My Experience With a Living Fence After 5 Years

We have been living with a living fence for 5 years now, so I figured we would do an update as to how it is doing, how we like it, and the benefits we have experienced with it. I will also go over some of the things I have learned with it that I would do differently next time.

[@I_Stack_Metal]

2 years ago we put in a double row in our backyard 25 trees on one side of yard. They grew tremendously since then at least doubled in size. We just did 25 more on the other side last year. We did it ourselves. Just me a paraplegic in a wheelchair and my wife. It was hard but fun and watching them grow is so satisfying. They are the thuja green Giants. 50 trees not 1 death so far. Planted each one with a bag of mushroom compost. They loved it and are thriving.

[@AMKB01]

There are other benefits, for those of us who live in the country. We have gravel roads on the north and east sides of the old garden area on the property. One of them is remarkably busy. The dust kicked up by passing vehicles drifts our way and just hangs in the air like a fog. My mother spent about 30-40 years, slowly extending a lilac hedge along the north fence line, and it makes a HUGE difference in dust reduction. We are going to be able to continue what my mother started, filling a small gap in the north east corner, and the entire east side. I've got 30 Silver Buffalo Berry and 5 Sea Buckthorn to arrive in the spring. These will be for privacy, noise reduction, dust reduction, nitrogen fixing, and once they're fully grown, a deer barrier! Plus berries, for ourselves and the birds. :-)

[@carolgibson-wilson4354]

Nice idea and my fave bush/trees.

[@KR-ke4lz]

Another benefit to lilac is that you can dig the suckers and replant in other locations. They are free once you have a bush!

[@AMKB01]

@@KR-ke4lz That's exactly how my mother slowly extended the hedge. She started with one lilac. It is now about 300 feet.

[@beccagee5905]

You can eat lilac berries? I didn't even know they had berries. 😅 Is this plant different from the flowering lilac?

[@AMKB01]

​@beccagee5905 no, I was talking about the silver Buffalo berry and sea buckthorn hedge I've started. Lilacs do have seeds, and the flowers are edible. I've heard of lilac blossom jelly.

[@UrbanGardeningWithD.A.Hanks14]

The biggest mistake people make when planting trees for privacy, is putting them in a single row like this. Plant two rows on staggered centers for a faster and denser filling in, just like you plant veggies in staggered rows in the garden. Yes, It costs a bit more, but it's the only way to get the privacy you want at a fairly quick rate, and they won't have to fully grow into each other, which can cause some dieback. By the time these trees fill in, your daughter will be driving in traffic herself, LOL!

[@julianachandler2975]

Good idea!

[@UrbanGardeningWithD.A.Hanks14]

@@TrystynAlxander_PoI Very true!

[@micahmyers2558]

Just paused the video to say this. Staggered, they would have provided the privacy screen from the start.

[@UrbanGardeningWithD.A.Hanks14]

@@micahmyers2558 Yep, but 99% of people can't seem to observe the obvious. I've been telling my ex wife for 20+ years, not to do this. She says I'm right, and then plants everything in a single row the next time anyway. Then, she calls me for advice (that she never follows). You understand why we're divorced, right?

[@mietta11]

Somebody near us have put in a second row off centre that would look good and give you a thicker row. They could be smaller and look like a different hedge.

[@robine916]

This! ^^^💕

[@39Thorns]

Yes! Do blue point junipers, or random different stuff.

[@katiecardone9557]

A friend of mine in town has an arborvitae privacy fence and it is stunning. His is at least 20-25 feet tall so Maintenance involves scaffolding but that is only every few years or so. One thing to note is choosing your variety carefully based on your location. When I was growing up we lived in the country and planted an arborvitae privacy fence for around our pool. It seemed like a beautiful idea until the deer came over the winter and ate them all the way down to the trunk leaving only the tops where they couldn’t reach. We learned that arborvitae’s are one of deer favorite foods 🤦‍♀️. Every winter after that we had to wrap them in burlap and it took over 10 years for them to start looking normal again. My friend in town didn’t have this problem, so just note the wildlife in your area when choosing varieties.

[@MK-ti2oo]

We have gorgeous 150-200ft tall cedars all throughout our property here in Northern California and I watch the deer stand on hind legs this time of year when the snow covers the ground so they can eat the cedar twigs off of the trees we've trimmed up lol.

