# Autumn Olive



## jamie7117 (Aug 15, 2001)

experiences? good or bad?

i am interested in using it as a windbreak, as a screen from the road and possibly as a security cover in a fallow field.

does it spread as bad as some claim?

growth rates?


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## orion (Apr 8, 2002)

This stuff grows very fast and spreads worse then people claim. It is good for wildlife and will accomplish what you want to do, but you may have trouble finding it. Most CD's wont sell it anymore. Besides it is a non-native species.


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## jamie7117 (Aug 15, 2001)

good to know, i can get it from coldstream farms. i have tried other natives (dogwoods) but the deer eat them no matter what i try! i need some quick cover and windbreaks, it may be just what i am looking for, i still plan on planting some dogwoods by seedind them, maybe if i plant 10's of thousands of seeds some will live to maturity! LOL! 


just looking for people experiences with it, positive or negative.


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## johnhunter (Jun 17, 2000)

I like Autumn Olive. I believe it is most likely to spread out of control on lighter soils. On my heavy loam, it does not seem to spread very much at all. 

It grows fast and competes with weeds/grass better than honeysuckle or any of the dogwoods. Deer don't browse the twigs and leaves.

I'm gonna plant some more of it this spring.


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## NATTY BUMPO (May 12, 2001)

Jamie,
We had lots of it growing wild on our place in Mason Co when we bought it. Our soil is a sandy loam w/ the emphasis on sand. Some of it was obviously planted in hedgerows which are now ~ 10' tall and thick. These places are hotspots for pats-at certain times in Oct their crops are full w/ hardly anything else. Turkeys love it too. 
I'm sure it has been spread by the birds on our place but it certainly has not taken over. We find bucks like to thrash the branches and scrape underneath. On our soil, its not fast growing but we dont fertilize it either. We're planted grey dogwood along side so that w/ the oaks, we'll have a veritable "grouse buffet". We dont see the "invasive species' bit, certainly nothing like multiflora rose.

Natty B.


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## bishs (Aug 30, 2000)

Jamie, don't fear Autum Olive. I have it growing in sandy loam farm land. Deer don't browse it, Turkeys and birds love the berries, and the deer are bedding in it. I planted it in 1995. It has not spread all over. I have a few popping up here and there. "I wish it would spread more". 

The reason for the caution, is because there has been a big push to establish grass lands and native prairies for pheasants ect. There was fear, that Autum Olive would begin invading the grassland. I have several acres of prairie grasses, close to my AA, and they contain no AA shrubs.


I have planted over 12,000 trees and shrubs, looking back I wish I would of put more of AA in. They are 10 to 12 foot tall, compared to shrubs 3 to 4 foot tall planted the same year.

This year, I am ordering 200 Norway spruce, 100 Speckled Alder, 450 Autum Olive.



Jamie, they cost more but Speckled Alder grows easy and fast, deer will not browse them. They are also called tag alder. I planted 300, 2 years ago, they are growing fast.


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## bishs (Aug 30, 2000)

If you keep the weeds down the first summer, the shrub grows very fast. You should have a good screen in 4 years.


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## jamie7117 (Aug 15, 2001)

thanks guys it's nice to hear the good and bad.

scott, i have some tag alders already natrually establishing but their spread has seemed to have stalled (disappointing), could be soil restraints i am not sure, but they thrive in the wetter area of the field and stop where the dryer soil begins.

i too plan on planting a native prarie grass mix (about 3-4 acres worth) around the area that i am going to plant the autumn olive and dogwood seeds.

which size did you plant? i plan on using 3-4' seedlings for the windscreen and 1-2' for the interior cover (bigger, smaller, or about right?)

forgot to mention my soil is heavy loam, with perfect ph 6.5-7.1


i wanted to plant some spruce, but i am not that patient!


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## bishs (Aug 30, 2000)

If you keep the weeds down the first summer, the shrub grows very fast. You should have a good screen in 4 years.


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## Bob S (Mar 8, 2000)

Will autumn olive grow in the shade?


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## Pinefarm (Sep 19, 2000)

We've had great luck with them. We first planted the 15 years ago. We haven't had any spreading problems, but it sounds like many people do. That's why a lot of the government agencies will no longer sell them. We plated them in blow sand where nothing else grew. Now you can't walk through them and they're 15' high. But the deer don't touch them. At least not what I've seen. But turkey love them and grouse worship them. The deer bed in it and there's some major trails through the center. Great cover for places where nothing else grows.


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## bishs (Aug 30, 2000)

I have always planted the 1 to 2 foot seedlings. The AA, will grow fast. I would plant a row of Norway Spruce also. They grow fast, once they get going, they will grow 2 foot a year.


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## SalmonSlayer (Jan 18, 2000)

How much does Autumn Olive cost?


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## jamie7117 (Aug 15, 2001)

http://www.jackpine.com/~csf/index.html


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## Whit1 (Apr 27, 2001)

Jamie,
Autumn Olive is a fast grower and spreads by seeds eaten by birds. It is non-native and can take over an area. I think Farmlegend may be correct about its being invasive on sandy soil.

I think a large, dense area of a.o. would offer deer excellent security cover.

One advantage of autmun olive is that it offers shade for new shrub/tree seedlings to sprout. I've found that very true with sugar maples here. White pine sedlings require some shading for part of the day in order to prevent sun scalding.

I would suspect that grouse would thrive on the berries as well, but I haven't seen this around the house as the autumn olive is not in good grouse habitat.


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## crappiepole (Jan 21, 2002)

Jamie, you had said seeding dogwoods. Where are buying your seeds. It may be a solution to my clear cut issue.


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## jamie7117 (Aug 15, 2001)

http://www.ontariotreeseed.com/pricelist_f.htm 

could probably plant a dogwood grove in no time flat! for less than $100


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## Whit1 (Apr 27, 2001)

Jamie,
How rapidly do those dogwoods grow from seed to a height of, say 5 feet? Autumn Olive are very easy to start from seed. I assume the dogwood also would be. Is that correct?


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## crappiepole (Jan 21, 2002)

Thank Jamie, any problems getting the seeds from Ontario ?


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## jamie7117 (Aug 15, 2001)

crappie & whit, i have no idea, i am going to place my order in a few weeks, let you guys know.

as far as growth rates, i am assuming similar to AO, i just need a lot of it, in order for a handful to make it to maturity, deer candy.


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