What kind of microclimate will a fence on north lot line create?

14 years ago

Recently realized that the shrubs I bought in November are only marginal in my area. These include a paperbark maple, a Harry Lauder Walking Stick, and Jelena Witch Hazel.

I am considering building a fence at the back of my yard, on the north side of my lot. If I plant these shrubs just south of this wall, so that they would be protected against wind and receive full sun, will they be ok?

I was thinking of pruning the witch hazel with espalier techniques. Has anyone done this?

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Comments (10)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
14 years ago
harry lauder.. contorted filbert.. is fully zone appropriate in my 5a ....

as was the witch hazel i had many years ago at another house ... though i dont know what part of the family it was ....

can you give the latin on the paper maple??? though i can say Japanese maples are borderline for me ...

you may want to check the value of the info you got ... based on the latin names of what you have.. rather than relying on common names.. it might make all the difference in the world

what happens.. when they get taller than the fence???

what will be the impact of the winter sun reflecting off the fence ????

good luck!!!!

ken
j3nni4junip3r
Original Author
14 years ago
This could be good news.

The latin name for the paperbark maple is acer griseum. It is similar to acer triflorum.

I bought them at a reputable nursery, so I thought I was all right. But when I checked with the agricultural extension, she said they were just marginal.

When I put my zip code into zone finders, it always comes up 5b. But some local authorities like to err on the side of caution and only recommend varieties hardy to zone 4. So maybe that was why she was a little pessimistic. I live in Madison Wisconsin with Lake Monona about a mile to the east and Lake Wingra about a mile to the west. I don't know if that is close enough to get a lake effect.

There was a tag on the Witch Hazel that said there would be twig dieback at minus twenty. I am not sure if that means minus twenty with the wind chill or without. Windchills have been getting close to that this week.

The paperbark and Harry Lauder are supposed to be slow growing, so it will be some time before they would top the fence. I do wonder if the winter sun could be too much as I hear some evergreens burn up in front of a fence in the winter time.

Thanks for the info!
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I live in the Salt lake area with somewhat similar conditions. There several varieties of Junipers that will do quite well in your situation. If want a very large dense bush form, I would suggest the Pfitzers They can get up to 8-10 feet. I have seen some people trim off the lower branches to make them small trees. One thing to remember about junipers is that even though they are very drought resistant, when they dry out, they are explosive fire fuel. So it is a good idea to keep them either watered during the summer or keep them from your house, if you live in an area that is prone to wild fires. Other ever greens that you may want to look at would be the Incense Cedar. They are native to the California Sierras and when established, quite drought tolerant. Surprisingly, the Sierra Redwood is also a good choice in your situation. Both of these are fast grower and fire resistant. The White Fir is also a good choice. It is native to the mountains in the intermountain areas so you probably have seen them in your mountains. Some may recommend the spruces, particularly the Blue Spruce. I would avoid those as they do not age well, and by age, I mean after about 20 years. They get straggely and loose their lower branches. In the deciduous group, I would recommend the upright or Fastigiate English Oak. The go up rather than out. There is, or was, an long row of them at BYU, which is where I got my seeds. The grounds staff kept them more narrow than normal but they reached at least 50 feet tall. The normal spread is about 10 to 20 feet and they grow very fast, up to three feet a year in my experience. They also grow very easily from seed, which are either picked up by me for growing or squirrels for eating. They have very deep tap roots and don't mind the heat. The seeds will come about 90% true to the parent tree, but some will revert to the standard form, which is a great shade tree by the way. If you can get the seeds, I got mine on eBay, the Osage Orange would be a good choice. Again they are drought tolerant with a deep tap root. They do not get too tall, about thirty feet. If you trim them back while young they make a largish bush. They do have wicked thorns on the young branches. The female will drop softball size fruits in the autumn. This species was becoming rather scarce until the government started to grow them as wind breaks during the dustbowl. They proved to be excellent windbreaks. Growth is about 2 feet a year. From the maples, there are various varities of the Norway Maple that you could chooses. Most are gong to be spreading trees of one type or other. There is a fastigiate or upright variety. Most maples grow at about 2-3 feet a year. They do require more water than the other deciduous trees mentioned. There is another maple that would work in your situation. It is the Acer ginnala or Amur Maple. It is more shrubby than other maples and lower growing. The Siberian Pea tree is a fast growing shrub to about 8 feet. Drought tolerant. Easy from seed. The flowers are quite attractive yellow in the spring. The seeds are edible, like beans more than peas. Although not particularly drought tolerant, the old standby the lilac is good for this situation. No shrub row is complete without at least one. Plant it with your maples and it will be happy with their watering regimen. The seeds for most of these deciduous items are available on line. They are mostly easy from seed. I plant my oaks right in the ground where they are to grow. The cats take care of the rodents that might want to eat them. DO NOT grow just what ever comes up in your yard. Unless you know exactly what it is, it is probably a weed tree and will be nothing but a problem. DO NOT grow Russian Olives. They are weeds. DO NOT grow Tamarisks. They will take over. DO NOT grow willows or birch. They are no where near drought tolerant. BEWARE of the big box stores. They will have a large selection of plants selected mostly for popularity rather than compatibility with local conditions. DO talk to some one local who knows the conditions. If they have a real nice yard, so much the better. DO visit local nurseries. Many people are no looking into water saving plants and they may be able to stear you to more choices. Good luck and let us know how it turns out.
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tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
14 years ago
Plants don't feel wind chill, the -20F is actual temps.

