- Published on
Shelterbelts: The First Crop You Should Plant Before Your Orchard or Market Garden
By George Lewko, PAg
When most people dream of establishing an orchard or market garden in Saskatchewan, they focus on the fruit trees, berry bushes, or vegetables they plan to grow. From a forensic agrology and risk management perspective, however, the first crop you should consider planting is your shelterbelt.
A properly designed shelterbelt does far more than reduce the wind. It becomes a long-term investment that protects your orchard from pesticide spray drift, airborne dust, wildlife damage, disease movement, and even improves growing conditions for decades.
Give Yourself Time to Build a Better Orchard
One of the greatest advantages of planting a shelterbelt first is that it buys you time.
Rather than rushing to plant an orchard immediately, spend the next 2–5 years preparing the site while your shelterbelt becomes established. During this period you can:
Shelterbelts Are More Than Windbreaks
Many people think shelterbelts simply reduce wind speed. While they certainly do that, they also provide protection from many other hazards.
Benefits include:
Plant the Outside Rows for Speed
The outer rows should establish quickly.
Fast-growing species such as:
Unlike traditional shelterbelt spacing, these outside rows can often be planted slightly closer together where the objective is to create a dense living barrier as quickly as possible.
Three or four rows of rapidly growing deciduous trees can begin providing meaningful protection long before slower species mature.
Use Shrubs Carefully
Shrubs can add density near ground level where spray drift often travels.
Suitable shrub species may improve wildlife habitat and reduce gaps in the shelterbelt.
However, one important consideration is plant disease.
Some shrubs serve as alternate hosts for diseases affecting orchard crops. Before selecting shrub species, investigate whether they may host rusts, blights, or other pathogens that could increase disease pressure in your orchard.
Selecting disease-compatible species is just as important as selecting hardy ones.
Plant Conifers on the Inside
Once the fast-growing outer rows provide protection, plant one or more rows of conifers inside the shelterbelt.
Although they establish much more slowly, conifers provide several long-term advantages:
Young conifers require some protection during establishment, but once the annual spring "candles" have hardened off, they become remarkably resilient and require relatively little maintenance.
Invest in Establishment
A shelterbelt is only successful if it survives its first few years.
Two of the best investments are:
Drip Irrigation
Young trees respond extremely well to drip irrigation during dry Saskatchewan summers. Water is applied directly to the root zone with minimal waste and reduced weed growth between rows.
Mulch
Organic mulch or commercial landscape fabric helps:
Think Like a Risk Manager
In forensic agrology, we often investigate problems after they occur—spray drift, disease movement, environmental contamination, or crop damage.
The best investigation is the one that never has to happen.
A thoughtfully designed shelterbelt is one of the simplest and most effective forms of long-term risk management available to orchard and market garden producers. It protects your investment before the first fruit tree is ever planted.
Rather than viewing shelterbelts as an expense, consider them the foundation upon which the rest of your orchard will depend.
The fruit trees may eventually become the most valuable crop on your farm—but the shelterbelt may be the one that protects them for generations.
By George Lewko, PAg
When most people dream of establishing an orchard or market garden in Saskatchewan, they focus on the fruit trees, berry bushes, or vegetables they plan to grow. From a forensic agrology and risk management perspective, however, the first crop you should consider planting is your shelterbelt.
A properly designed shelterbelt does far more than reduce the wind. It becomes a long-term investment that protects your orchard from pesticide spray drift, airborne dust, wildlife damage, disease movement, and even improves growing conditions for decades.
Give Yourself Time to Build a Better Orchard
One of the greatest advantages of planting a shelterbelt first is that it buys you time.
Rather than rushing to plant an orchard immediately, spend the next 2–5 years preparing the site while your shelterbelt becomes established. During this period you can:
- Eliminate perennial weeds such as Canada thistle, quackgrass, sow-thistle, foxtail barley, and other difficult species.
- Improve soil fertility and drainage where needed.
- Install irrigation infrastructure.
- Correct soil pH or nutrient deficiencies.
- Develop permanent access roads and fencing.
- Plan orchard rows for future equipment access.
Shelterbelts Are More Than Windbreaks
Many people think shelterbelts simply reduce wind speed. While they certainly do that, they also provide protection from many other hazards.
Benefits include:
- Reduced pesticide spray drift from neighbouring agricultural fields.
- Reduced movement of dust and soil particles.
- Improved snow distribution and moisture conservation.
- Lower wind stress on blossoms and young plants.
- Reduced evaporation during hot Saskatchewan summers.
- Improved pollinator habitat.
- Reduced wildlife movement into orchards.
- Added privacy and security.
- Improved biosecurity by creating a physical barrier between neighbouring operations.
Plant the Outside Rows for Speed
The outer rows should establish quickly.
Fast-growing species such as:
- Aspen
- Poplar
- Cottonwood
Unlike traditional shelterbelt spacing, these outside rows can often be planted slightly closer together where the objective is to create a dense living barrier as quickly as possible.
Three or four rows of rapidly growing deciduous trees can begin providing meaningful protection long before slower species mature.
Use Shrubs Carefully
Shrubs can add density near ground level where spray drift often travels.
Suitable shrub species may improve wildlife habitat and reduce gaps in the shelterbelt.
However, one important consideration is plant disease.
Some shrubs serve as alternate hosts for diseases affecting orchard crops. Before selecting shrub species, investigate whether they may host rusts, blights, or other pathogens that could increase disease pressure in your orchard.
Selecting disease-compatible species is just as important as selecting hardy ones.
Plant Conifers on the Inside
Once the fast-growing outer rows provide protection, plant one or more rows of conifers inside the shelterbelt.
Although they establish much more slowly, conifers provide several long-term advantages:
- Excellent year-round wind protection.
- Dense winter snow capture.
- Long lifespan.
- Attractive appearance.
- Permanent screening.
Young conifers require some protection during establishment, but once the annual spring "candles" have hardened off, they become remarkably resilient and require relatively little maintenance.
Invest in Establishment
A shelterbelt is only successful if it survives its first few years.
Two of the best investments are:
Drip Irrigation
Young trees respond extremely well to drip irrigation during dry Saskatchewan summers. Water is applied directly to the root zone with minimal waste and reduced weed growth between rows.
Mulch
Organic mulch or commercial landscape fabric helps:
- conserve soil moisture;
- suppress weeds;
- moderate soil temperature; and
- reduce maintenance during establishment.
Think Like a Risk Manager
In forensic agrology, we often investigate problems after they occur—spray drift, disease movement, environmental contamination, or crop damage.
The best investigation is the one that never has to happen.
A thoughtfully designed shelterbelt is one of the simplest and most effective forms of long-term risk management available to orchard and market garden producers. It protects your investment before the first fruit tree is ever planted.
Rather than viewing shelterbelts as an expense, consider them the foundation upon which the rest of your orchard will depend.
The fruit trees may eventually become the most valuable crop on your farm—but the shelterbelt may be the one that protects them for generations.
0 Comments