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Privacy trees for backyard, ideas?

D

DKAudio

Member
Joined
Sep 18, 2006
Messages
371
I wanted to build a 6' privacy fence but after estimating costs I am not able to. I am now thinking about planting some trees. This is what I am looking for...
-Thick, good blockage of wind and view
-Around 6-10' (if triming is needed that is fine)
-Fast growing to get blockage pretty quick.
-Evergreen would be nice to still have color/blockage in winter
-Something hardy
-Low cost
-Easy planting/maintainance

I live in MN so obviously something proper for this zone. My yard has black dirt on top and then about 1' down it is sand.

Any ideas are welcome, thanks.

Dan
 
Red cedar, is what I think you're looking for. Makes for a great hedge.

Doc.
 
There's a bunch of nice nurseries around the cities where you could get some appropriate answers for this. Also, you'll get some on the spot costs as well. I would very surprised if the cost of decent plant material is less than the cost of a fence.
 
Gonz said:
There's a bunch of nice nurseries around the cities where you could get some appropriate answers for this. Also, you'll get some on the spot costs as well. I would very surprised if the cost of decent plant material is less than the cost of a fence.
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Yep, the trees will cost more than the fence if you get the size you're looking for.

If you do go with cedars the deer will eat them before they have the chance to really grow. If you spend the money to get taller trees, the deer will eat them from the ground up to their eye level pretty fast. We have a nice row of red cedars on the west side of our property. They're completely bare up to about 6 feet tall. It makes them easy to mow around. :laugh:

I'm not sure exactly where you live down there, but I know there are a lot of "urban deer" running around. We've gone through almost $800 in trees and plants up here trying to find something deer won't eat. I've given up and I'm building a fence as soon as it dries out a little bit up here.
 
Just spread some blood meal around the trees. Great fertilizer and it keeps the deer at bay. Human hair from the local barber shop works as well as pissing around your plantings. Flatlanders, jeesh.

Doc.
 
A privet hedge will work very well.....but can be a tough yearly clean up....lol See below from ABout.com

Taxonomy of Privet Shrubs: Plant taxonomy classifies privet shrubs under the genus, Ligustrum; indeed, they are commonly referred to as "ligustrum shrubs," too. Within the Ligustrum genus, there are various species and cultivars, some of which I'll mention below (see "Varieties of Privet Shrubs and Their Planting Zones"). Privet shrubs are so commonly used in hedges that they are often referred to as "privet hedges."
Plant Type for Privet Hedges: Depending on plant variety and the zone in which you live, privet hedges can be evergreen, semi-evergreen or deciduous.
Some Varieties of Privet Shrubs and Their Planting Zones:
Common privet shrubs (Ligustrum vulgare): zones 5-8.
Golden privet shrubs (Ligustrum ovalifolium 'Aureum'): zones 5-8
Amur privet shrubs (Ligustrum amurense): zones 3-6.
Japanese or wax privet shrubs (Ligustrum japonicum): zones 7-10.
Chinese privet shrubs (Ligustrum sinense): zones 7-9.
Characteristics of Privet Shrubs: Privet shrubs reach a height of 4'-15' with a spread of 4'-8'. They bear white flowers in late spring-early summer; berries succeed the flowers. But privet shrubs are grown primarily for the dense foliage they can provide when pruned into hedges.
Plant Care for Privet Hedges: Prune privet hedges after they have flowered; thereafter, prune them an additional 3 or 4 times during the course of the summer. Privet hedges will fill in better (i.e., the plants will become bushier) if they are pruned frequently.
Sun and Soil Requirements for Privet Hedges: Privet hedges prefer partial shade to full sun. Grow privet hedges in a soil that is slightly wet. Privet hedges tolerate a wide pH range.
Uses for Privet Shrubs in Landscape Design: Privet shrubs are used almost exclusively to form hedges. Not especially beautiful plants when considered in isolation, privet shrubs do excel in the role of hedges. They grow more quickly and are more malleable than boxwood shrubs, for instance (another shrub widely used in hedges). Privet hedges tolerate heavy pruning and don't seem troubled by the pollution that plagues plants in urban settings.
Caveats in Planting Privet Hedges: Despite the strong arguments just made for using privet shrubs to form hedges, privet shrubs do not come without drawbacks. First of all, they are poisonous. Secondly, since they are not evergreen in the North, privet hedges are attractive for only a portion of the year there. Finally, privet shrubs are invasive plants; many choose not to grow them for this reason alone.
 
Contact your local county extension for home economics. Typically the Agricultural dept of the University.
They are great at any question like this as well as many other subjects that relate to home. Even canning, first aid, cooking. My experience has always been extremely positive. Oh, they can even do a soil analysis for a very small fee, and you will be right on the money with your fertilizer, etc.

I see that seavita listed various ligustrum. I don't think you can kill those too easily...a ver hardy plant specie.
 
I used English Laurel as a privacy hedge (not a tree). They grow (pretty quickly) to around 13 feet or so high and around 6 feet wide. Not sure if they're suitable to your zone but if a lush, evergreen hedge will do, check it out.
 
Seavita said:
Finally, privet shrubs are invasive plants; many choose not to grow them for this reason alone.
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I am one of the many that do not use privet for this reason.