[@the1plantguy]

As a Landscape contractor in Southern California (and a regular customer), One thing you need to prepare for is the pest control per the species you plant. Arborvitae tend to attract spider mites which can be devastating to a garden in the hot summer.

[@darlenerabe-kerr2743]

I’ve lived in OR & CA and experienced the spider mite contagion of which you speak. Now back home in Michigan, moved into a property with an arborvitae and thought to myself, “I’m going to have to watch for spider mites, and possibly take out that arborvitae”. Long story short I’ve done nothing but “watch” and the plant is perfectly healthy. Not sure what it is…perhaps someone more knowledgeable can speak to the risk of spider mites PHN arborvitae

[@cozyoakshomestead832]

I have yet to see spider mites on arborvitae or any plant in my outside garden here in MI. not sure if its a humidity thing or not. but inside is a different story. they find my houseplants all the time !

[@the1plantguy]

@@cozyoakshomestead832 yeah, they are horrible when they are inside.

[@faithevrlasting]

fungus gnats maybe, not spider mites?@@cozyoakshomestead832

[@bookswithatwist-vanvelzerp9262]

have you ever seen a holly hedge ? and if so what are the pros and cons ? I know I need to find some Male Hollies - all mine are female and I get no berries now

[@leslieyoung2814]

I saw someone in my neighborhood recently with raspberry brambles for a front yard living fence. It was beautiful and a great way to add more fruit!

[@sugarloaf10]

You can plant tall ornamental grasses in between the trees for full screening, inexpensive and easy to plant. Recommended spacing is always ignored when we plant. Plant for now-5 years THEN you can always dig up and move the mature trees or shrubs as needed.

[@justuslightworkers]

I planted a row of sunflowers along the edge of my property a few years ago, very densely. People thought it was very pretty, and some neighbors did the same thing last year. Over a few months it became a beautiful privacy fence for that year, plus it fed the birds. I hope to do it again when I plant my living fence, filling in the gaps until they can do so on their own. I used a couple different varieties, one was Autumn Beauty and the other one I don't remember the name. Several packets worth of both. I just mixed them all together in a bowl, and sprinkled them all over the ground in a tilled row which was about two feet thick. Got them covered over by shaking it all in with my hands, and then watered. It was all pretty easy to do, and beautiful. It was so eye-catching that sometimes people came and asked if they could buy some cut flowers!

[@sbffsbrarbrr]

My goodness, I wish I could do that......love sunflowers! But the squirrels would get to them long before the sunflowers had any privacy affect. They just chew trough the stalk when there aren't even any viable seeds. I'm going to give sunflowers one more shot this year. Bought a bag of Burpee "Teddy Bear". Looks more like a flower before the seedhead matures. Maybe that will help. If not, I will just give up. So envy you!

[@messagegoeshere741]

I use a large bag of sunflowers for birds. Growing more means you have some left after the wild life helps themselves. Also, sunchokes are in the same family as sunflowers but the tubors are edible. And come back year after year

[@aniecaturner1355]

It looks great! Something to consider, you could plant a second row alternating your existing row. As you mentioned, it would give you an even denser wind break, dampen sound further and fill in those gaps.

[@faithevrlasting]

Hey Luke, Dont let the recogition and honking bother you. It doesnt bother us. Its kinda cool, actually. Beautiful results!

[@katywilliamson2270]

What about planting hydrangeas in front to fill in the holes?

[@stevenrhodes6682]

My wife and I are currently doing a row of lilac bushes. We used an old bush’s suckers. Basically free, minus some blisters

[@sunshine_and_flowers]

We have a steep hillside in our backyard and there is a road above. A fence would have been really expensive, so I planted a row of arborvitae since they are pretty skinny and narrow. The living fence has helped reduce erosion of my hillside and has provided privacy, wind protection and less weeds from tumbling into our yard. We also have a row of dwarf pampas grass (around 6ft tall) as a living hedge on part of the hillside and that has also worked very well for us and those grew super fast. My arborvitae still have some gaps and have been planted for years but they are finally filling out.

