hutch Posted June 14, 2009 Hope I have posted this in the right spot, apologies if not. I would be interested in any recommendations in regards to a plant that will screen my neighbors out . I have been extremely lucky for the past 4 or so years that our neighbors have only visited their 25 acre block on school holidays as she is a school teacher in a nearby town. The other side of our property is a 1000 acre cattle farm so effectively we haven't had any visible neighbors which has been great. When they do visit they run a loud generator for hours on end whilst they run a stereo at full volume to drown out the generator and so on. I'ts not been too bad as it is only now and again. He was out a few weeks back, chain saw in hand and was cutting down some of the regrowth around his fence line. His off cuts just happened to find there way over my fence (they found there way back over pretty quick and I took some snaps). Some people are just plain arrogant! These are bush blocks I might add and most of us keep them that way, apart from grazing a couple of cows, I keep most of mine as is. Some of it I want to return to rain forest. The wild life is just amazing. Any how, the bull dozer has been at it all weekend now, (though I did think there was a moratorium on cutting down timber(regrowth) in Qld at the moment) so I think they are not far from building If I can find a fast growing, not nice tasting, (cows and wildlife) hedge or vine or something I would be grateful. I need to cover a distance of about 250 metre's too effectively block them out from anywhere within my house yard. My peace is shattered!!! please help! Hutch Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ThunderIdeal Posted June 14, 2009 ..... i'm thinking maybe chinese elm (i think it's called Sinene chinensis) as a TEMPORARY screen while something slower takes its place. it's a really nasty weed of a tree and scheduled, be careful.. it goes hard, but you will have seedlings coming up no end until you destroy the lot. it may be toxic to cattle, check. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mr Stay Puft Posted June 14, 2009 are you after a native screening? there are a few ways you could approach it... i guess the second question is do you want it quick growing... coppiced eucalypts can make good screens, acacias do fine as well, grevillia are great, but depends on what height you are looking to screen.... i guess melaleuca stypholoides would be best, not very palatable, reasonably dense, and should be on the faster side of things... maybe even callistemon! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
J Smith Posted June 14, 2009 (edited) TI, Chinese elm - Ulmus parvifolia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Elm The tree has become invasive, notably in southern Africa, and is known as one of the 'Nasty Nine' in Namibia, where it was planted as a street tree in Windhoek. The Chinese Elm has also shown invasive species tendencies in some gardens in North America and South-Eastern Queensland, Australia. My mother-in-law has grown a nice looking screen of something around her place. I'll find out what it is. EDIT: OK well she has a layered "hedge" of hakeas, callistemons and grevilleas. Nice screening from ground to 4-5 meters up. From memory it grew pretty quickly. Attracts lots of wildlife. Not sure if it would be eaten by cows though - insert obligatory mother-in-law joke here Good luck hutch, let us know what you end up with. I'd love to have a living fence rather than a brick one. Edited June 14, 2009 by madhouses visites Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ThunderIdeal Posted June 14, 2009 that's her. i just realised the real question here is what kind of screen isn't going to be eaten by cattle. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hutch Posted June 14, 2009 that's her.i just realised the real question here is what kind of screen isn't going to be eaten by cattle. Bingo! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hutch Posted June 14, 2009 TI, Chinese elm - Ulmus parvifolia.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Elm The tree has become invasive, notably in southern Africa, and is known as one of the 'Nasty Nine' in Namibia, where it was planted as a street tree in Windhoek. The Chinese Elm has also shown invasive species tendencies in some gardens in North America and South-Eastern Queensland, Australia. My mother-in-law has grown a nice looking screen of something around her place. I'll find out what it is. Had a look at the link and I don't think its what I'm after. Need something that screens from the ground to at least 2 meters. Be interested in whats at your mother in laws though. Thanks for that.. Hutch Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rogdog Posted June 14, 2009 (edited) Eucalyptus platypus spaced 4-5 meters apart makes a great screen/wind break. I'm not sure about wether cows like it. Fast growing, and drought tolerant I guess at 5 meters apart, thats 50 trees....you would get total screening faster, but you could stretch them out to 8-10 meters apart Edited June 15, 2009 by rogdog Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ThunderIdeal Posted June 15, 2009 Had a look at the link and I don't think its what I'm after. Need something that screens from the ground to at least 2 meters. Be interested in whats at your mother in laws though. Thanks for that..Hutch it would screen from the ground up when it's growing (quickly), you will need to destroy them long before they become bare-trunked. i only intended their use temporarily while a slower shrub grows. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hutch Posted June 15, 2009 it would screen from the ground up when it's growing (quickly), you will need to destroy them long before they become bare-trunked. i only intended their use temporarily while a slower shrub grows. That makes sense, thanks mate. I'm thinking of lilly pilly's at the moment. Only thing is will my cows eat them down? I haven't been able to find out yet. I don't think they would be toxic as the fruit are edible however cows are different. It would be a pointless exercise if the cows and other wildlife (vermin) ate them down. Or maybe a wall of dragon fruit cactus. Again, I need to find out whether cows go for it and if it is toxic to them. Make a great fire break though and it is fast growing and the fruit is divine... Thanks again for your input though..... Cheers Hutch Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
