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CIR VS. Egyptian Wheat

R

rackhunter

Member
Why do people plant Egyptian wheat for a screen and not plant some type of tall switch grass that will come back year after year? I know there are times when people dont want it there for long term, but if you are trying to create a screen along a road year after year wouldn't it be more sufficent to plant a tall switchgrass? Can you plant CIR only 8 or 10 ft wide or use it in long narrow strips for a screen? I realize the switch will take a couple years to grow but for a long term screen would switch be the way to go?
 
The guy @ Osenbaugh's suggested to mix in some Kanlow switch that gets around 9 feet in height with the CIR switch for my plot screens. It may not be as tall as EW but it was easier and cheaper for me to plant once for several yrs rather than keep planting every year. Everyone has their own opinion on what is best for their land and budget.
 
The best screen is red cedars bar none...and I use Egyptian wheat in most cases as an interim annual screen until the cedars reach a height and width that provides full screening.

On most upland soils here in Iowa native grasses will not get tall enough to create a screen that poachers cannot shoot over from a truck. Egyptian Wheat will but I guess it depends on what you want the screen for?

Kanlow is adapted to low wet soils so again it may never reach advertised heights on upland soils and in fact may not do well at all and even then may take 2-3 years to mature.

Lot's of things to consider and no one answer for everyone but in most cases...switchgrass screens are a poor alternative....;)
 
Paul: How many years does it generally take for the cedars to work effectively as a screen? How big are the cedars when you plant them?

many thanks
 
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