The wife and I are looking to add some privacy out by our road. We want something that grows pretty darn quick and nothing that needs a ton of maintenance. I’ve been doing a little research and have found hybrid willows. These things grow up to 11 feet in a year, up to 70 feet tall, and live a long time. I’m leaning this route, does anyone have experience with this tree?
Other recommendations are welcomed. I live in Michigan so whatever I plant needs to be hardy. Thanks in advance!
I planted 5 Emerald Green Arborvitae’s yesterday to block the view from our road.
people around here use these a lot, winter hardy but not sure how quick they grow. you can buy older / larger ones I suppose.Originally Posted by larryhyco
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Looking those up it appears they only grow about 6 or so inches a year.
Just research the tree variety as fast growing plants tend to be short lived. Evergreens are slower growing but provide a year round screen.
Most willows like a wetter area too, so pay attention to soil conditions. Evergreens typically don't like their feet wet.
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Hell NO! Don't plant those trash trees. You'll have more fallen limbs than you can pick up and many will die sooner than later. I tried to warn my FIL, but he planted them anyway and it looks like chit.
Not a bad choice
Thuja green giants (arborvitae) they grow about 5 feet a year. (Don’t think you can just get any arborvitae. Most are ssssslllllowww growers!.........I had to order the thujas online)
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looks like you’re up north; wouldnt those willows drop their foliage in the winter, kinda defeating the purpose?
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I Planted a long row of the thujas at the back of our yard by a busy road a few years ago. They definitely grew 5+ feet a year. Just left a soaker hose at the base of them all year and ran barely a trickle water out of the hose during the drier months. (Per a state arborist I consulted) they grew like weeds, are tough and have thick foliage year round!
Put up a little fencing and plant kudzu.
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Eastern Red Cedar.
Azure AZ200 (with stuff like cupholders, bathroom and table)
Leyland Cypress trees. Planting a row of them this spring.
Willows grow fast. About their only endearing quality. Roots, easily broken limbs, and small leaves are minuses. I wouldn’t.
Cedar as suggested, another evergreen shrub/tree. Arborvitae varieties, photinias, cedars, cypress. They all do well en masse planted fairly close together to fill in as a privacy screen, or drought tolerant. What length of property line are you trying to cover? How high?
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I found these a couple hours ago, I’m leaning in this direction.
Growing Tips
Slender and fast-growing at a rate at about 2 to 3 feet per year, Leyland cypress trees are generally grown to meet an urgent need for a mass of evergreen foliage to create a privacy hedge. A needled evergreen, its leaves consist of flattened sprays. Height can vary greatly, depending on the variety and the conditions in which you grow them. For best growth, plant in a full sun site with evenly moist fertilized soil. The average height for an untrimmed Leyland cypress is about 50 feet, but do not be surprised if yours grows much higher or much shorter than that. Taller than they are wide, the spread of this columnar tree is commonly only 1/3 or 1/4 of the height, sometimes less.
Ideal Conditions
Leyland cypress does not tolerate shade well. It grows best in open, sunny conditions and in most soil types, including clay, loam, and sand, acidic, and alkaline. It also tolerates drought and brief waterlogging.
To help its roots get established after spring or summer planting, water your Leyland cypress regularly. A Leyland cypress will take a few months to get established. After that, apply 1 gallon a week to the rootball if you live in USDA zones 7 or 8 and 2 gallons a week if you live in USDA zones 9 or 10. For the first and second years, water your Leyland cypress twice a week through spring and weekly in summer, tapering off to once to twice a month in winter. The older the tree, the longer you can go between waterings.
Use soaker hoses, not sprinklers that will wet the foliage.
Leyland cypress trees are best grown in planting zones 6 to 10 with temperature lows of -8 degrees Fahrenheit. However, zone-5 gardeners have been successfully growing them by providing mulch and an A-frame shelter in the winter months to protect them from snow and ice damage. Such sheltering is feasible only while the plants are young—unless you keep them short by pruning. Luckily, once the plants have matured, sheltering becomes unnecessary, as they will prove to be sufficiently cold-hardy in zone 5.
Fertilize Leyland cypress in early spring, before new growth begins. Spread a general-purpose, 10-10-10 fertilizer around the tree's drip line.
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Kropf Park model on Chautauqua Lake
Fish Chautauqua Lake and Lake Erie
Love bass and fly fishing for Trout and Steelhead
I’m steering away from the willow. I need to cover up around 75-100 feet of yard. Our house is lake side and sits higher than the house across the road we’re looking to get privacy from. I’d say probably 6-7’ tall would be a good point where we’ll start to get privacy from the house across the road. The Leyland Cypress I’m starting to look at now.
Yes, these.....I planted 5 of these last fall as a screen. Was told they grow 12-18"per year in height. Spread out 5'or so at base.
I’m hoping to get something that grows quicker than that.
I lived on a gravel road and needed a tree to screen the wind and dust. I tried several types and the only ones i will use are Norway or Blue spruce. They started slow but i added lime to the soil and they responded amazingly. The soft-fast growing trees were broken by ice and snow storms and even boring insects. plant a hardy tree or 5-8 years you will be starting over. they have since paved my road and i have a great windbreak-privacy screen. Plus if they salt your road in the winter, the salt can ruin some evergreen or yew hedges if planted too close to the roadway.
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If you have to pull out onto this road. Be sure to plant them back far enough from the road so you can see to get out
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