Screening trees ideas sought

Discussion in 'Landscaping' started by Tufan Chakir, 1st May, 2020.

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  1. Lacrim

    Lacrim Well-Known Member

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    Well, that's what's needed. 3-4 m won't screen a double store house of completely.

    I have seen lilly pillys > 5-6m (probably Syzgium Australes) but they tend to take up a lot of room at the bottom.

    I have also seen Leighton Greens reach a very decent height but unfortunately don't like the look of them.

    Magnolia Grandifloras can grow quite high but they are slow growing and not very dense so the neighbours can still have a filtered view.
     
  2. Scott No Mates

    Scott No Mates Well-Known Member

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    In that case, just find some paulownias, they may well hit the mark.
     
  3. Joynz

    Joynz Well-Known Member

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    Don’t paulownia’s lose their leaves in autumn? Not a lot of screening when that happens?
     
  4. Nodrog

    Nodrog Well-Known Member

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    Indian mast tree is narrow but may be too tall:

    1605612C-1922-48CD-8AC2-46978FA95A67.jpeg

    A6CE5B59-B70B-45FF-94EF-8FDA898CD153.jpeg
     
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  5. Joynz

    Joynz Well-Known Member

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  6. Nodrog

    Nodrog Well-Known Member

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    Sorry forgot to check location.
     
  7. david_fintech

    david_fintech Well-Known Member

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    Thanks and what tree would you recommend if there are water pipes underneath?

    I am thinking of the Lilly Pilly behind my front fence. Heard it's great for confined spaces due to its upright foliage and looking to grow to at least 3m. The area is around 55-60cm deep. There might be water pipes underneath.
     
  8. Millie

    Millie Well-Known Member

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    If you choose Lilly pilly, make sure you choose one that says “psyllid resistant”.

    Otherwise you will be forever spraying or pruning to fix a problem you can avoid.

    (Spoken from past experience:( )
     
  9. 29349

    29349 Well-Known Member

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    Don't plant anything on pipes
     
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  10. Lizzie

    Lizzie Well-Known Member

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    Build yourself a frame out of timber/steel posts and gal reo mesh - and throw a passionfruit vine or two over it. They will go nuts once spring starts, and you end up with bee loving flowers and delicious fruit

    This was one vine with one year's growth, planted to shade the west facing bedroom and screen the clothesline area

    20191031_103101.jpg
     
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  11. Lacrim

    Lacrim Well-Known Member

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    Just dovetailing on this thread, had a question:

    I know that when planting a hedge, to make it denser and taller, you're reqd to prune it on the sides as well as the top in its early years.

    If you have a mature hedge (say 4-5 years old) that you want to continue growing (much) taller, do you still prune the tops...or do you just let them go and prune just the sides?
     
  12. Westminster

    Westminster Tigress at Tiger Developments Business Member

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    It depends :)
    If you want the top to remain bushy and as thick and keep getting taller then you probably need to keep doing the tops. If it's reached the thickness you want then you can probably let it go and just do the tops when it gets too tall.
    If it's grown in nice and dense at the sides and isn't looking conical at the top you can probably let it go.
     
  13. Lacrim

    Lacrim Well-Known Member

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    Thanks...in that case, I probably need to give the tops a trim. Damn, I've just lost a few months of growth!
     
  14. property_noob

    property_noob Well-Known Member

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    I have some Murraya paniculata near my house and I am on clay soil.

    Could this cause any potential issues?
     
  15. vbplease

    vbplease Well-Known Member

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    Possibly? Are they new? Particularly when plants are new they draw up quite a bit of moisture as they take off, that's when they do most of the damage.. I'd keep a close eye on the external cladding, internal wall/ceiling linings and doors/windows.. at the first sign of movement I'd pull them out.
     
  16. property_noob

    property_noob Well-Known Member

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    They are around 2-3 years old. They were planted when the house was built.

    Here is a current picture of them:

    https://i.imgur.com/bBavWgm.jpg

    They were smaller and now have grown around 150cm in height.

    Specifically what kind of signs am I looking for in the cladding and internal wall/ceiling linings and doors/windows?

    By external cladding, do you mean brick? Because the external walls of my house is of brick.
     
  17. vbplease

    vbplease Well-Known Member

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    You'd be looking for cracking/gaps in the mortar of the external brickwork and cracking in the internal plasterboard. Also binding of the doors/windows i.e. difficult to open/close.

    The sharp falls in the ground (falling away from the house) look good. Good drainage helps with avoiding irregular wetting/drying of the foundation soils.
     
  18. property_noob

    property_noob Well-Known Member

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    By cracks/gaps do you mean something like this :

    https://fantastichandyman.com.au/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/guide-to-cracks-in-brick-walls.jpg

    If so, I don't have anything like this.

    I do have these though:

    https://i.imgur.com/Ly59gMC.jpg

    https://i.imgur.com/0BQZIP2.jpg

    I asked about these cracks a while back and most people said it was benign:

    Repairing cracked brick wall? Costs etc?

    There are 3 hairline cracks in the plasterboard around the house. The condition of these cracks has not changed over the course of 1.5 years. I marked them with a pencil to track them.

    Don't have any bindings of doors/windows.

    I am considering getting rid of the trees just to be on the safe side.

    I did make a post about my outdoor alfresco ceiling cracks:

    Are these ceiling cracks serious?

    I am not sure if it is related. But the alfresco is on a completely separate slab to my house slab and I don't have any trees in my backyard where my alfresco is located.

    Do appreciate your advice. It has been very helpful.
     
    Last edited: 14th Sep, 2021
  19. Lacrim

    Lacrim Well-Known Member

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    Would anyone recommend Murrayas for a hedge I intend to maintain at 1.5/1.6m or so?

    Am tossing up between Buxus Japonica and Murrayas. Murrayas will thicken up and grow faster (I think) but worried they'll get too woody/leggy if I cap their growth at that height. In regards ot the buxus, I prefer the look, but will they reach 1.5m...and inside say, 3 years? It's in a full sun position.
     
  20. Paul@PAS

    Paul@PAS Tax, Accounting + SMSF + All things Property Tax Business Plus Member

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    Buxus Japonica wont grow to 1.5m in a REAL long time as thats its max height so it could get a bit untidy on top. Best water, soil, fertiliser and slight trimming 2-3 times a year MAY get 300-400mm a year. From a 300mm plant allow 5+ years. The ability for it to thicken is also a factor. A hedge is 3 dimensions. My tip speak to a landscape wholesale nursery as there are other forms of hedging and the trade off for mature v young plants is a also a cost factor. Buxus is pretty boring without something else. Planting buxus close helps but too close is bad and too far apart also bad. Magnolia and other flowing plants may achieve a faster green result with some fragrence. eg Magnolia has a vivid deeper green shine that contrasts. Hedges easily too. Gardenia tends to be more woody but very fragrant but flowers burn.

    Buxus Microphylla Japonica [Japanese Box] XXLarge 500mm Pot. Box Hedge | Budget Wholesale Nursery Sydney 500mmm $100
    Buxus Microphylla Japonica [Japanese Box] Medium 250mm Pot. SALE Box H | Budget Wholesale Nursery Sydney 250mm $30

    These guys help my garden plan and sell fantastic healthy plants. I planted 250mmm japonica and 6 months later its doubled but inst uniform but a long way perhaps a extra 150mm is uniform height. My plan is a max 500mm height and depth in 3 years. The 300mmm port wine magnolia have tripled in height and doubled in width and will grow to 2m-3m but allow me to keep them to approx 1.8m to 2m (fence height) ...ideally in 18mths. I have a automated spray watering system as without it unequal growth will occur.
     
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