check out Big Rock trees.
 
We have willows in our yard, I assume planted for wind breaks, on the north and west sides as we have a crop field wrapping around our place as well. They don't block much wind, but there are only 5 on each side. Used to be more, but a few were cut. This was before we moved in, so I'm not sure if it was due to sick/dying trees or someone just didn't like the trees so close (every other one cut in one row). Ours are probably 25-30' tall, and the trunks have been kept trimmed of any new growth at the bottom for mowing purposes. I'm sure if they were planted close, let the trunks bush out, and more of them, they would work better for blocking wind. I like them for the shade. I hate them for the sticks they shed during the fall/winter/early spring, or whenever the wind blows. I usually pick up enough sticks in the spring to fill a 6'x6'x6' cube, but I like to get all the little sticks too. I've had a couple 8-10" branches come down in heavy winds, but that has been rare. I haven't noticed them spreading in the yard. One or two in the road ditch, but I don't know if those were from our trees. We also have some sort of elm tree in the yard, and that thing will definitely spread.
 
Top Bottom