On 5 Nov 2011 21:42:04 GMT, Kay Lancaster wrote:

I'm guessing you have Lombardy poplars, the tall, skinny jobs? They're not
very long lived anyhow, and are probably close to the end of their lifespan.
Actually, most of the poplars have very short lifespans and usually brittle
wood.

Consider leaving the two remaining ones for a couple of years while you
replant the area with longer lived species. Then when the new trees have
gotten established, take down the poplars.

I'd take those down now, get rid of those trash trees to make room for
real trees. I've seen too many people waste ten growing years
attempting to grow a privacy screen of those cheapskate trees, they're
cheap but utterly useless... they can't screen because they're
deciduous, they never grow very thick anyway so they don't offer much
screening in summer either. And lombardy poplar wins hands down for
the uglist plant on the planet.

Depending on where you are in NH and the ground temperature, it might be
possible (and perhaps even advisable) to get the new trees in ASAP,
like within the next week.

Now that I know it's NH, as long as there isn't a problem with deer
munching, the perfect screening tree is Canadian Hemlock. And one can
definitely plant them in NH now, they can even be planted in frozen
ground if one can auger through, back fill, and mulch heavily... for
total privacy, if one has the space, plant a double staggered row...
find at least five year old specimens from a local nursery, seedlings
are too iffy and take too long to look like a tree.
http://www.arhomeandgarden.org/plant...an_1-18-08.htm
http://www.arborday.org/treeguide/treeDetail.cfm?id=142