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treevet · 1st May 2008, 07:03 PM

If you are an Arborist you will have to deal with clients in their desire to maintain or establish screens with trees. They may want to cover up the neighbor's ugly garage, or just get or maintain privacy while on their deck or from windows frequently used.

In my town you cannot build a fence over 6' high so living screens are most logical. What do you choose? If you have a lot of space spruce or pine work well but if you do not then they will consume property and much space is lost. They don't take to cut backs well. Other evergreens such as hemlock, and arborvitae work well but they do not do well in my climate. I've found Bracken Brown Beauty Magnolia to work well here.

Some deciduous plants work well. Beech is used sometimes and I have used Carpinus often. You lose most of your screen when dormant though.

We were talking about very large growing screens such as Leyland Cypress and Thuja Green Giants on another thread. These plants can mature over 80 feet and give quite a lateral spread as well. Dave Gunter was talking about building scaffolding on the Leyland itself to trim them and I also have heard of scaffolding used. It is labor intensive but this is a service we can provide and make top man hour dollars.

Shrubs such as viburnum, honeysuckle, privet, taxus, etc. all are used in screen/borders.

Anyone have anything to say about preferences or maintenance techniques on this little discussed maintenance income source? As far as planting, I have netted over $3k in less than a couple of days establishing some screens so it is nothing to stick your nose up at even though I also hate digging holes.

1st May 2008, 07:03 PM	#1 (permalink)
treevet Over mature heritage tree Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Cincinnati, Ohio, USA Posts: 972	Tree screens If you are an Arborist you will have to deal with clients in their desire to maintain or establish screens with trees. They may want to cover up the neighbor's ugly garage, or just get or maintain privacy while on their deck or from windows frequently used. In my town you cannot build a fence over 6' high so living screens are most logical. What do you choose? If you have a lot of space spruce or pine work well but if you do not then they will consume property and much space is lost. They don't take to cut backs well. Other evergreens such as hemlock, and arborvitae work well but they do not do well in my climate. I've found Bracken Brown Beauty Magnolia to work well here. Some deciduous plants work well. Beech is used sometimes and I have used Carpinus often. You lose most of your screen when dormant though. We were talking about very large growing screens such as Leyland Cypress and Thuja Green Giants on another thread. These plants can mature over 80 feet and give quite a lateral spread as well. Dave Gunter was talking about building scaffolding on the Leyland itself to trim them and I also have heard of scaffolding used. It is labor intensive but this is a service we can provide and make top man hour dollars. Shrubs such as viburnum, honeysuckle, privet, taxus, etc. all are used in screen/borders. Anyone have anything to say about preferences or maintenance techniques on this little discussed maintenance income source? As far as planting, I have netted over $3k in less than a couple of days establishing some screens so it is nothing to stick your nose up at even though I also hate digging holes.