way too big..

look to Thuja occidentalis DE GROOT'S SPIRE ....

here is a pic of mine .... about 12 feet tall .. and only 2 feet wide.. insure you buy ONLY single leader plants ... they will grow about a foot per year .... and they root rather freely ... even under lights ... in winter ...

ken, who is not speaking in the third person now...

do you see the secondary leader that had to be cut out???? snow load is not really an issue.. but it wont stay 2 feet wide with such ....
{{gwi:211252}}

Here is a link that might be useful: link

i would look for plants in this size.. and this price range ...

BUT I KNOW NOTHING about this seller ... just a reference..

and to save on shipping .. i would have them un-pot them.. and knock off most the soil .. and send them by 4/1 .. DORMANT ... they are arbs.. near bullet proof.. and you have enough experience to do with them.. what must be done ..... even bare root ... [or sooner if they are greenhouse grown.. but still dormant.. easier to hold them.. than to get them in active growth ...

i THINK .. but am not sure.. that perhaps dax has recommended this seller ... he can chime in ...

ken

PS: frank is a hosta nut.. who has every square inch of his suburban lot filled with garden ... right to the front curb.. he has no room for anything.. let alone a serbian.. he seems to have forgotten to mention such ....

Here is a link that might be useful: link

Wind isn't too bad down here in the river valley. I'm pretty well protected on all sides by houses. I have a row of "emerald green" arbs that have done fine (no browning) after 5 years (planted from 1 gallon pots).

I just feel that the front (where these are going) is too open, not a lot of privacy. Every time i'm out in my driveway, I can feel people watching me!

One thing I'm not addressing is growth rate, which I believe Thuja would be able to attain screen size much faster then a spruce?

oh carp .. you arent franknjim from the hosta forum ...

sorry .. coffee buzz .... vibrating franks all over the place ...

all you guys have to do.. is leave out my PS on the replay above .... unless he lives a parallel life with hosta frank ...

anyway.. check link for MATURE serbian spruce.. and decide if they will actually fit in your space.. and understand that height estimates are at 10 years.. and at 20 they will be twice as big.. etc ... they will never stop growing ... up nor out ..

and they will love the sand.. if you keep them properly watered for the first 2 years ... free range after that ...

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link

If you like the species look into Picea omorika 'Bruns'as a narrower choice. You can stagger them slightly to maintain the 12' wide requirement. This screening would be a bit less formal than Thuja.

Or Picea abies 'Cupressina'.

Dave

{{gwi:641802}}

Here is a link that might be useful: Picea a. 'Cupressina'

Picea omorika 'pendula' will be smaller than straight spieces, with seedling you may have a variation in size between each tree. I have picea omorika 'pendula' that are 20' tall and only 5' wide they are 20 yrs old. How about Chamaecyparis nootkatensis 'Green arrow'?

well.. i am still embarrassed.. lol ...

but his plot still remains 10 feet wide.. and he states he wants to start with small seedlings .. which i read as minor investment ..

and a lot of these suggestions are for very expensive grafts of cultivar trees ...

perhaps the best suggestions is 10 de groots ... with named cultivars in between .. something like this, with D as de groots and N as named cultivar:

D - D - D - N - D - D - N - D - D - N - D - D - D

13 plants over 30 feet ... which might a couple too many .... so lop off two degroots at each end ... and dont forget.. they dont all have to be on the same line.. set the 3 named ones.. 2 feet closer into the yard ... no one said a sight block need be planted right on the property line ...

i do like his gut feeling to diversify ... and i would like to entice a new collector of cultivars .... but if he wants cheap in volume.. he is going to have to go mail order ...

and the suggested placement.. will diversify [presuming they are not all arbs] ... have some formality.. and frankly.. look pleasant.. nothing bugs me more than a formal line of all the same thing ...

i think i redeemed myself.. lol

ken

Thanks for the suggestions/thoughts/comments.

I'm pretty sure I'm going to order (10 of each) both Serbian Spruce and some Hetz arbs... I'll figure out then what I'll do :0 and give whatever extra to my cheap*** brother who seems to always take my tree leftovers.

From this thread, it sounds like the spruce may be slow growing, depending on water. I'm a watering maniac, so if they need water, I can get them plenty.

Gardenweb discussion

Some nice pictures in that thread.

Ken -- I know nothing about conifers (well -- i can tell a spruce from a pine from a cedar) but WHAT is that amazing weeping drooping showstopper to the right in your photo?
That is an amazing tree!
Jan

hi jan.. that is a larix.. otherwise known to monty pyton fans as.. THE LARCH

i think resin is interviewed at the link ... in his younger days ...

it has absolutely no inclination to grow upwards.. and must be trained to height .. and when you hit the limit of your ability to go higher.. such as my 6 foot stake.. it goes back down ...

it is sold under two names .. larix decidua pendula.. and l. kampheri pendula ... [not spell checking this morn]

it is deciduous in winter.. and is really cool nudey ...

you might find a link on my pruning of one.. a page or so down .... it was even further to the right.. but not in this pic ...

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: is there anything you cant find on utube????

Thanks Ken, it is a really interesting specimen. Luckily you have two -- I yelled NOOOOO when you pruned the other one.

Sorry Frank -- no comments about Serbian Spruce!
Jan

I have been thinking for a while of adding a few de Groots Spires and after seeing Ken's picture I ordered 3 small ones from Evergreen Nursery in TN. I have never ordered from them before. I received a lengthy email from Darren @ Evergreen asking if I wanted these shipped right away or if I wanted to delay until warmer weather.

I know nothing else about them, but based on this experience I feel I did not make a mistake in trying them out.

Jon

Here is a link that might be useful: Evergreen Nursery