Natural Resources, School of
Document Type
Article
Date of this Version
January 1996
Abstract
The windbreaks on your farm are an important part of the agricultural landscape. They provide protection for the farmstead, livestock, and crops; provide habitat for wildlife; and contribute to an overall healthy environment for you and your family. They are living systems with youth, maturity, and old age. Like any other living thing they need proper care and management in order to continue to function at their best.
Windbreak management requires an understanding of how your windbreak works. Your goal is to maintain the health and vigor of individual trees and shrubs while maintaining the overall structure of the windbreak as an effective wind barrier. To accomplish this goal, practices such as weed control, protection from large animals and rodents, corrective pruning, insect and disease control, and proper chemical use in nearby fields and farmstead areas need to be included in your management plan. With proper care, a windbreak will serve a long life of protection while providing wildlife habitat and adding beauty to the landscape.
Comments
Published by University of Nebraska Extension EC 96-1768-X. Copyright © 1996 University of Nebraska – Lincoln.