[@michaelrenaud3662]

Luke love all your info over the years. I have living fences at home here in Toronto on a corner we used red cedar and is 6 years old full and we top it every 2 years. I put in a drip line and fertilize twice a season. April and July. Up north I have an ornamental grass hedge. We get lots of wind off Georgian Bay and this is amazing as it’s cuts the wind but has great movement and sound. It gets cut down each spring and by August is back up to 8 feet topping out at 12 feet by September. Miscanthus sinues “morning light” I have had so many compliments and other cottages have copied this look. I can send a pic if you would like.

[@pinonpuppy7363]

They are beautiful! In the city we had Pyracanthas growing against a brick wall. The flowers were absolutely gorgeous, looked like snow! Here in the country Lilacs are growing against a fence. It's been several years, the Elk kept eating them down until I finally put wire over them. They also catch the dust kicked up by cars on the dirt road.

[@charliehoos9773]

My brother had the same problem and planted bushes between fencing at openings calling it “Privacy Screening”. Around the bottom of the bushes he put “support” fencing unseen by the road, but sealed the ‘fenced area’ so the children/puppy couldn’t get out.

[@brat46]

What about putting a wooden raised bed of blueberry plants in the yard side to take up space in between the arborvitaes? It would hopefully keep the little one in the yard.

[@katiesoderling3596]

This is so helpful. We live on a busier street and have been thinking about using arborvitae as a living privacy fence. Good to know about them providing a wind and noise barrier too!

[@ingni123456]

Is there an advantage to staggering the trees in two rows? You could increase the thickness and consistency of the fence over time

[@homesteadgmad8223]

I was thinking the same!

[@LivingForJesusMennoniteMom]

This is what I came to comment on also... Do another row inside in between what's already there.

[@justuslightworkers]

One side of our property has huge white pine trees staggered 3 layers thick at 5 feet apart. Definitely beneficial!

[@39Thorns]

Yes, you could zig-zag the plantings to make them a bit more condensed, and they'd fill out better (thicker)

[@CariMachet]

Exactly what I was thinking > he could plant another row now actually and make a huge difference > maybe move them when the other original row fills out

[@takeitslowhomestead5218]

Hi. Thanks always for the great information. Have you considered planting another row of the same kind of trees 2 or 3 feet behind these, off-setting them so they fill in the gaps? I know you’d have to pay again and wait for growth, but the end product would be a solid wall, safer, more private, and even less noise. (Or...you could skip all that, and just move out of the city! 😏)

[@helen2061]

Luke, I moved to a house with an arborvitae hedge in front that must be 30 years old. It's wonderful! All the shrubs have grown together and are about 9 feet tall. They also serve as housing for many kinds of birds and bunnies. I mulch with pine needles and only water when we have drought conditions.

[@elizabethwilliams7298]

Yes.... Thank you for doing a follow up video on this!!! I love follow up videos from a year or two later. Would love to see a follow up video on things like growing blueberries from seed, how your fruit trees look from beginning to now, exc.

[@norxgirl1]

We planted over 125 Arbavitae Green Giants several years ago when they were about 2 feet tall bare root. Learned a lot, lost a few.....tallest ones may be 10 to 12 feet now, some shorter. Love that they are starting to block the view of our home from the road.

[@Axelonmorales]

Wow pretty strict regulations you have there, I would feel very uncomfortable without privacy. Hope those trees grow fast! Very interesting.

[@KR-ke4lz]

I have several living fences. One is made of wild roses, another is lilacs, and the last on is blue spruce. I love the privacy. I also live on a corner. It helps a lot with wind, dust, and noise, except for the noise from the birds who like to perch there. My fruit trees behind the living fence seem to do the very best too. It is lots of work to keep them watered in my climate. I have to water once a week, but it is well worth the benefits.

[@benderrodriquez]

I live in Brisbane, Australia. My front yard is bordered by a row of Murraya's that I let grow to a height of 1.8 m with shorter shrubs in front of it. I have a hidden sheep wire fence between the two rows. There's a great many wasp nest's in the Murraya hedge, which makes it a pain when trimming, but is a bonus in terms of security. A section of my back fence is overgrown with Bougainvillea, you will be hard pressed to find a better security barrier than that!

