We have a blank space behind our house along a fence bordering a factory. I would like to plant arborvidae and a blue spruce to eventually cover up the fence. How and when should the trees be planted and what care will they need to insure that they survive?

Greetings Culley,

Hmmm, are you sure you want to plant blue spruce? I would suggest an alternative conifer seeing that blue spruce on heavy textured soils usually results in poor growth and future insect & disease problems.

Regardless, if this is the route you want to go, I would plant one row of n. white-cedar and one row of blue spruce. You can plant either bare-root stock, potted stock, or balled burlap. I'm a big fan of planting trees in the spring, especially when it involves conifers (to protect against winter dessication). Space the trees 10-ft apart between the two rows and 8-12 feet apart within rows. You can pack the white-cedar a little closer because this species generally has a more columnar growth form.

Regarding maintenance, I'm a big fan of killing-off any grass with Round-up around where I'm planting the tree. Apply the Round-up before you plant the trees. If mother nature doesn't cooperate with adequate moisture during the establishment phase of your tree planting project, then I would suggest watering the trees during periods of limited rainfall.