My wife and I recently moved into our house.  The previous owner installed an inground pool with Dogwoods surrounding it.  Unfortunately, the Dogwoods don't seem to stay very healthy in our soil, and I had to take down several this year.  This has left a clear view of our neighbors house that I would like to fill with some kind of evergreen.  I figure an evergreen will give me year round privacy unlike the dogwoods.  The backyard fence is about 100ft, and I would like to have some suggestions for an inexpensive way to fill the view fast (type of tree).  The distance from the fence to the pool is about 8 ft, so the tree's base can't exceed that.

Thanks!

Thanks for your reply!  I will try to answer your questions to the best of my ability:

1) Region: I live in Suffolk County, NY (Long Island)
2) Dogwood health:  My wife pointed out that they aren't dogwoods, they are birches (so much for my green thumb).  We have a mix of old and yound birches, and the young ones seem ok, but they just seem to die off when they are about 9+ inches in diameter.  I honestly don't know what causes their decline, but all of the other trees/plants in our yard seem to flourish.
3) Soil composition:  Long Island is sandy in general with clay about 3 feet down.  Our yard does have a good rich brown layer before the clay.  The only thing that seems to have trouble growing are the birches (actually, they grow just fine...  just die off too quickly it seems).  As for pH...  sorry, don't know.
4) Sun: full sun.  The area is also watered by automatic sprinkler every other day.
5) Pool: I doubt the area gets splashed very often, if at all (no diving board).
6) Characteristics:  Full bodied (not sparse foliage).  Small needles.  Not messy (for the pools sake).  Not too much yellow in the color (a lot of evergreens in our area tend toward the yellow side).  Height: 15ft+ (enough to provide privacy).  I'm basically envisioning a big Christmas tree.

Thanks again...

-Matt

Matt,
OK. Your answers help a lot! I suspect that your birches have declined suddenly and died due to bronze birch borer. This is a common pest that particularly effects white-barked birches. I doubt it was anything you did, so don't beat yourself up about it!

Now, as for evergreens in full sun with average soil/unknown pH, full-bodied, not too messy, and growing about 15' tall. There are several possibilities:

1) Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis). The advantages are that they grow fairly quickly, are quite adaptable, easy to find, and relatively care-free. Disadvantage is that they are so common, you may find them "pedestrian". I would recommend a cultivar that stays a dark green throughout the season, like 'Emerald' or 'Techny' (sometimes called 'Mission') or 'Nigra'. The one thing you will need to be vigilant about is looking for bagworm. Bagworm hangs on the outer limbs and looks like brown little Christmas tree ornaments. There is an insect inside. Remove them by hand and take them off your property (don't put them in your compost).

2) Hicks yew (taxus x media 'Hicksii'). A great plant that will get a bit taller than 15' over time, but has all the characteristics you're looking for. This type of yew was first developed by a great plantsman on Long Island at the Hicks Nursery!

3) Prague Viburnum (Viburnum x pragense). Not a needled evergreen like the previous two, but a wonderful broadleaf evergreen with lustrous foliage and creamy-white Spring flowers to boot. Extremely fast growing and makes a great hedge of the height you wish. The one disadvantage is that you'll need to prune it to shape. I love this plant.

4) Foster holly (Ilex x attenuata 'Fosteri'). Beautiful pyramidal holly with small white Spring flowers and wonderful red berries that persist into the Winter. Great plant. It will eventually reach 20-25' so may be a tad large for you in 10+ years. It is a Hardiness Zone 6 plant, which is the zone you live in, so should be fine...could have some damage in severe Winters.

Those are my recommendations. Go to a nursery and have a look at all 4 and choose the one that fits your style and taste.

I would not recommend hemlock, as Tugfur has done. Not because it isn't a great plant - but because it would eventually be far too large for your spot AND there ia a pest called a woolly adelgid that has decimated hemlocks on the East Coast. Don't set yourself up for heartache down the road.

Mark Miller

Matt,
The best time to plant would be spring or fall. It's really your discretion as to what size you buy...if you choose the Arborvitae, it is a fast grower and you could get away with buying a smaller and less pricey size. But if you need instant screening from the neighbors, then a bigger size is the way to go.

Each plant suggestion I made would be planted apart at different lengths. Again, if you choose Arborvitae and want a close tight screen, I would plant about 3.5' apart.

As for cost in your area, I'm afraid I have no idea. I suspect the plants will be more expensive for you in Long Island than they are for me in central Ohio.

Mark Miller

Hi Matt - I live and garden on Long Island.  Here's my answer to your question about planting times for evergreens:  if the plants that you buy are containerized, you should be able to plant them just about anytime the ground is 'diggable.' If you purchase balled and burlapped plants, the ideal planting times would be late March through early May and again late August into early October. 

Thuja Green Giant should be readily available on LI; it's an acceptable choice.

Donna in the Garden