[@RobbieRad]

We have similar regulations here in western ny. We are limited to 3ft in the front yard. So a local fella put a sign out that said clean fill wanted. He made a 20ft berm wall across the front of the yard cuz he had the space to do it and put a 3ft fence on top of that going the distance with grapes trellised on it. Good for you for making it work Luke. Thanks for the tips as well I have been designing a windbreak for our homestead with arborvitae so I appreciate the tips. Happy 22’

[@dyelonjoyce7130]

A good tip i was told is to plant them in a zigzag pattern instead of a straight line so that they can be planted closer together but still won’t suffocate each other when they get bigger

[@falsificationism]

Wow I'm an old-timer. I remember the video when you moved into that neighborhood and had the entire city zoning fiasco. I'm glad it worked out--natural fences for the win! Hope the little babies grow tall and strong.

[@KelJayP]

I have 4 staggered along my side fence line that I planted strategically to block the windows of nosy neighbors, and its amazing how fast they grew. Those neighbors are gone now, and this summer I'll do a good pruning to open them up a bit. The drawbacks for me are animals burrowing under them (a skunk one year!), and the hordes of mosquitos that love them.

[@G-boi]

You could plant something in front or behind(depending how you look at it) to fill in the open space until the hedge has grown to it's full size.

[@griffith1225]

That's a genius idea.💡 It would be much easier to maintain too because of using sealants to maintain a wood fence. Thanks for sharing your ideas and tips with everyone.

[@MiddleEastMilli]

Excellent point!

[@Demebeso714]

Omg not even Winter stops you! Hahahahahahahaha.. great video!!

[@matts.6904]

Many people grow that same Arborvitae cultivar in my area of Northwest FL (called "Emerald Green" down here). I have observed that at least here they are pretty slow growing. They don't do well in our very poor sandy soil (there's almost no organic matter!), and tend to die after being stunted for years. But when they are happy, they have a nice rich, green color. They do better in a large pot with rich soil here. I think they are a great choice for you notwithstanding the issues you pointed out. Another extremely good hedge/screen/windbreak evergreen species for your area that is faster growing and does get taller is the Eastern Red Cedar cultivar called "Taylor." It was developed in Nebraska and is super hardy.

[@trishthehomesteader9873]

Thanks Luke! 🙂 Hope there's and cup of hot tea waiting for you!☕ Blessings!

[@cbass2755]

I added arborvitae’s along my chain fence for privacy in my back yard 3 years ago, and they filled out nicely. It’s beautiful! I did it to block out the horrible neighbor on the other side. And yes, it pissed her off!! But can now have privacy without her watching me. They also give her free privacy too if she could think of it that way! Their beautiful and everyone that comes over loves it. Oh…the one thing I don’t like about them…man…the spiders that nest in them are huge!!!!!! Yikes…I stay away!!

[@kathleenworkman2038]

I love my living fence. It's going on 4 years old. The birds love it too.

[@ross-smithfamily6317]

Luke, I ❤ love ❤ the living fence!! Awesome solution that works even better than the original fence plan.

[@donnaolsen1307]

We live in southeast MI and put in emerald king arborvitae fence as well. I did plant them 2 1/2 feet and wish I planted them 3 feet. Ours have my neighbors soaker hose on one side and our sprinkler system on the other. They grew up fast! I’d recommend runner a soaker hose along them on a timer and watch them shoot up. I had to replace one and just fertilized it more than the others. It caught up pretty quickly-a couple years-but I did buy larger replacement tree than the originals.

[@rickkube4608]

I've done that as well.... here is a tip..... get some tree spikes (fertilizer) for evergreens..... put one between every other tree and they pick up the pace a bit.... did that every other year and it really helped! Keep up the good work.

[@tyreinhard8320]

You should do limelight hydrangeas they will fill in and get tall after a few years. And flower all season long. Very good fence option with them.

[@camicri4263]

Thanks Luke, we have a fance that needs to be replaced and is so expensive! We are going to do it in fazes but I was thinking too stil plant a living fens to kind of be taller than the fence. Wind break would be awesome and noise of course.

[@joeyhardin1288]

Thanks Luke. I did plant a living fence, blueberries. They are about 4 feet tall. God Bless and stay safe.

