Dwarf Conifers as Screens?

11 years ago

I'm new to conifers, but I'm blown away by some of the beautiful photos that have been posted here on the Conifers forum. Ken, Dave, and others - nice job!

I'd like to try a few here in Georgia zone 7b. I'm thinking of planting a small conifer garden in sunny spot around a backyard fire pit. The trees would serve as a wind screen, a visual screen, and conversation pieces. They'd be at least 12 feet from the fire, so I don't think they'd be in any danger of heat or flames. I'd like to pick some specimens that are fairly unique and interesting, but also reasonably easy to grow and maintain. Oh, and they must be deer resistant. We have lots and lots of deer (though they rarely come into the yard, due to our deer-chasing dog).

Any suggestions?

Comments (6)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
11 years ago
They'd be at least 12 feet from the fire

==>> that depends if you build fire like i do.. or like dad used to.. lol ...

thx for the nice comments ...

i can NOT speak to GA ... nor deer ... my usual suggestion is to find a local arboretum .. or join the ACS and get the directory.. and track down local collectors ... [actually.. do both] ..

all i can show you is my fire saucer.. the see-ment pad.. and distance ... which is less than 4 feet ...

{{gwi:211254}}

do note.. that mine is very close to the house.. and placed in a situation.. wherein.. deer would NEVER come this close to the house ....

so if you are going to design something.. think about a nice seating area close to the house.. you can still have your bonfires way out back ... but i suggest you keep your collection closer ...

there's all kinds of tricks for mail order.. and PROPER planting ... ask and ye shall receive answers ...

good luck .. and do let us help you with the process ...

ken

ps: there is a very exclusive PROPER PLANTING TIME for trees that hold leaves.. needles ... such as conifers.. for me in MI.. its basically the month of april ... if you can NOT get the job done by the right time for GA.. then defer to fall planting ... never forget.. even if you buy something.. it does NOT follow.. that it is the right time to plant it ... its very hard to hold on to needles ... in the heat of summer.. if your roots arent settled in .... in such case.. you would ask how to 'hold over' the plants in their pots.. until the next proper planting season ... oh.. and do you have that famous GA clay ... dealing with that will also be a post for the future ... do not amend your holes ...

pps: on reread.. most of mine, in the picture, are MINI's ... and not much of a wind block .. lol .. link below to primer on CONIFER SIZES ... the key to size estimates.. is the annual growth rate ...

Here is a link that might be useful: link
ritmatt
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks for the advice, Ken.

One of the plants I'm considering is the Dwarf Hinoki. The one pictured is inexpensive ($17.50 for 3 gal), but the cultivar is not defined. 4' tall would be fine, but probably not too much bigger than that.

Thoughts?
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Embothrium
11 years ago
As mentioned previously the suitability of any particular type starts with if it will grow on your site. Are there other Hinoki in nearby plantings, of some age?
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
11 years ago
conifers are trees..

and trees do NOT stop growing at some magical height ...

see link for intro .. pay special attention to the section called CONIFER SIZES ... especially the ANNUAL GROWTH RATE ... aka: growth per year ...

its all about how fast it gets to 4 feet.. and how fast it goes right past ...

and most size ESTIMATES are at 10 years.. and at 20 they will be twice as big ...

you are the first person i ever ran across here.. on GW.. that demands a short screen .. lol ...

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: lik
lou_spicewood_tx
11 years ago
Ken,

Deer do come very close to the house at in laws... Practically walked up the stairs into front porch and ate their potted plants. Heck, I've hand feed two big bucks plenty of times there. They are not even scared of us.
ritmatt
Original Author
11 years ago
Luckily, our deer tend to keep their distance from the dog. Well, at least when they're on the same side of the fence. If they're on the other side of the fence, they tend to taunt him, hanging out just a few feet on the other side. Once, my wife even saw one playing with him, running up and down the fence several times and engaging him. The deer do come into the yard at night sometimes, maybe even often. I haven't lost anything inside the fence to them yet, though.

Ken, yes, you are correct. Of course, all trees grow and grow as long as they are alive. Growth rate is a better way to think of it, but many nursery labels are unclear about growth rates, and many times don't mention growth rates at all. Smartphones and Google help, in this case.

For some reason, dwarf conifers seem to be pretty sparse at the nurseries around here. I even drove across town to a conifer nursery last week, only to find a very limited selection of dwarf anything. Perhaps the thrill of the hunt is supposed to be part of the attraction. But, fishing without ever catching anything gets boring after a while. I hope I can come up with a local source.