Time to start another orchard at our new house. Gotta take down these nice evergreens to make way. It’s hard to tell from the picture but some are 20ft tall. Luckily my plan is already approved by the HOA.
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couldnt just plant on the outside edge away from the evergreens instead? seems they would still be getting good light if you planted 20ft. or so out from the tree line and would save you a chunk of change. my 2 cents. 
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You seem get plenty of empty space. So you are going to cut down those screen trees and turn the empty lot into large lawn?
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@RedSun how many trees are you planning on? I kinda agree with @steveb4 the screen is nice to have for privacy and your yard is HUGE. I say keep them.
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You are reducing the value of your land by cutting down those trees. They are your privacy screen- ask your real estate agent the real cost of your plan. The photo seems to indicate you have enough room to grow enough fruit for a busy stand and your family and still have room for football practice even with the trees. On behalf of your fruit trees, a windscreen can be useful.
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Those Junipers? are beautiful and spaced properly. Looks like a Red maple (Acer rubrum) off to the left, too that’s probably as old as those what appear to be Junipers.
I would never in a million years remove that privacy hedge/ “aesthetic”
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I’m surprised that HOA even approved the plan to cut down those screen or windbreaker trees.
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This house has .8 acres. At my last house no one could understand why I cut down the young oak and birch trees until 5 years later I had a fruit tree paradise of a backyard. Then they all thought it was the coolest thing. Besides, we are a young family and plan to be here for a long time.
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I’ve cut down many trees, including ancient oak trees, to make room for my nursery here, I’m just lucky enough to have nothing to look at beyond them but more equally beautiful trees.
I would have guessed from the photo that you have 5 acres, not less than one. I’d still live with those trees, especially if they aren’t on the south side. Your fruit trees will never hide those buildings no matter how nice they look.
However, everyone has their own tastes when it comes to apples and aesthetics.
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One thing to keep in mind that, certain junipers and red cedars can cause fungus or rust. This may impact apple trees and other fruit trees.
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The only species that is a problem here is our native junipers commonly called cedars-whence cedar-apple-rust. However, they don’t much matter if you are spraying for scab anyway. Myclobutanil controls both and CAR better. Same timing.
They look like Juniperus chinensis btw & they’re a cultivated form. Their uniformity confirms.
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I certainly understand where you come from. It is always a dream to have a real “orchard”. It looks like you have several neighbors. You get a young family and you’ll need to take family privacy into your consideration. All those fruit trees won’t provide the privacy screen the evergreen trees provide no matter how large they grow.
Whatever you decide, good luck with your plan.
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Brandon I have a quarter acre lot and a big appetite for adding more fruit trees. There is a large spruce in my backyard I intend to cut down to make room for a few more as well as allowing me to better install a privacy fence for the patio I put in 2 years ago. I understand your desire to make room for the “productive trees” by cutting down the evergreens, but there is something to be said for the privacy aspect of them as well as just having some green in the dead of winter when everything else is brown. I think that in your situation with a beautiful flat backyard like that, I’d probably interplant some pawpaw, serviceberry, or other shade tolerant fruit producers beside the evergreens to scratch that itch of not wanting to waste productive space, and keep the privacy screen intact. You could just offset a row of traditional Orchard trees from that line if that is what you are planning to do. I honestly surprised myself when I thought to advocate for less fruit trees after reading your topic title, but this is an unusual situation where you have a good thing going back there (in my opinion). I wish you the best of luck with whatever route you choose. If you do decide to keep the trees and want suggestions on things to plant amongst them, please reach out!
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Get your Stihl Magnum 880 out and go to town!! Wear your safety gear, gloves, boots, chaps, safety glasses, face protection, hearing protection, helmet, chain saws don’t care if it’s tree or leg. Check the YouTube site, ‘Idiots with chains saws’, Don’t be that guy!
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no. just trying to save you the cost of removing those evergreens and your sanity with your now unhappy neighbors. everyone likes their privacy. give some to get some!
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Im excited your about to rip up all that grass! Everytime you remove useless grass some prima nocta lord cries inside i hear.
What direction are those trees? Im not trying to influence your decision but windbreaks are pretty nice and of course they could be replaced by fruiting trees however if they are not shading your lot, you may have more to gain by planting the rest of your fruit trees and taking those down in a few years when your other trees have grown up more.
Have you already decided what large fruit screens you are going to put in? Green barriers are extremely valuable like pointed out earlier and if you remove some someone may plant some poplars or cottonwoods to shade and crush your fruit trees
Oh i would try and save some space for a vegetable garden or a greenhouse too!
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The hedge of evergreens is at the west border of the yard
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You are taking down the junipers. The row of deciduous trees behind them are on your side of the fence too aren’t they(my eyes are poor). Are you leaving the deciduous trees or are they coming down too? The deciduous trees are currently taller than the Junipers. Will they always be taller than the junipers? - if they will always be taller than you gain very little by only taking the junipers down. Judging by the holes/replants in both the Juniper row and the deciduous row trees are not necessarily easy to grow in your new location. Have you considered planting a row of early blooming fruits next to the junipers? Japanese plums, apricots, etc. In the spring the junipers would shade that row in the warmth of the afternoon helping them to bloom a little later than they would if not shaded, hopefully getting them past a frosty day. As above it’s your call and I wish you the best. It’s exciting to have a clean slate to start a new planting with.
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