Needs hedge for privacy fence.

11 years ago

I'm trying to find a good solution for a privacy fence hedge on my property line, and the problem is I have power lines so I need something that will get around 8-15 ft tall max. I want them tall (at least over 6 feet) but not able to become tall enough to cause problems. I'd like something easy to grow, fast growing, minor shade/full sun tolerant, and evergreen. I'm in South Carolina and we have mild winters so I assume semi-evergrees should stay green all winter given the winter is mild as usual, right?

I've been searching around quite a bit and I can really find something to fit all these guide lines so I figured I'd ask.

Featured Answer

cyn427 (z. 7, N. VA)

11 years ago

How about a mixed hedge with both evergreens and deciduous shrubs? I don't know where you live, but here in the mid-Atlantic, camellias are evergreen as are Kalmia latifolia (mountain laurel). Both will reach a good height over a couple of years and both could be pruned if they get too high in 20 years. You could include azaleas and maybe some small trees such as Serviceberry and some small magnolias. Do you need to dampen the noise year-round or mostly in the three seasons you are outside? The best way to to that is with plants staggered along the lines so they will be overlapping once full-size and perhaps three deep (but not in a row, if you know what I mean). I think it is prettiest and best with a variety of types to guard against disease or pests taking out the plants if you have only one type planted.

To a certain extent, being patient offers great rewards. Neighbors who have planted trees to create an instant hedge often end up losing many because they become too crowded. I am now watching trees die back at two houses around the corner from our place. The staggered planting allows for air circulation and root growth. It is also much more interesting to look at!

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Comments (10)

lisanti07028
11 years ago
How wide can they be, and how long a stretch do they have to cover? How much upkeep do you want to have to do?
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
11 years ago
most anything that is fast growing.. will not stop at some magical height ...

what have you researched.. found.. and rejected ...

your state or county.. might have a soil conservation program.. that would be a great resource for .. see link ... it might be worthwhile to call them.. to get key words to find info at the link ...

a wind row .. for soil conservation ... is another name for a sight break ...

my soil conservation district even sells small plants very cheap.. at proper planting time ...

and another key.. is diversifying .. just in case some plague comes along.. you dont lose everything ...