I would think they'd be fine in most of your winters and marginal only in extreme winters (if even then).

tj
mainegrower
14 years ago
A fence in this location relative to the plants can actually increase wind velocity because of the turbulence created. The type of fence is also a factor; solid fences are likely to create more turbulence then ones which slow down and filter the wind.

These three plants are going to be most vulnerable in your area in the first two or three years after planting. Protecting them with burlap or snow fence in those years would be wise. The combination of cold,sun and wind would be especially hard on the maple's bark.
ginkgonut
14 years ago
The Ag. Extension is correct that all those plants would be marginal in a Zone 4 climate. With that said, my little paperbark maple in Minneapolis was unharmed by -25F last winter(#2) so who knows. In some of those hardiness zone finders, my zip comes up as zone 5 because it is in the city, but I know that is pushing it.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
14 years ago
plants might not FEEL wind chill ...

but such can desicate plants.. think old piece of raw chicken in the freezer for too long .... the water gets sucked out of the plant... i call it freeze drying ....

so though it might not be a temp issue.. the wind remains a VERY BIG issue ..

ken
alexis717_df
14 years ago
I Have two Harry Lauder Walking Sticks. One Purple Majestic planted two seasons ago (about 18 inches in height)on the North Side with no shelter of any type. It came through last winter with no die back and looked very fetching all season. The other one, the green cultivar, also planted two seasons ago (at 4' height) is planted on the southwest side, no shade, and in a bit of a wind tunnel, also came through beautifully.

Just my experience with this one, sorry I don't have the others. Good Luck

Alexis

PS. I really like the Purple Majestic HLWS the best.
whaas_5a
14 years ago
I believe your in that 5a pocket (surrounded by 4b)...not 5b. Really not much of difference though.

I think its already been addressed but you don't have to worry about temps. for the A. griseum. You may have some dieback on the witchhazel during more severe winters, nothing to be concerned about.

Personally I despise fences. I guess I can understand if its a necessity...most times they aren't.

Have you considered using evergreens as the fence to provide windbreak and act as a backdrop to your decidious plants?
tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
14 years ago
Yes, Ken, I'm sure most here understand the desication wind can create, but that wasn't the question. If you stick to the question, counselor, no chicken in the freezer visuals are needed. LOL. And no SHOUTING either. LOL. What was... in your coffee this morning...anyway?...or not... that should have been? ROTFLMBO.

tj
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
14 years ago
ANY type of structure can/will create a microclimate, including a fence. Planting on the south side of a north facing fence will create a more favorable microclimate due to the effect of reflected heat and any sunlight being given off from the fence. Any kind of consideration as to 'wind turbulence' created by such a fence will depend entirely on the prevailing winds in your area and more specifically, in YOUR garden, and how they may be impacted by other structures (like your house), trees or other windbreaks.

What kind of microclimate will a fence on north lot line create?

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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

j3nni4junip3r
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What kind of microclimate will a fence on north lot line create?

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j3nni4junip3rOriginal Author

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