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Cedars vs pine vs spruce

LoessHillsArcher

LoessHillsArcher

PMA Member
I'm still to the point where this dismal deer heard has me motivated to stick more time and money to improve our farms and hopefully see things turn around. Sure is a kick in the pants seeing all the previous work get wiped out basically by EHD and deer wandering across the fence. Makes me scratch my head why they'd want to leave but whatever we do they seem to still want to follow old habits and get shot at across the fence. :rolleyes:

So thinking about getting into tree planting again. Haven't done any tree planting for while. Looking to make some evergreen bedding areas. Cedars grow like weeds around here, they're fine until they get too thick. Is there any benefit to planting pines or spruce as opposed to cedar? I'd be doing a mix of evergreen and shrubs. No hardwoods in this planting... ok, maybe a scattered bur oak in there.
 
I have planted everything and the only time they mess with Cedars is if it’s a real bad winter, they’ll nip the tops of them, but after that, they do fine as long as you keep them from getting out of control. Pines grow quick, but you have to cage them and they’ll still eat every limb they can get spruces will have to be caged as well. I’m afraid to see how much money I spent on rebar woven wire and tree tubes in the last 15 years I’ve gone with all cedars lately. Never fails whatever tree you don’t protect will eventually get rubbed or chewed on.
 
Butch973 said:
I have planted everything and the only time they mess with Cedars is if it’s a real bad winter, they’ll nip the tops of them, but after that, they do fine as long as you keep them from getting out of control. Pines grow quick, but you have to cage them and they’ll still eat every limb they can get spruces will have to be caged as well. I’m afraid to see how much money I spent on rebar woven wire and tree tubes in the last 15 years I’ve gone with all cedars lately. Never fails whatever tree you don’t protect will eventually get rubbed or chewed on.
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I know what you mean about trying to keep these deer alive and they’re too dumb to not cross the fence and meet their demise but it is what it is as long as it’s done legally. I have noticed that some of my 10 to 12 year-old white spruce have started turning yellow and dying. I don’t know if that’s just a natural mortality thing or something that’s gonna take them all out. Another reason I’ve switched to doing all red cedars.
 
LOOKS are about the only benefit to spruce & pine IMO. Maybe another benefit to certain pines is their speed of growth. It would be nice to grow tons of white pines so one could cut rubbing posts later.

Downsides of spruce & pine above are spot on. Cage em. Watch em. Protect em. All things u don’t have to do with cedars for the most part. Our soil, climate & region are not ideal pine range either. I think NE iowa gets some pine but need to get into MN & WI for ideal pine range. Disease will be more prevalent down here.
IMO - I’d do all cedars except for a few areas I want to change the looks of it or get some trees for other benefits. Otherwise- end of day- a cedar will do everything a pine or spruce will without the challenges.
 
They love to eat white pine needles when they are young. Will eat and rub on young ones like crazy. Great winter food for them and they love to just hang out in them when they start to get some size. They grow fast as well if protected.
 
Itasca Greenhouse in Minnesota also has cedar plugs ! The survival is great, easy to plant !

They have a minimum $250 order …
 
I have planted about 100 Norway Spruce in SE MN and havent caged them and they seem to be doing pretty well (minus the few I mowed down). Got the 24 to 36" variety from Yellow River Nursery. I have another 200 coming this year. Seem to grow decently fast. I would transplant more cedar, but worried about cedar rust with my apples.
 
I believe any road ditch right of way in iowa there free for the taking to dig up and transplant all you want!! Save the county from having to cut them down later!!

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Another vote for cedars. They are ugly as sin compared to spruce, but the deer leave them alone so I’m going to transplant some this year. My spruce plantings have been a massive failure due to testy, ornery bucks tearing the heck out of them.
 
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