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link
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Could be the neighbor behind you thought the hedge plants were getting too "leggy," and cut them back to force them to become "bushy" again. Doesn't do much for you in the short run. I'd approach the neighbors behind and to the right and tell them you would like to install a fence, but can't quite afford it. Perhaps they will offer to contribute to the cost, or at least provide the labor. Cedar is the preferred fencing material in my area, and I know nothing of vinyl. You can get some feel for the pros and cons by perusing the reviews on the Home Depot and Lowe's sites.
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First, laceyvail's statement needs emphasis :-) Nothing will provide immediate privacy screening to that height so you must be prepared to be somewhat patient and tolerate the obtrusiveness of the apartment complex for a few more seasons. Fern pine, Podocarpus gracillor, is an excellent plant choice for this situation, as is Pittosporum tenuifolium. Both grow quite rapidly, are moderately drought tolerant once established, evergreen and can be pruned to the height and width desired. The quote you received is ridiculous - 65 plants for an expanse of 80' is way too many. The closest these plants should be spaced for a dense hedge is 3' apart, which reduces the 65 plants down to about 26!! And if you go with the podo, you can extend that spacing a bit more, as its mature width is 10-15' compared to the pitt's 6-8'. Given that you need quite a bit fewer of these than you were quoted, perhaps you can opt for a larger size initially? Another alternative is bamboo, which has an ability to achieve your height requirements faster than the previous two shrubs. But bamboo tends to be pricier to begin with, requires a containment system if you opt for a running type (tends to establish and fill in faster than the clumpers) and is not as drought tolerant as the shrubs.
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Yeah I'm not sure about 30-40.. that's a bit out of the range of most things considered shrubs. You could try the above bamboo suggestion, a clumping type maybe even one in underground pots for "fast" as far as natives go that far south there's also non-dwarf varieties of Simpson's stopper but again that's around 20 ft or the aforementioned buttonwood. Florida privet could work too but it is shorter if willow hybrids work for your zone then they should be good if you're handy you can use hog/cattle panels (usually 15' high trellis looking things if you turn them the other way) reinforced with rebar in the ground and grow some sort of evergreen vine maybe a pipevine or passionflower (good for caterpillars). i say hog panels because theyre pretty inexpensive and are how i get my twining&clinging vine trellises maybe settle for something a little shorter (but that suits what you want in a garden, e.g. the native shrubs) as you save up money for the fence.. but yeah tricky situation best of luck finding something Edit: Wax myrtle grow fast and I like the brownish color they often have. I dont think they'll be uniform "shrubby" if they grow to full small tree height, though.
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but I've heard they don't grow as quickly as I would ideally like, ===>> conifers are trees ... and they grow in tree time.. and you are correct .. they simply arent going to fix the problem.. as fast as you probably want .... but they will eventually ... all are full ... and only tolerant to shade ... and yes.. if you plant something in more sun ... then those will probably grow faster.. once they get established ... one of my usual caveats ... is to not get caught in the property line box ... when trying to solve this issue ... perhaps you are leaving out the best place.. for the fastest solution ... and that would be a tree.. closer to the house .. namely.. where the pool is ... something in the lines of a redbud.. might work well ..even obscuring the sightline when bare in winter ... but of course.. we in snow country leave the drapes closed then ... btw.. i note the power lines ... you are planting in an easement ... so you dont want anything too fast ... else they tree maintenance guys will show up faster ... the Wichita blue grow rather fast ... but after about 10 years.. i got rid of all mine.. due to juniper tip blight ... the lesson here.. is to think of this as an ongoing process ... also with pool removal.. you will have a larger planting bed ... btw .. again.. are you having the pool removed.. or just filled in .. if filled in.. i think it is advisable to have the bottom broken up ... else you might end up with a water retaining bog .. which may or may not be a new type of garden you would want to mess with ... you might also want to look into viburnum .. or other shrubs besides conifers ... they can grow faster.. but will probably take up more ground space ... think of this as a decade long evolution of a solution ... and if you have to remove things down the road.. so be it ... in other words.. think and work in tree time .... ken
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shackle101
Original Author
11 years ago
Well as far as ones that I feel won't work:
Arborvitae, American: tested didn't grow well.
Cypress, Leyland: will get too tall, and pretty slow growing. Boxwoods: only get 4-6 feet tall.
Holly hedges: May work provided they do reach 6-8 feet tall.
Forsythia hedge: Not considered evergreen.
Hardy Amur privet: Not consider evergreen as well.

The last 2 seem like good choices, but I'd prefer evergreen. With our mild winters I wonder if these will work for my needs though.
duluthinbloomz4
11 years ago
Question. What prompts the need for a privacy hedge? Unsightly view, trashy neighboring yard, yard that's just too open?
shackle101
Original Author
11 years ago
It will be roughly 50-70 yards or more of hedge. Reason for the hedge is to privacy and to dampen the noise from the street as well. So ideally it will need to be planted closely for thick interweaving.
shackle101
Original Author
11 years ago
Any ideas out there?
cyn427 (z. 7, N. VA)
11 years ago
Shackle, just noticed that your first post says you are in South Carolina. Sorry. I don't know if any of the plants I suggested will grow that far south. Another I have and love for its wonderful green color and leaf/shrub shape is Euonymous manhattan. A lot of people don't like it because they think it is boring, but for privacy and relatively quick growth, I think it is wonderful-and it is evergreen. It is trouble- and pest-free in my experience. It makes a wonderful backdrop for other things as well.

Let us know what you end up doing.
bogturtle
11 years ago
Perhaps your situation would be suitable for Osmanthus, both the less hardy, but fantastically scented sort with leaves similar to a Camellia. O. fragrans, or the hardier one with leaves like a holly.
I am growing O. fragrans, that barely gets through the Winter , here in zone 7a.
It gets enough shade to save it, mostly, from winterburn, but then, with the shade, it does not flower well. It is more likely to do better in zone 8 or 9.
User
11 years ago
Shackle,
I'm in South Carolina too.
Pittosporum if you aren't in the mountains
up in Greenville.
Alot of people say they grow fine up there too,
but I'm down by Augusta, so I have no problem with them.
They will grow slow the first year, but then they will pick up as long as you water them since we are having a real bad drought.
Just trim them down if you want after they bloom
in spring. I have lines in front of my house too.

Needs hedge for privacy fence.

cyn427 (z. 7, N. VA)

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Needs hedge for privacy fence.

cyn427 (z. 7, N. VA)

Comments (10)

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