[@colliecoform4854]

I have a living fence in two places in my yard. One is a whole side of my backyard and on encloses the patio on one side. I love them. One is aborvitae and now that it is filled in it has created a nice little mini climate..

[@krussell9995]

The face you made when the car honked 😆 I grew up in the country and we had our whole yard completely surrounded by a living fence. There was a mix of a type of hedge bush (couldn't tell you what it was but we had to trim it), cedar trees and lilacs.

[@urbanmuslimgarden4491]

My neighborhood is similar most homes have no fences in the front or back. Thankfully the block is really quiet. Great information in this video. Hopefully it fills out soon and also people respect your privacy.

[@lindapetersen1800]

Luke it is something about the people !!! Wanted to buy Land in another state then I found out You can't build a A FRAMED LOG HOME on the 10 acres off of the ROAD no one would have seen it or NO Larger than chickens and you have to borrower a Rooster for the spring time HUH !!! I feel how you feel !!! Almost makes you want to go on out and buy 100 acres and not see anyone at all !!!

[@homesteadgmad8223]

I wonder how our Founding Fathers would feel if they heard about such restrictions? 🤔

[@maggieshreve8107]

Great info thanks! Have you thought about adding a drip system on a timer for your 'fence'?

[@1TsuNami]

We planted a small portion with a living fence last year. They are just small little trees at the moment, but we are very hopeful it will help with some privacy in a few years. Hearing your thoughts on yours and although we planted a different variety of arborvitae, crossing my fingers they are not too far apart.

[@yippikiyay197]

I would buy another set, plant one a day, and get the privacy you want now. Throw a simple drip hose. Trim back anything extra. Cool video

[@wesh388]

Certain tall grasses or bamboo would make a good living privacy fence.. I also made a temporary privacy fence from our pole beans this year. Great video, as always!

[@cathiwim]

Bamboo is invasive and many places wont let you plant it

[@wesh388]

@cathiwim depends what type of bamboo. There are clumping and spreading types, but both can be contained with the proper methods to keep them from becoming invasive.

[@AdrianIII]

Great solution! BTW: The horn disturbance would have gone by almost unnoticed, had you ignored it.

[@kellyriddell5014]

That's true, but I can also understand how it could be distracting for him. Feeling like someone is trying to get your attention makes it easy to lose your train of thought.

[@CariMachet]

Well it’s like Chinese water torture > let’s see you ignore Chinese water torcher !!!!! > when things happen over and over for a long period of time it is difficult and I think you lack empathy AND compassion > fortunately those things are free for everyone to cultivate

[@b_reel]

Willow is apparently a really great privacy fence as well, if you’re not deterred by the possibility of the roots spreading on your property. Lots of cool videos on how to trim and maintain it over time, it just gets stronger.

[@justuslightworkers]

For dwarf ones I would probably plant 2 feet apart rather than 2.5. Also! Cedars (and pines) have very beneficial qualities. The wood of course, smells great, and that alone is good for health, as well as childhood development. Cedars and pines are also good at absorbing and clearing things like pollutants in the air, acting like a huge filter. That will help with with your property air quality, your health, and is probably one of so many reasons your plants and produce do so well. Your immediate neighbors are of course benefiting from that as well. You are exchanging with each other water and air quality. Keep it up, looks great!

[@kristinesutton846]

you know what i would do is add some tall 5' to 8' growing grasses in between these plants or like in a saw blade format . that would cut down more people walking through. and more protection for noise ect.

[@Hello-Emily]

Yes! And the grasses grow fast so they add that privacy quickly when they’re in season

[@kristinesutton846]

@@Hello-Emily even during the winter and then cut them down early spring, leaving protection for birds and seeds for birds to eat during winter.

[@sunny1433]

Back in the day we had a hedge row around our property line. One side was all forsythia plants, beautiful yellow wall in the spring. Of course you’d have to trim & shape them each year but with electric hedge trimmers it would be easy. We used to hand clip them, time consuming but lots of fresh air. I now have on my current property 20 ft tall abervides they were here about 5 ft tall in 2000 when I bought the house. I have a stone wall around the property so they are strategically placed for privacy & work great , the birds love the protection they provide & the deer feed on them in the winter, it’s a win/win.

