British Columbia: Looking for advice on tall, narrow, privacy hedges

Hi there,

I'm new to the forum, and I have reviewed some of the posts with similar topics, but I thought I'd put my own situation out there. I have a similar issue to another poster where we have a nice big lot and backyard with similar lots around us, and all the lots around us are being bought up and massive houses are being built with big multi-generational families moving in and we have absolutely no privacy at all because they've cut down all the trees in their yards and replaced the yard with hard stones or decking, and a pool so no noise is muffled. Our main living space is on the 2nd floor so we have zero privacy for anything, even my bedroom is fully exposed. There is zero noise reduction now so whenever they have a party the sound just reverberates throughout. They're also not very nice neighbours so I would really like to not see them at all, and be able to enjoy my yard without being anxious about their presence.

I am looking for tall, narrow, fast growing hedges, something that will grow very tall and very fast (20'+++), low maintenance, and I would like to line the perimeter of my entire yard with them so I can have privacy and noise reduction. I would like them as dense as possible, like a wall. Does anyone have any suggestions? I've been doing some research and it sounds like the Leyland Cypress is a strong choice, but I read something about it being planted shallowly and could be knocked down/damaged by strong winds, and we've had some strong winds here (although I don't know what it means exactly by strong winds...)

In any case, I'll need a heck of a lot of these hedges so something cost efficient would be good, too.

Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer!

J

 

Semiarundinaria fastuosa with root barrier.

 

Thumbs up to Ron's bamboo idea, but be sure it is properly contained. Another advantage of bamboo is that their leaves make a nice gentle rustling noise in even a slight wind. This could provide you with a sort of pleasant "white" noise to help mask the sounds drifting over from your neighbours. If you have an upper level deck off your 2nd floor living area consider adding tall narrow container plants or a vine to increase your privacy. Adding a small self contained portable fountain on the deck would provide you with additional "white noise".

With both screening and noise it is important to remember that you will likely never achieve a true barrier that blocks everything out. But our minds are wired to pay more attention to what is closest so quiet pleasant sounds nearby make a big difference and even a partial screen of tall plants will catch your gaze (or your neighbours') and the distraction will stop you from noticing what is behind.

 

Thanks for the advice - I talked to my husband about it and he says he prefers evergreen trees/shrubs to bamboo, any ideas on which ones? He is currently looking at the Leyland Cypress and the 'Green Giant". I like the idea of the nice, calming, rustling "white noise".

I just want a high, thick, wall of something! Yes, we have a 2nd floor deck, where I sit to oversee ours kids playing in our yard. I want to see our backyard from my deck, but not all our neighbours'!

Thanks again,

J

 

If you use the cyprus, just be sure to stake them well for the first two years (maximum)
That way they can develop good trunk taper and root systems.

After that, if you are afraid of them blowing over in the wind...you could keep the stakes,
but have the straps really loose so that they're only needed if the wind blows the trees too far.

 

Cyprus is an island in the Mediterranean region. Staking trees for two years inhibits good anchoring because root tips are not pulled back and forth through the soil by the top moving in the wind, stimulated to engage the soil in the most securing way. If new transplants are liable to fall over after one full year of staking there is a problem going on, like the very common deformed root systems resulting from careless container production practices.

Leyland cypress and 'Green Giant' arborvitae produce full-sized trees over 60' tall.

 

As mentioned Leyland cypress will naturally grow to 60' tall and 20-25 feet wide. As hedges they can be be kept shorter and narrower by annual pruning, but be realistic about how much work it will take!

To keep them at 8' wide and 20' tall you will need to regularly shear the sides to keep them narrow and the top to keep them from getting too tall. Pruning any evergreen hedge over about 8' is a job for professionals with proper safety gear. That will cost a lot of money if you have a hedge all around your back yard. If your husband is thinking of doing it himself he should assess the time and equipment required to do the job safely and well. You cannot stand 12' up a ladder and wield an electric trimmer to prune things 6' away. Is he prepared to put up scaffolding? If so has he considered the cost and storage requirements? Nothing looks worse than a hedge which has been kept narrow up to 8' and then allowed to balloon in width because it is too tall for the owner to prune and too costly to hire someone. If you later decide to cut off the top at a more manegable height you will end up looking down on an ugly dead brown interior.

Being a grass, tall bamboos will natural reach their mature height after a few years and not get any taller as they age. Since they don't branch sideways, their width will naturally be constrained to a few feet past the root barrier you have installed. You also won't have to deal with an extensive conifer root system limiting your ability to plant other, more ornamental things at the base.

Another issue to consider is how shady and enclosed your back yard would be with a dense >20' uniform green wall all around it. Try to visit someplace with a hedge of the height and type you are considering and get a sense of what it would be like to be the distance away that your yard will permit. Unless your yard is huge the feeling you get may be dark and claustruphobic rather than private, cool and soothing. Only you can decide; but since this could be a expensive project, make sure it isn't a costly mistake.

 

A Leyland cypress in the Seattle arboretum was determined to be 80' tall with an average crown spread of 40' during 1993.

 

Hmm - so maybe a Leyland Cypress is a bit too much... is there another tree/hedge that will grow to about 20' - 30' (quickly) and 8' diameter that is more manageable?

I'll certainly ask the landscaper about the bamboo too.

Our backyard is quite large, it's 66' x 90', so I think we can handle a perimeter of tall, narrow hedges comfortably...

 

Here in Sweden many people including most of my neighbours plant Thuja as a hedge for property screening. I've never really seen them get very high, though most folks top them at around 15'. They look almost like minature versions of your native Red Cedar or Incense Cedar. Here are some pics below.





Hope this gives you a good visual of their potential. My only experience with Leyland cypress is that they don't do well in So-Cal in hot areas as they become stressed and attacked by pests. Never saw them have trouble with wind damage as they seem to establish rather rapidly. Tecate cypress on the other hand does have problem with being blown over by wind especially in sandy loam alluvial soils. But then they always grow extremely fast when young, but the problem is that they just don't have the strong root system that keeps up with all the top growth. It's different if they are grown in rocky with slight adobe type soils.

 

I planted 38 emerald greens this spring to block out my old, grumpy, nasty, horrible neighbor who hates my dogs. I think they look really good and left enough space for them to get big and bushy!

I bought a soaker hose for the summer, though didn't really need it for all the rain we have been having.

Rented a roto-tiller to dig the ditch and then planted them and back filled, not an easy job but only took me 3 days and saved on the labour.

 

Several have poor color and are thin, check soil moisture situation inside root-balls.

 

I believe he mentioned he just planted them this year's spring. Not exactly sure which month that would be in your area, but maybe around May. Might be a while to see any effects or change from transplanting.

Curious about one thing Ron. In your area do mosses and lichens grow like weeds as they do here in Sweden ? Most of the plant amendments are loaded with alot of peat. I'm wondering if Thujas do so well here because of the rich acidity of the environment. I've never once seen any problem with them by any gardener[rookie or expert) who has planted them here.

This environment is admittedly totally foreign to me from the desert areas I have experience with.