Geographic location?

Unless you're growing carrots or potatoes, rocks are not much of a problem. In some cases they can be an asset. Contour the ground so they are no puddles unless you want a pond, then make a big puddle.
If you're looking to get off the grid, make your lawn as small as possible. In that case, it's wasted space.
Oh, and don't shade the winter sun from your house.
Mike....borderline 7pm ;-)

Here is pic of part of the birm. It runs about 100 feet along back of cleared lot. The big rock that you see is approximately the back corner of house that we plan to build. On the left of the picture is a running brook that never goes dry......it just babbles away. We have some small Eastern red cedars that we could transplant to the birm. There is a right-of-way that runs behind birm so trucks, four-wheelers, and snowmobiles run through there. We are looking for privacy and sound barrier. Looking at possibly getting more red cedars and with the transplanted cedars plant them in a "Z" pattern or "V" pattern on top of the birm. The house should be far enough away so as to not be blocked by the cedars for our winter sun. Thoughts?

Sorry for the typo....birm is about 400 ft long. It extends along the back of the lot up to a stand of blue spruces. Not worried so much about growing in rocks but there is very little dirt to plant anything in. We are still thinking of trying the Eastern red cedar trees. Comments?

Eastern Red (Juniper) "Cedar" is going to take forever to give you privacy. I don't know how much width you can allow for whatever you decide upon, but these would be my choices:

1. Picea abies (Norway spruce)
2. Abies balsamea var. phanerolepis
3. Picea omorika (if Norway spruce or Canaan fir would become too wide)

Pines- don't use. For screening purposes they lose their lower branches when they are shaded out while the spruce and fir won't. And do not use Picea pungens (Colorado spruce). I understand there is already in place a row of them. These like (pines) will not keep their lower foliage in your New York climate. And ultimately they will become diseased, as-well... resulting in thin-foliaged, specimens.

Definitely Norway spruce if you have the space.

Dax

Thank you for your suggestions regarding the Norway Spruce ( Picea abides) and the Abies balsamea var. phanerolepsis and the picea omorika. We do have lots of room for the spread of the picea abides. I appreciate you taking the time to answer my post! Thank you.

Eastern Red Cedar thrive on rocky hilltops,wedged in between rocks. You see Pitch pine (pinus rigida) a lot growing in similar locations.

I understand white spruce and black spruce do well on hilltops, but have limited experience with them. I recently read a study that claimed White spruce outgrow Norway Spruce on ridges...but Norway Spruce are the prettier tree.

Do you have space for a double row of a couple different types of trees with differing growth rates? You could plant Eastern Red Cedar, American Holly, hemlock, arbor vitae or spruce along one side of the ridge to fill in the view after the fast growing pines lose their lower branches...

You don't want a monoculture, because then if a disease wipes that type of tree out, you have nothing.

Does the area get a lot of road salt or wind? Any problems with wooly adelgid or bark beetles in your area?

This post was edited by edlincoln on Tue, Dec 30, 14 at 16:55

Yes the area will get quite a lot of wind but not so much road salt. I found that the juniperous virginian (Red Cedar) is not good to plant near Apple trees so that is ruled out as we have an orchard on the other side of the brook. I am strongly considering the abies balsamea var. phanerolepsis (Canaan Fir). It is a beautiful conifer and just the right height and spread I need for the space as well as the growth rate and ability to tolerate various soil conditions and is fairly disease resistant. We may also try some slower growing shrub at the base of the birm to add some color and variety. We have thought about the Ilex opaca (American Holly). I have had a good experience with growing this in the past. Thank you for taking the time to post. I appreciate any help with this. I am new to the world of trees and it is great to have experienced people to provide educated suggestions and advice. I am having fun learning the scientific names.....now I have to just learn a way to memorize and remember them!

It is a beautiful conifer and just the right height and spread I need for the space

==>>> conifers are trees ..

as such.. they NEVER stop growing ...

so you can not 'fit' them into a given space.. FOREVER ...

all have a somewhat predictable annual growth rate ... and using such.. you can predict how large they will become.. in 20 .. 30.. 50 years ...

i am happy you are avoided the juniper .. i hate them ...

what ed said on not planting all of one thing ...

you county soil conservation district office .. MIGHT sell plants ... google that term with your county name.. or tell us your county ... they will also list trees applicable to your area ...

and do understand .... that blocking the site line back there.. does NOT have to be limited ... to planting JUST out back there ... a nice landscaping... is not a straight line.. on the property line.. so depending on what you need the future lawn for... plant some things in between ...

ken

ps: you can overplant .. say by double ... so that you get your blocking sooner ... and then.. eventually remove every other plant .... before you have to pay money for such ....if you choose the right plants.. you might even harvest your own xmas trees ...