[@ComeWalkThroughMyGarden]

The look is beautiful, especially in the long run. Unfortunately, for my area in CT the deer eat even our deer resistant plants come late Fall through early Spring. We had to pull out the arborvitaes after 4 years of wrapping, spraying, and whatever we could think of to deter them.

[@carolgibson-wilson4354]

We had a privet hedge constantly trimmed at 3' across the front yard. I did the trimming wuth hedge clippers. When I moved out Daddy bought en electric trimmer.

[@mikeannmilesandmasonelliot9313]

I had a forsythia hedge that did not work. It was not dense enough and grew too wide. The 6 foot width required trimming 3-4 times per year to keep it away from the road. I tore them out just this fall and planted arborvitae similar to yours. I planted them myself with help from my wife and son, at36” centers. 30 bushes. The bushes were about 36” tall and I was able to buy them at end of season for 1/2 price. Hopefully they take hold. Thanks for the idea. Yours look great.

[@kat6084]

we have a corner lot also but we can have a chain link fence. when we moved in there was a nice box hedge that was about 6 feet & nice privacy. Unfortunately, they are dying off. hadn't thought of trees like this.

[@robine916]

Have you tried cutting the box hedges down aggressively? My parents have done this to theirs and they grew back thicker. 💕

[@yeevita]

Are there any bamboo that would survive in your zone? Maybe put bamboo pots in between your arbor vitae. You could also consider other evergreen options between the existing arbor vitae, such as holly, which would be smaller and could fit in between. Or maybe berry bushes in between and not cut down the canes until spring? Here, people grow roses are a living fence.

[@homesteadgmad8223]

I would be vengeful, as well!! I have NEVER of such a law! I lived in San Francisco...There were metal and wooden privacy fences everywhere, some over 6' tall! Another dangerous factor for your family are dangerous dogs. I almost got attacked by my rude neighbor's Piitbulls and Great Dane! Had to call the sheriff out 2x!! The ONLY thing that kept me from being another statistic was I was packing. Sorry the trees are going to take longer than anticipated, but you are one of those folks that is ALWAYS thinking...ALWAYS analyzing and working towards solutions! THAT is one of the things I greatly admire you for! 😊 Kudos on finding a wonderful solution that is helpful on many fronts! 🤩

[@FloridaGirl-]

I’d take a living fence anyday. Year by year I went down 6 of my 10 acres on each side. (When I lived in Mich). With pines. Amazing how fast they did grow. Added a shrub way in front. Was awesome

[@JamieE76]

Great video! Wind break and noise reduction are going to improve so much in another 5 years of growth. I would give it another 10 years to really hit full size and fill in completely.

[@JoyJohnsonWrit3r]

You may want to try capping the trees at the desired height. It will take a while, but once they are not able to grow up taller they will begin to re-direct their growth to growing wider. Then lightly trim the sides you want to grow the most. Eventually the bushes will be large enough for you to shave into a uniform shaped living fence. Just my thoughts.

[@Sarah19604]

Try some of the many large ornamental grasses to fill it in. They grow fast and you can divide them if you need to multiply them to fill other spaces.

[@amandacollins518]

Thank you for your sacrifice for our benefit of learning

[@iriefarms1212]

I’d Honk by as Respect to the Gardener yet I Getttt, it Fam. Hahaha. But it’s also a HUGE Blessing to get that Love Correspondence

[@xavierpaul852]

Keep it Going 👍👍 1M milestone is very close

[@HalfNoodley]

So, a hedge?

[@jvin248]

Order Miscanthus Giganteus ornamental grass to plant a row inside your trees and checkerboard with them. These are a sterile ornamental and thus do not escape where you plant them. They will grow faster than your trees and top out about the same height. I ordered and planted stock from Mapleriverfarms here in Michigan to quickly block off a new subdivision added next door. The other item I added is Michigan Elderberry from Coldstreamfarms as they grow fast and fill in too (though they can get a bit unruly) but can make jelly/juice/pies. I ordered pawpaw stock from Nash Nurseries (but not for a hedge) to add fruit trees plus some nut trees in the yard - "best time to plat a tree is twenty years ago, second best is today".

