Taking care of pines

[PickettSFHunter]

I need to plant a lot of pines around my house to screen the incoming Californians and Yankees out. Some will be in pasture, others on old building pads. Due to this being around the house I want them to be well maintained until they get some size. In the past, I've just bushhogged pine rows but this will be too many to take care of like that. Is there a spray I can spray directly over pines to control the weeds? Something I can get easily. Thank you

 

[Bell3wv]

If you haven't bought them yet, check out thuja evergreens. Fast growing and tall.

 

[PickettSFHunter]

If you haven't bought them yet, check out thuja evergreens. Fast growing and tall.

I'm familiar but we are talking a mass planting of 1000 plus trees here.

 

[squackattack]

If you plant loblolly, look up arsenal( imazapr). You could plant shortleaf but you have to wait longer to use the herbicide.

 

[nwsg76]

Imazapic can be used for loblolly.
If planting other species...grass selective herbicide can be used on grasses. Forb selective can sometimes be used.
But easy way is to be careful with the herbicide and don't get it on the tree. Then glyphosate can be used if careful to not get on leaves, that is really effective and easier once pines get about 3 years old.

 

[Bell3wv]

I'm familiar but we are talking a mass planting of 1000 plus trees here.

You said "screen" not plantation

 

[bigjohn]

I think Fusilade 2 is safe for pines. I used a plastic drain pipe about 4' long to set over each one then sprayed roundup. After the got about 18"-2' tall I never covered them and had no issues.

 

[Boll Weevil]

Shortleaf might be a little better than lobs if you get ice regularly but both will work.

 

[MickThompson]

Imazapic can be used for loblolly.
If planting other species...grass selective herbicide can be used on grasses. Forb selective can sometimes be used.
But easy way is to be careful with the herbicide and don't get it on the tree. Then glyphosate can be used if careful to not get on leaves, that is really effective and easier once pines get about 3 years old.

Pic or pyr? Maybe both?

 

[Carlos]

If I had that kind of acerage I'd check with some of the timber companies. They might be able to work with you after you explain what you'd like. Maybe they could plant 3 or 4 different cycles of trees, just for the pulp wood.

It's worth checking on IMO. They may even pay for using the land.

 

[nwsg76]

Pic or pyr? Maybe both?

Good catch on that typo...Mick. imazapyr is loblolly pine friendly for weed control.

 

[BSK]

They use a TON of Imazapyr down in the Deep South pine plantations.

 

[MickThompson]

If you are wanting a visual screen I would stagger fast growing loblolly with a slower growing pine like white or **gasp** Virginia pine and lay off the weed control once you get them established.

 

[BSK]

If you are wanting a visual screen I would stagger fast growing loblolly with a slower growing pine like white or **gasp** Virginia pine and lay off the weed control once you get them established.

Excellent advice. Biggest problem with using loblolly as a screen is how fast they will grow beyond the screen stage.

This loblolly is one we planted as a bare-root seedling just three years ago.

 

[PickettSFHunter]

If you are wanting a visual screen I would stagger fast growing loblolly with a slower growing pine like white or **gasp** Virginia pine and lay off the weed control once you get them established.

The screen im planning is really more of "blocks" of pines. Very wide screen These Yankees and Californians that tend to move here are not what you want as neighbors typically. I don't want to see any of that crap at all and I don't want them seeing in. I haven't taken any measurements yet but probably as much as 15-20 rows of pines in places. I guess my concern with not spraying is that these pastures will overtake Pines quick. A lot of giant ragweed, Johnson grass, milkweed, etc that gets tall. My hope is to just drive down rows with a sprayer to maintain until the pines get up high enough. I've taken care of this property for deer for years now but that is essentially gone with the development going on. Just got this house done on the farm a year ago and was very isolated but here they come. I already have some smaller screens of loblolly pitch hybrids that have done well but they were easier to manage being in just 2 rows. I've done a lot white pine transplanting as well and really like those!

 

[MickThompson]

The screen im planning is really more of "blocks" of pines. Very wide screen These Yankees and Californians that tend to move here are not what you want as neighbors typically. I don't want to see any of that crap at all and I don't want them seeing in. I haven't taken any measurements yet but probably as much as 15-20 rows of pines in places. I guess my concern with not spraying is that these pastures will overtake Pines quick. A lot of giant ragweed, Johnson grass, milkweed, etc that gets tall. My hope is to just drive down rows with a sprayer to maintain until the pines get up high enough. I've taken care of this property for deer for years now but that is essentially gone with the development going on. Just got this house done on the farm a year ago and was very isolated but here they come. I already have some smaller screens of loblolly pitch hybrids that have done well but they were easier to manage being in just 2 rows. I've done a lot white pine transplanting as well and really like those!

Sounds like you need honey locust and bodock instead of pine blocks