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sound barrier

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mikev

Guest
I have a piece of property that, due to some clearing on the other side of the highway, I get a good bit of road noise. Thought about a wood fence but am considering planting along my property line. I have about 500 feet of frontage. One thing that comes to mind would be a thick planting of oleanders. Any thoughts on this or some other planting that might help with the road noise?
 
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ErnieCopp

Guest
Mike, If Aspen, Cottonwood, or Poplar grow in your climate, a good fast growing, cheap tree tree would be Hybrid Poplars, Get a variety that is tall growing, and just take cuttings, {first year branches that have not put out branches of their own} between 3 and 6 feet long, and stick them about 8 or 10 inches in to the groynd. Do this in the Winter or Spring before the buds break, water them and they will grow real fast. Plant about 5 or six feet apart, they will grow several feet a year. If you have room for two rows staggered, it will give you a beautiful sound barrier, and windbreak too, if you need it.

If you can find a wholesale grower, they will sell the cuttings.pretty cheap or you can cut your ownn if you can find some around. They can alway spare some cuttings as they grow densely.

Ernie
 
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Mr_Yan

Guest
I have a much smaller property in a medium/large city but also wanted to cut down on road noise - I'm also on an arterial road less than two miles from a firehouse. I already had a 5' wooden fence around the back yard but that did little to nothing to cut the noise. I went with a multi layered plant strategy. I'm in the US Midwest.

Bottom layer - thick ground cover, all gardens are heavily mulched. I've grown on the opinion you should never see exposed soil.

Lower level - hostas (no deer problem), daisies, purple cone flower, day lilies, phlox, asters, purple gay flowers

Mid level - red twig dogwood, rose-of-sharon / althena, forsythia, spiria, privet (was existing), blueberry, Jane magnolia, grape vine

Upper level - peach tree, flowering crab apple, Japanese dogwood, pagoda dogwood, white birch, maple

This has created what almost everyone who steps into my yard calls a lush oasis. Sure you can still hear the fireworks, gun shots, and sirens but the car din is reduced.

I also plan on starting ivy growing over the wooden fence which should help dampen sound too.

I wish I had planted some more edible trees and had more full sun area to plant some of the native large grasses.
 
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dkerry5900

Guest
Thuja "Green Giant" worked very well for us. They get very tall and grow much faster than other types of arborvitae. Blocked out sound and made a nice privacy screen from the neighbors.
 
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