[@missietgardendelight6029]

Summer 2014, we had our entire yard landscaped. We live on a corner lot but that rule does not apply in our area. We wanted to sit on our patio without neighbors peering at us. We wanted privacy from cars driving by corner of lot. We decided to put in a living fence in back and corner side of property. On the other side, our neighbor has a fence that separates our properties. We maintain the side facing our property with paint. We chose a variety of Cryptomeria Trees as a living fence. I am 5 feet 8 inches tall. When trees were planted over 7 years ago, they probably came to my waist. They are now over 20 feet tall and beautiful. They have grown close together and created the privacy we wanted without the constant maintenance of a wood fence. A drawback of a living fence is it doesn’t prevent deer from coming on property eating garden plants, flowers and roses. The deer have become a big problem in recent years. Last summer we had a tall fence installed around 2 raised beds.

[@sunshine_and_flowers]

You can add a second row of trees on the front or back of these and place them where the gaps are.

[@Mike-hr6jz]

So in between each tree you plant Japanese grass .it grows 4 to 5 feet high quickly and would be dance enough to fill in between the trees as the trees fill out you cut out the extra grass.

[@mountainfigsperennialfruits]

Great observations. The sound and wind and pollution dampening effects are very real, with many benefits. Yes, as noted elsewhere in the comments a double, staggered row would be even more effective in all ways, though of course more costly, and space grabbing. If you don't mind irregular mowing, you could add a few staggered trees, cost-effectively per benefit return. Might make the aesthetics more intriguing too, any mowing concerns aside. Interplanting with black elderberry, if protected from deer browse, would give you a quick spring/summer/fall living wall, with significant winter benefit too. Space tradeoffs but even an elderberry planted every-so-often could have a big and fast effect. And great for songbirds. Also, if I understand correctly, you have water flowing past your trees? And since you need water for faster growth, digging a mini swale or series of mini swales to slow, spread, sink, and store water in the ground, creating a water battery, would help. Depending on your type of soil, even taking a spade upslope of your trees to create slits or little trenches can help as types of microswales to capture and store more water in ground.

[@katherinekelly4782]

This was my favorite video you've ever done.

[@dsergt]

I'd love to see someone do this using 3-5 different variety of evergreens. Diversity would increase the visual interest.

[@ElderandOakFarm]

This is what I'm doing in my fromt yard. For visual interest as well as budget reasons. I've been planting it as I find plants on clearance, & "foraging" them. But for our side yard & back yard we've decided to take advantage of my ability to purchase wholesale, & buy enough to plant the entire perimeter around our sides & back.

[@lillianbecker5317]

If your sun and other components of your environment on that side of the yard permit it, could you put a long bed (or a series of small beds) behind your trees with trellises positioned in the gaps between the trees? Then, visually, you will have more of a fence until the trees fill in.

[@susangibbons312]

Thank you! Any thoughts on shade-tolerant shrubs or small trees that might work well for this? Our front yard is actually quite private, but our backyard has a few spots that could use filling in. Really only gets sun about 4 hours/day back there. Thanks again, I love your YT show.

[@lindag4484]

We have 20, 12 foot tall, Emerald King arborvitae at the back of our property. In times of drought, we give them water. They are beautiful and a huge asset to the property. We don't want to lose any for lack of rain.

[@crystal7217]

I think this is a beautiful, creative solution. I agree you need some form of fence for your little girl. I think it looks gorgeous.

[@upnorth818]

I was thinking about planting a hedge by my alley this spring. But I think the arbor vitae would be a better choice. Evergreens just look better here in MN where winters are long.

[@drakunauger3324]

Although it may be counterintuitive, the option of hedge apple/Osage orange trees could've been used as an outer wall with the conifers as an inner one, but there's a chance of your daughter hurting herself on that outer wall, and there would have to be maintenance if they don't merge into a hedge properly

[@homesteadgmad8223]

I'm a country girl...I LAUGHED when I saw the suggestion of using HEDGE, as I am quite familiar with it! It WOULD be great, wouldn't it?!! It would be a great deterrent for trespassers...humans and dogs! Unfortunately, in our modern culture, one runs the risk of being sued if a trespasser poked himself while trying to trespass!! 😑

[@justuslightworkers]

I wouldn't use Osage orange, especially in the city. And especially if there are children. Just, no.

