Okay guys... Got a dilemma...

[Ecumenist]

Was out at the property and it's oftentimes windy BUT TONIGHT it was RIDICULOUSLY gusty. I would say at least 30 miles an hour, with gust that easily topped 40 miles per hour. This property faces the west and is a hilly property on the far southwestern side of the northern Sacramento Valley and are about 15 miles, (as the crow flies) from the coastal range. I have been told by folks in the area that my property is in an area of the county, (Tehama) that is KNOWN for it's weirdly windy area.
So, I've decided to put in a windbreak of a sort. Does anyone have any suggestions for plants to form a windbreak? I'm not crazy about evergreens BUT there are some that are beautiful, although, in my opinion, not many. I'm open to any suggestions.

[TygrBright]

1. Well, if you want a fast, sturdy, attractive windbreak...

...try a staggered double row of Leyland Cypress. Normally I don't recommend them for any use, since they're a tad on the weedy side, but the foliage (needlage?) is quite pretty and those suckers grow FAST. They're supple, too, so they don't snap in a gust. The only downside is that they are not terribly long-lived, you will have to replace them in 20-30 years.

helpfully,
Bright

[Gato Moteado]

2. clumping bamboo

check out some of the giant, hardy bamboos that are suitable for your area. they grow fast. i suggest clumpers instead of runners.

[Ecumenist]

3. Oh, no I didn't... See your response, that is..Thanks, Gato!!

I didn't even think about bamboo. What do you know about black bamboo? Do you have any suggestions? The windbreak will be on a southwestern slope which get's ALOT OF STRONG WINDS... The parcel is in FAR north/northwestern California that is about 15 miles as the crow flies from the coastal range. If you look at a map of northern California, this is located in the southwestern pocket of the Sacramento valley and is in what I call a "pocket valley" because it's surrounded on the west, south and the north by mountain ranges. You can actually watch it snow on the mountaintops to the west. (I'm rambling on here but the point is, I'm trying to get an idea of what will work without getting burned or dessicated by the strong winds.

[Blue Gardener]

5. Black Bamboo at Wayside Gardens

Just got the email today.

http://www.waysidegardens.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StoreCatalogDisplay?storeId=10151&catalogId=10151&langId=-1&mainPage=prod2working&ItemId=41300&cid=wem000330

[LWolf]

4. Some tried and true windbreaks:

I used to live in an area of the Mojave Desert that blew like that; 20 mph a mild breeze, 40 mph was "windy," 70 - 80 mph a couple of times a year. Since the wind always came from the same direction, trees that were planted as wind breaks all leaned the same way. No such thing as an upright tree.

Bamboo and russian olive were reliable. Tamarisk and various hedge plants as well. Depending on the size of the property, several layers might be necessary. Is the wind blowing toward the hill, away from it, or along side?

We did pretty well with a row of evergreens, then a row of russian olive, then a row of other stuff, like this:

X X X X X X

O O O O O O


X X X X X X

The little local airport used bamboo, which is telling. If I had the water to support the bamboo, I'd go for that. If I could grow bamboo where I am now, I'd plant it as a privacy screen, since my neighbor built his new house too close to the damned fence. It's too cold here for bamboo to overwinter, though.

[Gato Moteado]

6. there are some very hardy bamboos.....

where are you now?

[Ecumenist]

9. The property is in the far northwestern area of the Sacramento

Valley in Tehama county about 15 miles from the coastal range. It seems to be in a peculiar marine influence from the pacific. WEIRD...That said, we have plenty of water available,(GREAT WELL WATER from one of the best aquifers on the west coast). Learn me about bamboos for the area.
Sir Ecumenist and I are looking into russian olive as well and a few other shrubs. Another issue is the fact that this property is at the end of a long escarpment the faces the west. Our property goes from 580 above sea level at the top of the property to about 25 ft above sea level. So, these winds come howling UP the slope of the property and apparently, they speed up as they come up the hill.

It does get hard freezes but doesn't usually snow. However, in december of 2003, it snowed in the area for the first time in YEARS!!

[XemaSab]

7. Lot of eucalyptus windbreaks there

but unless you have a big piece of property they will take you over.

Olives might do it for a small patch.

Monterey or scotch pine could work.

Monterey cypress is beautiful but might need a little more water.

Do you have a hardpan layer?

[Ecumenist]

8. We're not even considering Eucalypts due to their

flammability. That's why we're looking for something that works well in strong and breezy conditions with occasional STRONG gusty winds. We don't have a hardpan layer, thank God. We are actually considering olives as that area of California is known for it's olive groves. We're looking at russian olives. The area we're looking to plant is approx. 600 feet across. I don't particularly like conifers, other than some redwoods and less needle leafed types that aren't as drought tolerant as others. We're also looking into shrubs as well. This is a VERY large piece of property that I'm talking about, 25.36 acres.

[XemaSab]

10. Redwoods in that part of the state

get really drought stressed and don't look as nice as the trees on the coast.

You consider giant sequoia? I don't have any idea how they would do there, but they are a handsome tree.

[Ecumenist]

11. Actually, there are some redwood groves that are in good shape

Here in Sacramento, we have myriad groves that are BEE-YOU-TEE -FULL. I wouldn't want to put in redwoods there because of the strength of the wind gusts and the idea that they would quickly block the view. In the microclimate the property is located in, there is almost twice the amount of rain as Sacramento gets. It's almost RIGHT at the base of Coastal Range.