If you want to plant and grow a living privacy fence, have you considered cypress trees? Cypress trees are evergreens that are hardy in the USDA zones 6 through 10. Some people have reported success at growing the cypress in zone 5, so it is one of those border-line plants. The cypress can grow to heights of 40 to 100 feet, depending on the variety chosen. Several good points about growing a cypress hedge are they always look nice throughout the year. They provide privacy for your yard as well as a home and food for birds and other wildlife.
Measure the Area
Before you run out to buy the cypress, figure out how many you will need. Cypress are usually planted 6 feet apart. Once you’ve measured the area, divide that number by 6 for the number of trees needed.
Dig the holes
When digging the holes, keep the depth the same as the cypress as root ball, but make the width twice as wide. After you dig each hole, scuff the sides and bottom of the holes with the edge of your spade or shovel. This helps the roots to grow out beyond the walls of the hole.
Fill each hole with water and allow it to drain away naturally as you dig the next hole. Watering now will ensure that the ground is thoroughly wet, down deep for the roots.
Amend the soil removed from the holes with 3 inches of well-rotted compost. Not only does compost help with drainage, it provides nutrients for the cypress trees.
Planting the Cypress Trees
Remove one cypress tree from its container. When you take the tree out of the container, loosen up the sides of the root ball with your fingers or the edge of your spade if no roots are visible. Do not break the root ball apart. If the roots are showing, gently tease them away from the sides of the root ball with your fingers. Roots left growing in this manner will keep growing around the root ball, slowly choking your tree to death.
Place the root ball into the center planting hole. The top of the root ball should be level with the ground. Fill in the hole around the root ball with the amended soil. When the hole is filled half way, firm the soil down with your hands. Finish filling the hole the rest of the way and tamp it down again.
Place the water hose by your tree and water it as you plant the next one. Turn the water on to a slow flow so it soaks into the soil and not run across the top or gouge a big hole.
Water the Hedge
When all the cypresses are planted, use a soaker hose to water the entire row for the rest of the season. Provide an inch of water every other week for the first two growing seasons. Skip the watering cycle if your area has had ample rain during that time.
After-Care for Cypress
Early in the spring, feed the cypress hedge with a time-release fertilizer. Choose one that is made for evergreens. Mix and apply it according to manufacturer’s directions.
Cypress trees should be pruned twice a year. The first time to prune the cypress is in mid-summer, then again in the fall. Use hedge clippers or pruning shears when pruning. You can remove up to 4 inches of growth. If you notice any dead, diseased, or broken branches, remove them as well.
Sources:
“The Homeowner’s Complete Tree & Shrub Handbook;” Penelope O’ Sullivan and Karen Bussolini; 2007
“Gardening with Conifers;” Adrian Bloom; 2007