9
Agree with itsmatt's final solution, but there is another option. Because the fence is too close to the grass, you could excavate a narrow trench beneath, part fill with bedding mortar mix (about 1-2 inches deep, made with 4 parts sharp sand, 2 parts soft sand and l part cement) and then lay pavers in a row,or maybe 2 rows, so that the fence is sitting on ...
8
Trimming along a wooden (or chain link!) fence is tough and tears up the wood undoubtedly. You can certainly try to do it more slowly and angle the string down toward the ground. That might help but there are a lot of variables here - the ground height, the movement of your arms, the amount of grass and where it is located, etc. - and that's only going to ...
7
The bottom branches dying is perfectly normal, as they get shaded out (they also have more deer pressure, assuming a typical presence of rats-with-hooves in your neighborhood.) That is not a sign of a dying tree at all.
Maintaining greenery to the ground requires actively trimming and shaping to keep the tops from shading out the bottoms - I don't think ...
7
The best thing to do would be to just create a mulched flower bed around the perimeter of your yard by the fence so you don't need to use your string trimmer up against the fence. It not only solves that one issue but it adds beauty, increases your property value and adds a little bit of isolation between you and your neighbors depending on what you plant.
...
7
I'm a sound guy as well as a garden guy. Your answers are hidden in the graphics you posted. Go with the block wall. I had a somewhat similar situation with nearby freeway noise and after building a block wall along one side of my yard the sound was significantly (but not totally) reduced.
If possible and your wall has an adequate footings for the extra ...
6
Like so many things the answer depends on a lot of factors.
The current chemicals used to pressure treat wood are considered "safe" for a wide variety of uses. Be sure to read the manufacturer's literature to confirm the situations where they recommend using it. That said, there was a time when wood was treated with chemicals that were considered safe at-...
5
One thing about Maples, specially Japanese Acers - they should not be cut in spring/early summer because they bleed excessively. Once into July, its not such a problem. Given that's the case, it might be better to have a chat with your neighbour about how to manage the situation - you need to do your fence, and they need to protect their tree, and it might ...
5
Termites, ey? Sounds like you might be in Australia?
You're probably aware of this, but termites don't travel out in the open. Instead, they dig tunnels through timber. That's why around sheds and timber buildings in Australia, you'll see that the timber footings and posts often sit on metal stirrups set into the concrete. Occasionally termites will find a ...
4
I think the first thing you should do is to talk to your neighbor about it. Instead of making extra work for yourself and potential creating a hostile neighbor, which no one likes, you should just go talk to your neighbor an tell them you intend to put up a fence. Be nice and explain that they have a shrub growing over the property line and that it needs to ...
4
It's assumed that deck posts are being affixed to a wood base, usually the support structure beneath the deck, not concrete, so they're not sized according to wedge grips or metposts. I can't see why you can't use a fence post instead, although, given there's a drop, I'd probably go for 100mm fence post with a 100mm bolt down wedge grip holder, which you can ...
4
Yes, this works quite well. It's more work to put in, but if as you say it is necessary for aesthetic reasons not to have an 8' fence, go ahead. The specifications you have are good, but I'd like to add that using aluminum wire for the inside is far better than other things, as it never rusts, and is much easier for deer to see even than galvanized steel. It ...
4
I am very biased against any fabric of any kind in the garden so I am trying to disregard the fabric suggestion. Although, in this application it would make sense albeit ugly.
Have you talked with your neighbors? In any boundary problems it is imperative you strike up a conversation with your neighbors. You are not allowed to cut or trim in anyway that ...
4
It's always best to plant any vigorous vines like Distictus in the ground - putting them in pots or containers will restrict their growth, and that's not an effect you want in these circumstances. Distictus buccinatoria reaches up to 4.5 metres, and will cling by itself to brick or stone; on wood, it might or might not cling, or it might need support. ...
4
Not an easy answer to give you as there are a number of unknown factors. Perhaps you can say more about them by editing your question or even post additional information under your question in a comment.
I downloaded your two images and brightened the backyard photo so I could see it better as it was too dark. I took a closer look at the other brighter ...
4
Creosote would have been the go to for this, but in the EU (and ongoing, still in the UK, regardless of Brexit) only professionals are licensed to use it because of its carcinogenic properties. There is a kind of replacement called Creocote which does not have the same problems and is more environmentally friendly; it is still oil based, unlike most of the ...