[@Questor-ky2fv]

Arborvitae are great tree shrubs. Several plces I've lived had one or two, but not as fences. However, they are ideal for this purpose. They stay deep green year round, wildlife like their berries, they grow very dense even if you only have one, they keep growing, and birds often nest in them. They do need some trimming, but that's the only real negative, but any plant eventually needs trimming. At my childhood home we had one behind the dining room and two behind the garage. Both robins and mockingbirds nested in them. At my previous home there was one on each front corner of my trailer. Again there were birds nesting there almost every year I was there. I lived there and in my childhood home a long time, and those arborvitae got really big during my residency. Like what at least one other poster said, you should plant a double staggered row to get them to fill in more quickly.bit will also provide a denser barrier.🌲

[@The1stChristgrl]

Dear Luke, my grandparents ALWAYS had people honking in yge way past their house saying hi in passing. They were VERY WELL KNOWN in their community, but it didn't take social media to get that way. But they never felt like they were losing privacy. I understand you are often filming, but hey... we all should know how well known your own community knows you. That's the more important stuff. But I'm glad you though of a living fence to protect you daughter.

[@pamsweeney1171]

Thuja plicata is what we chose: fast growing and we have not lost one of them. They are 20" high now. Gorgeous!

[@ldg2655]

This is very helpful.. Although we live in the country and have no restrictions, we live on a busy country road and need noise dampening and a wind break to the south, and DEFINITELY a wind break to the north..

[@ak-79]

Can you add more trees by planting them in a checkered pattern? Plant more in front of the gap?

[@GeorgeLucas1138]

My suggestion as a former landscaper, plant another row behind and staggered to fill the gaps. These also should be far more full by now. I suggest adding a drip line. All our customers who had them had amazing success with the arborvitae. They can kinda be babies so good luck

[@riffhurricane]

I was watching this sewing up a hold in a sock. I'm considering donating the needle & thread so you can take care of your gloves! 👍

[@georgek9779]

It might be cost prohibitive but I would consider planting a second row to fill the gaps of the row you have. I did something similar with Virginia Arborvitae trees. They are very similar to green giants and grow 3-4’ per year but top out at 14’ tall and 6’ wide. I planted them 6’ apart and planted a second row staggered 6’ behind the first row. I planted 1-2’ trees and 3 years later they are between 7-8’ tall

[@EastxWestFarms]

Nice to hear the benefits of a living fence. We plan to build one using a Texas native tree, Osage oranges or bodark. It is what the pioneers used before the invention of barb wires.

[@goyaliza]

Which Texas Native are you planning on planting?

[@EastxWestFarms]

@@goyaliza Osage oranges aka bodark.

[@GorillasAndGardens]

I’m growing southern wax Myrtle’s by seed this month to create a living fence. Our backyard was shared with a farm. It was wonderful, but farmer had to sell to a new development. A bar and live music venue is going in right behind our house. 😢 We also aren’t allowed any fences in our neighborhood at all. After 2-3 years, I plan to plant crepe Myrtle’s and rose of Sharon’s slightly in front (into our yard), staggered in front of the wax Myrtle row. Maybe a vitex and/or Texas mountain laurel. (Texas Hill Country)

[@ruthannjones5873]

Consider the negatives of a wind break. I live about an hour north of Atlanta. So a very different environment. A development went in next door and summer time is now a mesquito paradise. They love it.

[@nicolegreenough961]

I did the same thing: planted them far enough apart to touch when fully grown. However for a while they are just open in between. I also wish I had put them closer together so that they could grow as a green fence sooner rather than later

[@stephenellis3609]

Instead of staggering more trees which would double the cost, you could choose a few varieties of ornamental grass that grow 4’-6’ tall and stagger them just outside the arborvitae’s. The grass will grow fast and shade the ground around the roots. Helping to stop water evaporation around the roots of the trees and provide more privacy quickly. While also adding a more interesting look to the living fence.

[@jenjohnson2984]

We started an edible living fence. Raspberry bushes that will eventually take over the entire back line of our property. Keeps the weirdos out and berries. Win/win!

[@christopherpcreation]

Love winter content

[@tova41951]

Also will be good curb appeal if you should sell. Very nice. Best regards from your southern neighbor, beautiful cold Wisconsin. 💖