# Windbreak



## tech.35058 (Jul 29, 2013)

Ummm, well I guess you could calculate the Sun's "angle of radiance (?)" and how far from the hives you want to plant it to have a maximum height.
I would start to suggest Privet, , & keep it trimmed with your chainsaw, but privet is _very_ invasive. I pull it up by the roots & spray it with poison, but I am losing the battle.
What about rosemary?
What about a fence/trellis with a suitable vine ... you could absolutely control height that way ( maybe).


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## Girl Next Door Honey (Jan 4, 2016)

I'm not sure where you are located or if this plant would grow well where you are, but there is a plant commonly called a "sunflower tree". Tithonia diversifolia. It is a Baja, Mexico native. It grows fast (12-20ft high) and blooms almost year round here in Southern, CA. My bees love it. I have a similar wind problem with my bees on a local farm and we are planning to plants these as both a wind break and a forage source.


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## leejones15 (Apr 4, 2015)

I like the sound of that- but it is listed as zone 9, so not quite "cold hearty" enough for Oregon. But, I might just give it a shot...


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## enjambres (Jun 30, 2013)

Why would you plant the windbreak on the south side of your hives? Is that your prevailing wind direction? (Mine here in NY is the WNW (around 270 degrees). I have my hives in front of a 30' high evergreen shelter belt (spruces and pines) to the north that long predates them.

Wind breaks are effective for a distance within three times their height. Beyond that there is an zone of increased wind turbulence.

I can't offer any suggestion for plants, but I would not choose something that required annual pruning to avoid shading the bees. Just one more chore.

Enj.


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## Tenbears (May 15, 2012)

A southern windbreak is rough because in order to get enough height one usually risks blocking sunshine. I use pallets held up with metal T Posts. if you are looking for something more permanent try privet, they are not excessively tall 10 fee at best and the bees love them. 

ENJ: 270 degrees is dead west. Which is the same I have to deal with, and wouldn't you know all my large pastures are west of the house, so it is long walks and solar chargers for me! With the exception of my queen rearing yard which has a stockade fence around it.


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## Sky (Jul 7, 2015)

Here's a couple to consider - boxwood, shrub honeysuckle, Hedge Cotoneaster - these will need occasional pruning but will make nice windbreaks pretty quickly - these all flower in spring/summer and the bees do visit them. Yews, Canadian Hemlocks, Camillias, Holly, Bay and a few of the viburnums can also be hacked into pretty nice hedges but are slower growing and a little more woody (treelike) and may take a little more effort the first few years to get them established. Globe Cedars also will take a few years, but they top out at about 5 feet - so pruning is minimized. The English Laurels make fantastic evergreen hedges, grow fast,etc, but do require a lifetime commitment to pruning (unless you want a 70ft tall hedge-40ft thick). Rhodies are a NW native and evergreen, are a little more open structured but can make a nice break given time.
If you have enough heat, the California lilacs (ceanothus) and escalonia both grow fast to 4-6 feet, are "mostly" evergreen, dense, have low water requirements, flower like mad and are nice looking plants (when these bloom, both are absolutely covered with bees). 
Shorter bamboos (un trimmed) make nice breaks (but can get away if you are not diligent with containment), but probably don't offer much to the bees.

Unless you start with larger plant$, it will take a few years before your windbreak is large/dense enough to be effective - so you may want to think of this as a two phase project - plant out your windbreak and follow it up with a temporary windbreak (t posts and burlap, pallets ala snow fence style, stacked tires, etc) so you have some immediate relief.

There's always the arbovitae option. these can be obtained in larger sizes fairly inexpensively, and quickly make an effective screen - you'll need to top prune occasionally, and tie the trunks together to prevent snow-spread- and they must be fenced or the deer will prune them into popsicles...
speaking of.... You indicated your hives were in an open area - and you are in OR... so keep in mind that deer will sample everything you plant - (the more it costs, the more they will like it!) Deer will munch Laurels, and Yews until they are but a stump). 

Most of the flowering shrubs can be easily propagated yourself, or if you are looking for immediate gratification and want to minimize the cash going out, stop by a large grower (not so much the fancy retail places) and tell them what you need and specify "it doesn't have to look pretty"- they will often make you a deal on plants that are surplus, (dug/balled last year) or "a little funky" here n there (broken branches, bare on one side - ie not Specimen quality) or have grown too large to fit their marketing profile. As spring approaches many of these "Survivors" will be headed to the compost pile to make room for new stock.... a few years back I managed to score 22 5ft tall snowflake viburnums in 5 gallon buckets for $2 each because they were "too" large... (the 3 ft ones were marked at $30 a pop) a whole row of Ottoluken laurels (about 60 of them) for free that had been B&B'ed the previous spring but didn't get shipped and a couple of 20 ft cherry trees that were "just too big". Never to hurts to ask, and its convienient that the perfect time for transplanting (now) just happens to coordinate with the time (now) that growers are prepping/cleaning up for a new growing season. (If you get plants for free - pay for them anyway with a jar or two of honey - good will goes along way, and next year.... if you're back for more.... you'll be remembered in good light.....

Sky


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## tech.35058 (Jul 29, 2013)

What about Burford Holly?
co worker says they get about 10 feet tall, internet says 25 feet for "normal" variety, but 4-6 feet for dwarf variety.
internet also says zone 7-9. nothing is said about invasiveness. 
Coworker reports neighbors bees are loving his hollies right now.


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