3
It looks like you have a dead cypress in the back. This could be disease. Shouldn't happen to the firs to the left.
It would have been possible to keep the silver firs thick at the base by cutting the top earlier. Now it is too late.
If the place gets 2-3 ours of sun during summer, then you may consider building a quick and easy to trim (but trim it narrow ...
3
Either build a support structure, or let it do it's thing. Do NOT build a temporary support for it. The main stalks can grow to 3" or greater in diameter when supported from the ground, and you'll want it self-trained to cling if that's the eventual goal. Otherwise, it will end up leveraging on the fence-top trellis.
Hellvine (which is what Trumpet Creeper ...
3
Trellis netting.
Picture is from Gardener's Edge (not affiliated, might have bought something from them once, I don't recall for certain) and could practically be your fence. The 6" string mesh can be hooked between the boards on top to hold it.
Beware of tangles. I thought this stuff was a much better idea before I got some and had to detangle it after ...
3
Please don't repeat the dripline myth - as a landscape architect I'm continually trying to to protect (and repair damage to) trees where the roots have been cut back to the dripline. The system I use is called the Critical Root Zone system (a utility standard in the UK) and is quite simple to work out:
Measure tree trunk diameter at 1.3metres (52 inches) ...
3
I'm also looking for a solution. Not just for that but to help ensure a consistent cut along edges I don't want to mark. For example, aside from slowly and tediously working my way along a white wall, I will mark it green from splatters of grass as the line hits the building.
I like my grass taller, and when I taper, blend or "fade" the edge it often ...
3
When you are going that high, I'd use at least a 6x6. I'm in zone six, with similar soil, and the frost line has never gone below 2', so I usually go 2 1/2-3' down. There isn't really a ratio, but grape vines once mature can pull down some serious supports.
Make sure you really brace the outside posts, or they will pull in. I'd also recommend attaching ...
3
I use a somewhat labor-intensive way to protect my fenced yard from my neighbors' weeds that might work for you - it depends on the type of privacy fence you have. My yard is bordered by a solid, cedar, fence that begins about 1-2" above ground level. If yours is similar, this will work. If not, then you can stop reading...
Fortunately, clover's stolons hug ...
3
not really, it is coming from right below the fence...
if you want to keep it you would want to wait for the plant to go dormant if you are in a temperate climate (looks like a ficus and the tree in the background is a palm, so probably not), then prune it back to have minimal foliage, and then dig it out as carefully as possible and replant it somewhere......
3
Hello & Welcome Doug,
You left coyotes & cougars off your list. There is no way to keep out Raccoons. They can climb any fence. Deer can leap anything lower than 8'. Skunks & rodents can dig there way in. Unless you put up a concrete barrier both below and above the ground.
Most fences as long as they are not too low will hold most dogs, ...
2
Try Golden Hops, Humulus lupulus 'Sunbeam'...this will cover that fence within a few months...it is beautiful, you can make beer from it and it dies back every year so you can clean up the old vines before the new ones take over...or you might have to periodically cut them to the ground, remove and allow to grow back. Plant this guy and stand back! Keep ...
2
I have a pair of wooden 4x4 posts that are seriously beat up from my weed wacker, so I've decided to cut 6" tall x 3.5" wide strips of plexiglass and screw it on all 4 sides. At a distance the plexiglass is all but invisible and the new posts are not being chewed up by the weed wacker.
2
Seeing as you do not have a lot of weight to support but you need to keep the bamboo off the ground to prevent rotting you could try some of the newer fence posts that are metal spikes that you hammer into the ground. Slot a four by four into the post, add a two by four stringer parallel to the ground to support the bamboo then all you have to do is wire ...
2
This might have been already suggested. Why not use steel edging? It comes in brown to match most cedar stained fences. If grass comes up between the edging and fence kill it with Roundup, etc. Your string trimmer will hit the edging and not your fence.
2
Your photos show a good example of what's known as cordon training - this is a method used mostly for fruiting trees, and it looks as if the trees in the photo may actually be apple, but its hard to be sure. Cordon training requires a basic framework to be in place, and the trees you choose will need regular pruning and tying in, so they must be able to ...
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