I agree about the fence being cheaper than plants for the same effect. I'd been looking to do this exact same thing at my house.

A good choice for hedge (but unfortunately slow growing) is Arborvitae.

My favorite place to look for and buy these types of plants is the Arbor Day website. You join up for some small fee and get 10 free trees. If you pick them correctly, you should have what you want in some amount of time. The biggest trouble with these guys is that none of the trees they ship are taller than 1 foot or so. So it can be a long wait... but its a good way to save bucks.
 
Captain Leafheart said:
I used English Laurel as a privacy hedge (not a tree). They grow (pretty quickly) to around 13 feet or so high and around 6 feet wide. Not sure if they're suitable to your zone but if a lush, evergreen hedge will do, check it out.
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Appears that tree is very poisonous, fatal if eaten. I have a Boston Terrier that loves to play with twigs and sticks.
 
My privacy fence is three diferent colors. I used those 8' wood stockade fencing sections you can get at Lowes and such. Every several months I would pick a load of sections so it shows different amounts of weather. Not very noticeable from the street though.
 
You want privacy so you can run around nude in the backyard, huh? Take it from me, the neighbors only call the police the first time. Once they get used to it, you don't need the fence anymore.
 
The quickest and cheapest evergreen that is hardy in your zone is probably a Skyrocket Juniper (or some other upright columnar Juniper). The concerns that have arisen are all legitimate. The deer will not eat Juniper, it has a bitter taste (unless they are really desperate). The concern about cost is not an issue with these either, you should be able to get a 3-5 gallon pot for under $25.00 and they will grow reasonably quick. Privets are a real pain in the rear because they are invasive. The English Laurel, though a great idea, is not hardy in MN. Finally, if deer are a problem, I have tried and recommended every remedy out there and Hot Pepper Wax Spray is the best product you can buy. It contains Capsaicin like pepper spray, stays on the plants considerably longer than anything else, and just one bite is all it takes. If anyone has any questions, just give me a shout, this is what I do for a living
 
I'm not sure how the soil will do in your area for these, but the Leyland Cypress is the best bang for the buck around here.I planted 4 as a "barrier" between my neighbors yard and mine and all 4 are over 30 feet with no maintenence.
 
fatman1267 said:
The quickest and cheapest evergreen that is hardy in your zone is probably a Skyrocket Juniper (or some other upright columnar Juniper). The concerns that have arisen are all legitimate. The deer will not eat Juniper, it has a bitter taste (unless they are really desperate). The concern about cost is not an issue with these either, you should be able to get a 3-5 gallon pot for under $25.00 and they will grow reasonably quick. Privets are a real pain in the rear because they are invasive. The English Laurel, though a great idea, is not hardy in MN. Finally, if deer are a problem, I have tried and recommended every remedy out there and Hot Pepper Wax Spray is the best product you can buy. It contains Capsaicin like pepper spray, stays on the plants considerably longer than anything else, and just one bite is all it takes. If anyone has any questions, just give me a shout, this is what I do for a living
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I like those. Found a site that I can get 16-30" for $10. If they have a 2-3' spread how far apart would you plant them, 5-6'?

I think I like the blue point juniper better. 8' tall with a wider 4' spread.

My wife just called me (I am out of town for work) she said that she got a black hills spruce for free. I looked it up though and it is very slow growing and gets huge 40-60' with a 20-25' spread. She just got the root base, no grown tree yet.

I need to do something, my yard is very bare. The house had a huge Elm tree that was taken down a couple years before I bought the house. The backyard has a Crimson Maple that is dying and I will probably need to take down this year. Other than that the yard is bare with not much shade. I planted a 10' Autumn Blaze Maple last summer and have a small mature crab tree other than that.
 
Devil Doc said:
Just spread some blood meal around the trees. Great fertilizer and it keeps the deer at bay. Human hair from the local barber shop works as well as pissing around your plantings. Flatlanders, jeesh.

Doc.
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We've tried every kind of method out there. We must have some kind of special deer up here. :laugh:

We did find one commercial treatment that seemed to work better than anything else, but it is less expensive to build the fence than to treat everything for one season.

Got any ideas on how to keep the bear from trying to get in the garage? :)


We have a few of the skyrocket junipers. The deer pretty much leave them alone but they sure don't grow very fast here. Maybe they would do better down in Bloomington. We're kind of on the edge of two zones here.
 
Check out the Thuja Green Giants

Evergreens that grow approx 30' @ 3-5 feet per year.

You can pick up 1 gal size (24-30") for about $14 each online. (check out botanyshop.com for the best price on them)

I hope this helps

~Mark
 
Jonesy said:
I'm not sure how the soil will do in your area for these, but the Leyland Cypress is the best bang for the buck around here.I planted 4 as a "barrier" between my neighbors yard and mine and all 4 are over 30 feet with no maintenence.
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We planted 2' tall Leylands along our north side property line when we built the house in '01. Spaced them about every 6-8'. They are now 20' tall and all filled-in. Great barrier for wind and privacy.

The deer are as plentiful as rabbits in my area. Since the farm next door fenced in all their property last year, we see the deer in our yard nearly every day. They've munched on some of our "deer resistant" shrubs but have never gone near the Leyland's.

Just give them a lot of water for the first season and they'll do fine.
 
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