Best cheap privacy plants

We’ve got several areas where our fields border a county road.

I felt good about how hard it would of been to spotlight or etc on those areas because of how grew up it was....until the state or county or someone came along and bush hogged a lot of those spots this past off season.

It’s family land, so I know it wasn’t any of us. I guess I could call and ask the county.

Either way, what is the best way to gain that privacy back?

Put up a barb wire fence and just let it naturally grow up? Black berry bushes? Privet bushes? Or is there some kind of decently cheap option that any of you have had success with.

Guess I’ll need to put up some “do not spray/do not cut” signs. If that even works.

I’m planting wax myrtles next month in between my pine trees.

Where do you buy them and what kind of price range?

$2 per bare root tree. Wildlife group down in auburn is where I’ll get mine from. Gonna plant em on a 15’ spacing. Outta fill in tight. My pines are 9 years old starting to thin out a bit underneath. So I’ll use these to tighten it back up

I’ve got trees spread out along the roads, but need something to fill in the gaps. They pretty well took out all of my underbrush.

Giant green thuja. can get 4 ft plants for $14 each from the local growers.. they grow at 3 ft per yr so by yr 2 they are over head high. at maturity 12-20 wide, 30-50 ft tall.

pics .. https://www.amazon.com/plants-Thuja-Natures-Privacy-Beautiful/dp/B00RSLADJ2

Illy agnes will make a large hedge and has 3inch thorns all over them. Its not gona grow over night but once its there its an impenetrable border.

I wouldn’t plant privet because it’s libel to take over in areas you don’t want it from my experience. The wax myrtles sounds like a good idea what Matt said. Them jokers will grow anywhere in any condition but not invasive like privet.

Privett is awful. It takes over much like bamboo and it’s hard to get rid of. My property is full of it.

A big HELL no on privet.

I can knock out 100 myrtles with a dibble bar in no time.

Elaeagnus is extremely invasive and will grow almost anywhere. I wouldn’t suggest planting it or privet for any situation anywhere!!

I would plant a couple of rows of evergreens or oak species that hold their leaves. I know sawtooth oaks are also labeled as invasive, but they work great for this situation and can later provide lots of wildlife food

what about planting evergreens like a cypress and then have like a 5 yard barrier behind them that you never bush hog? Disclaimer I do not own any land and im just blindly throwing ideas out.

Better be ready to water cypress regular. Can get dicey in summer

X2, that's the worst possible thing you could do besides maybe kudzu

Maybe 3 rows of Virginia pines planted 4 feet spacing.

You could say that again

Did y’all know that privet hedge is one of the most common landscaping plants in California? Figures don’t it.

Figures

Cedar could be a good option but it’s slow growing I believe

I like this answer.

This doesn't apply to the OP since he said the land borders a county road, but we are learning a lesson about private roads. Years ago, the landowner planted pines along the road going into the property. At one time, this was a county road. I can't recall if the pines were planted before or after they county allowed the owner and neighbors to make the road private. Anyways, now the pines are mature and the road is terrible. A young man knowledgeable on such matters told us that the pines block the sun and don't let the sun dry the road out. Makes sense to me. The shame of it is that they cut a lot of the pines last year and could have taken the ones along the road if anyone had known that is what is causing the problem.

I have Leyland Cypress planted on mine

We had a logging crew come “daylight” one of our roads last year while they were cutting on the neighbors for this exact reason. The canopy was shading the road constantly and it never dried up. It is night and day difference now that the trees have been cut back 12-15’ on each side of the road.

I would steer clear of any non-native plant, especially privet or bamboo. A few close rows of pines or Eastern Red Cedar. Plant the cedars and let the natural vegetation group up around them. Takes a few years to begin good upward growth, but long term it will provide the screen you need and they won't get out of hand.

Remember that if it is a public road there is a right of way. Check with the county engineer and make sure you are clear on the ROW. You don’t want to plant only to have the county cut them down.

Whatever they bush hogged will probably put back out in the spring. I’d fertilize it real good and let it grow back up. In the mean time, sow you a strip of Egyptian wheat behind it. It gets 8-10 feet tall and you could always mow it down to reclaim the field. There’s all kinds of info on it in the inter webs.

I happen to know where there’s plenty of 1 gallon green giant arborvitae if that’s an interest too.

Check out Carolina Saphires they are the fastest growing conifer there is. I planted 10 that were 3 gal container size maybe 36” tall and in about 5 yrs they are 15’ 20’ tall and 10’ wide. I think I paid $15 or $20 each. Disease and drought tolerant. It may be more than you want to spend but there a sure thing. They are in my back yard where I use to have a privacy fence. Another thing is that the bucks love to rub them they are very aromatic.

This is worth looking into.

Kudzu