Osage-orange is planted in shelterbelts and hedgerows of the Great
Plains. It is planted alone or in a row adjacent to a row of evergreens
or taller hardwoods [
34]. Osage-orange hedges are maintained as fences
by pruning [
24]. While a favorite of the past, osage-orange hedgerows
are now replaced with species that provide more benefit to wildlife
[
14]. Osage-orange is recommended for planting on deep, moist,
permeable soils and medium to shallow upland silty-clayey loams, sandy
loams, and loamy sands. It is not recommended for sandhills or wet,
poorly drained soils [
21].
Osage-orange hedges are often clearcut for posts. Winter cuttings
produce the most vigorous stump sprouts which regenerate the hedge [
27].
Three to five years after clearcutting, the new sprout stands should be
thinned to 240 stems per 100 meters. The sprouts are susceptible to
fire and grazing [
4].
Osage-orange is generally resistant to disease and insects; the only
serious affliction is cotton root rot (Phymatotrichum omnivorum) [
4,
22].
Eastern mistletoe (Phoradendron serotinum) occasionally parasitizes
osage-orange [
8].
Hamel [
9] describes herbicide application rates, methods, and seasons
for osage-orange control. Triclopyr or picloram, applied with a
chainsaw girdling treatment, are effective against osage-orange [
17].
Launchbaugh and Owensby [
12] describe preferred osage-orange herbicide
control methods for Kansas.
