Field shelterbelts prevent soil drifting, hold snow on fields, protect swaths and newly seeded crops, provide food and shelter for wildlife and increase crop yields. Problems including competition with adjacent crops, land out of production and excess snow trapment can be eliminated by proper planning and use of recommended species and spacing. Upon request, a PFRA Shelterbelt Technician will visit your farm and help you plan your field shelterbelt. Tree rows should be planted perpendicular to prevailing winds. Plant rows north-south to stop westerly winds.
Plant rows east-west to stop southerly winds.
On most soils, tree rows should be planted 660 ft. apart. Use tree rows to divide a quarter section into 40 acre fields. Green ash, caragana, buffaloberry, sea buckthorn, villosa lilac and choke cherry are suitable for field shelterbelts. Buffaloberry, sea buckthorn, choke cherry and hawthorn can be planted alone or in combination with green ash to provide food and cover for wildlife. Poplar, maple Siberian elm and spruce are not recommended for planting in fields due to their competititve root systems.