[DanielCoffey]

Hello folks... as I have mentioned recently, my wife and I will be moving to a new property with large garden in South Ayrshire this summer. I intend to put in some fruit trees and a fruit cage in an open area next to the property but I have a sort of "chicken or egg" question about wind breaks to protect the trees.

Here is the rough idea of the area we will be putting the trees in...

Location : Coastal South Ayrshire, about six miles inland
Wind direction : Westerly
Soil : Deep grass over clay, somewhat heavy, field drain adjacent
Garden area : 0.2 Acre, fully exposed to large paddock on North, West and South sides with heavy trees and low building to East
Current boundary : Stock-proof wire and post fence line with active horse paddock on other side
Known pests : rabbits and pheasants. Deer are unlikely but not impossible as there are large woods nearby.

Here is how it is laid out. We are talking about the 0.2A area to the left of our site...



My long term intention is to place a fairly large walk-in fruit cage on the north edge of the semi-circle (say 5m x 3m or similar) and to have one damson, one plum and a few mixed early/late cooker/eater apples. We have space for crabapple elsewhere on the site for pollination.

Now here is the catch... since we arrive in the Summer, that is the usual time to place orders with tree suppliers for bare root delivery that Winter. That doesn't give us much time to sort out wind breaks.

Should I concentrate on wind breaks exclusively in year one, leaving the central area open till established then ordering fruit trees for delivery of winter year two or can I stake the trees in the first year?

I don't really want anything too high as a wind break because it does form the principle view from our property but on the other hand I would much prefer properly protected trees to look at in the near and middle distance rather than an uninterrupted but windy view to the long distance.

What are my short term synthetic options for a wind break while something hedge-like gets established? We are rural so would be looking things like at hawthorn and beech hedges rather than privet and evergreens. I have to bear in mind maintenance of the other side of the hedge too which will be my responsibility and it has to be horse-friendly. No creeping advancement of a Blackthorn thicket for example.

We are fully prepared to have professionals deal with any initial fencing and tree staking.

Thoughts?