Hedges Versus Fences

[hpp4me]

I'm sure most of you have faced the decision of whether to put up a hedge or a chain link or field fence in the past. What do you see as the pros and cons of these two options with regard to costs, function (e.g., keeping people and critters out, and beautfy?

I am especially interested in your views on the cost difference.

Thanks in advance!

[Johnnycake]

I have just made peace with this issue. I was going to put a 6 ft fence to create privacy from my neighboring property..but thought about the visual of a fence not to mention the cost of this...and came across a plant that was referred to me call Prodocarpus and created a beautiful hedge. Plants cost me $15 a piece 5 feet high and they grow very fast and thick. You should check this out. Good luck!

[hpp4me]

This plant was discussed in another thread recently. I noted then that I had one in my California yard a few years back. They are nice trees, indeed. You can probably space them about 10 feet apart, which means you are paying about $1.50 a foot. The info I've seen suggests that a fence would cost about $20 a foot, but there may be ways to get that cost down.

Good luck with the hedge. Can it keep out wild pigs, or will they eat through it?

[Kapohocat]

Rosemary makes a nice hedge also.

[Carey]

And the pork would be pre-seasoned.... Yummmm rosemary rubbed pork!

[Hotzcatz]

Well, the cost differences will be huge depending on your choices. Chain link is probably one of the most expensive wire fences and kinda fussy about installation. Field fencing is cheaper but has larger holes in it and will let small pigs, cats, small dogs and chickens through it. Chain link is more visually "there" than field fencing.

You can grow vines on either one, although my neighbor has some new galvanized fencing and she says her plants die when they climb on it so it might be a several year wait until the galvanizing has oxidized enough that you will be able to use it as a plant and vine support.

For critter containment and intruder suppression a hedge won't keep out the critters but a thorny hedge might keep out other intruders. A fence backed up with a hedge does the best for keeping things where they are supposed to be as well as keeping it visually appealing.

For my backyard, the choices were field fencing with metal "T" posts since we have dirt to put them in and they were the least expensive and the least visually. The field fence wire we used worked pretty good until the smaller dog figured out she can push right through it. The young chickens also go through it so one of these days I plan on running about two feet high 1" mesh chicken wire around the bottom of the field fence. There's bushes, shrubs and vines around and over it so it is not overly noticeable.

I find white plastic field fences to be obnoxious, but that's just my personal opinion. White plastic after it has had time to gather some moss and used in a more urban or town setting is okay. Not great, merely okay.

[macuu222]

Not to change the topic but rock walls are pretty popular and more appealing than chain link. Gives it that natural lava rock look.

Cost is a big factor though unless you do it yourself. If you live in puna and get your property partially ripped...you should have an ample supply of rock. It just takes time and a good back. I rockwalled our whole acre in HPP to four feet. Cost was $2500.00 for one day of d-9 ripping and about 1000.00 for concrete. The alterative chain link installation would have been around $12,000.

[hpp4me]

quote:

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Originally posted by macuu222

Not to change the topic but rock walls are pretty popular and more appealing than chain link. Gives it that natural lava rock look.

Cost is a big factor though unless you do it yourself. If you live in puna and get your property partially ripped...you should have an ample supply of rock. It just takes time and a good back. I rockwalled our whole acre in HPP to four feet. Cost was $2500.00 for one day of d-9 ripping and about 1000.00 for concrete. The alterative chain link installation would have been around $12,000.

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How much would it cost to have someone do an acre lot in HPP to 4 feet?

[Carey]

The cost quotes are based on linear feet, not acre (most lots in HPP a long narrow acre, rather than a square acre, this difference can add a few thousand to the quote...)
I have heard quotes of $100-$150/linear foot ... so $10k ish....

[hpp4me]

quote:

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Originally posted by Carey

The cost quotes are based on linear feet, not acre (most lots in HPP a long narrow acre, rather than a square acre, this difference can add a few thousand to the quote...)
I have heard quotes of $100-$150/linear foot ... so $10k ish....

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Those 1 acre lots are 322 feet by 135 feet, for a total perimeter of 914 feet. At $100/foot, the cost would be $91,400. Did I misunderstand your post, Carey? If not, a hedge sounds a lot more reasonable!