volcanicplug Posted June 16, 2009 you could plant a long row of clumping bamboo (running bamboos can become invasive) such as Oldham bamboo (Bambusa oldhamii).....i have been growing some myself and my horse leaves it alone...once established clumps grow extremely quickly.... i believe the shoots are edible to!.... check out... http://images.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=...26newwindow%3D1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Smiling Cloud Posted June 16, 2009 You could plant some Dendrocnide excelsa and you'd have noone coming to bother you, or at least if they did if you'd hear them coming. Some Piper subpeltatum would grow very quickly and is an ethno. Or acacia (very common purpose for this tree, not sure on cow edibility). However the best one would be a wall of trichs, would look cool, would block out noise due to being fleshy and, well you'd have lots of trichs. The downside is the time factor... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hutch Posted June 16, 2009 you could plant a long row of clumping bamboo (running bamboos can become invasive) such as Oldham bamboo (Bambusa oldhamii).....i have been growing some myself and my horse leaves it alone...once established clumps grow extremely quickly.... i believe the shoots are edible to!....check out... http://images.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=...26newwindow%3D1 I've got some large clumping bamboo and my cows just love it. My wife gives them a hand full of bamboo leaves as a treat so I don't think they would last too long along my fence line. Thanks for that though.... cheers Hutch Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hutch Posted June 16, 2009 You could plant some Dendrocnide excelsa and you'd have noone coming to bother you, or at least if they did if you'd hear them coming. Some Piper subpeltatum would grow very quickly and is an ethno.Or acacia (very common purpose for this tree, not sure on cow edibility). However the best one would be a wall of trichs, would look cool, would block out noise due to being fleshy and, well you'd have lots of trichs. The downside is the time factor... I do like the sound of that. A whole wall of trichs. I could just imagine it now. It would look great and would make a bit of a fire break as well but I think it would take too long to grow, plus I reckon my neighbough would pinch some. (I would struggle not to lol) I will have a good look at the Dendrocnide excelsa and let you know what I think. Thanks Smiling Cloud for your input.. Cheers Hutch Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Foton Posted June 22, 2009 From my op-shop find Trees and Shrubs for Australian Gardens by Timothy and Elizabeth Hall. Under the section TREES FOR LARGE HEDGES OR WINDBREAKS. Beech, Red Box, Brush Carob Bean Cedar, Himalayan Cypress, Arizona Cypress, Bhutan Cypress, Cripp's Golden Cypress, Lawson's Golden Cypress-Pine, Port Jackson Eurabbie Fiddlewood Gum, Ribbon Gum, Rose-Flowered Yellow Gum, Strickland's Hawthorn, Pink English Hibiscus, Norfolk Island Honeysuckle, Red Leopardwood Myrtle, Bracelet Honey Nettle Tree New South Whales Christmas Bush Olive, Common Pine, Pencil Pine, Radiata Pine, Swane's Golden Pencil Pittosporum, Orange-Berried Plum, Kaffir Poplar, Lombardy Sheoke, River Paperbark, Narrow-Leaved Strawberry Tree Tallow-Wood Tarata Tarata-Silver Tuart Washington Thorn Wattle, Black Wattle, Cedar Wattle, Cootamundra Wattle, Sydney Golden Willow, Weeping Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MindExpansion Posted June 22, 2009 Check out some of the lower lying Acacia's, some of them grow into big attractive clumps. Peace Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hutch Posted June 22, 2009 From my op-shop find Trees and Shrubs for Australian Gardens by Timothy and Elizabeth Hall. Under the section TREES FOR LARGE HEDGES OR WINDBREAKS.Beech, Red Box, Brush Carob Bean Cedar, Himalayan Cypress, Arizona Cypress, Bhutan Cypress, Cripp's Golden Cypress, Lawson's Golden Cypress-Pine, Port Jackson Eurabbie Fiddlewood Gum, Ribbon Gum, Rose-Flowered Yellow Gum, Strickland's Hawthorn, Pink English Hibiscus, Norfolk Island Honeysuckle, Red Leopardwood Myrtle, Bracelet Honey Nettle Tree New South Whales Christmas Bush Olive, Common Pine, Pencil Pine, Radiata Pine, Swane's Golden Pencil Pittosporum, Orange-Berried Plum, Kaffir Poplar, Lombardy Sheoke, River Paperbark, Narrow-Leaved Strawberry Tree Tallow-Wood Tarata Tarata-Silver Tuart Washington Thorn Wattle, Black Wattle, Cedar Wattle, Cootamundra Wattle, Sydney Golden Willow, Weeping Thanks foton, thats a heap of study ahead of me. I'm still leaning towards a wall of dragon fruit at this stage but I may need to break it up a bit. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Foton Posted June 23, 2009 Thanks foton, thats a heap of study ahead of me. I'm still leaning towards a wall of dragon fruit at this stage but I may need to break it up a bit. Good luck! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
