I am wanting to plant a 1/2 mile tree line along a fence line that borders a hayfield on each side for privacy from my neighbors property, I am in northern Minnesota, what would you suggest for tree species and how many rows should I do? From a cost perspective would I use bare root trees ? I have 240 acres on this property would I be better to rent a tree transplant for a skid steer and try to transplant growing trees from property? It’s about a 1/2 mile or more to travel to get trees

Red cedars. You can likely get them cheap to free, hardy, deer resistant

I like spruce -short needle pines they create a nice private wall faster than most trees

I like 3 rows staggered 8' Apart

I'm reminded of Costa Rica's living fences. Poke a 2" diameter Jocote pole into the ground and it sprouts out new growth immediately. Dang strong fence and as a plus produces Jocote fruits.

Don't think they would do well in Minnesota though.

I plant spruce. Once they set their roots they really grow. 12 feet apart and if you plant 2 rows stagger the trees.

Red cedars. Grow fast. Make a tremendous natural fence and are good cover for wildlife. We have our entire farm bordered in them and love it.

furrows for moister and weed control that's what they do for red pine. Would think about Norway spruce very fast grower

When I spent a summer working for the NRD, small tree rows were done using a single tooth chisel set about 8 inches down. You could plant a whole lot of trees really fast with two guys planting and on to run the tractor. Red cedars will grow about anywhere, they did a lot of blue spruce and Norway spruce. Can’t let any of them dry out all the way.

Around 10 years ago, a friend of mine bought some extremely fast growing, hybrid willow cuttings online and planted a double, staggered row on 2 sides of his property. He just stuck the around 2' long cuttings in the ground. They were supposed to be capable of growing over 6' a year once established. They are well over 30' tall now and you can't see into the neighbors' properties at all through them. You couldn't walk into the neighbors' properties through them either. His back yard, which was a completely open, very flat farm field looks very different now.

Keith

If you want to ever plant apples i would stay away from cedar. Cedar apple rust is a problem.

Classic tree for fense line and alleys but not so good if you got apples or pears nearby.

Osage Orange, aka: Hedge Apple. IF it will grow there. Plant seedlings or, just cut branches and stick them in the dirt, they will take root/sprout and make an excellent living fence. Available from the Mo Dept of Conservation in bundles of 25, including out of staters.

Shame you're so far north. Down here, magnolias and pecan are used. Bodock, aka Osage Orange, makes a good dense hedge. Black locust will as well if you can keep the suckers cut back.

balsam or spruce, how wet is the ground, not cedar, here deer eat any and all cedar

Red cedar is great, but the deer WILL eat everything they can reach come winter, they don't eat Spruces, even our deer leave them alone and there's not much they won't eat....
What grows well where you are?, plant that.

Multiflora rose is good if you can find them.

Multiflora rose is an invasive species that is next to impossible to get rid of. The county north of me has a multiflora rose eradication policy. I would not, under any circumstance, introduce multiflora rose to my property.

https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/terrestrial/plants/multiflora-rose

Call MDC @ 636-454-4554 and ask for a tree sale catalog, the new one just came out.

Around here folks plant Giant Mercathis to block views. 10ft tall and tough to get through.

When the state nursery inspector was here for my inspection, he recommended growing and selling that. He said there was high demand and that it was easy to propagate. Some people down the road from me have it between their yards.

Keith