I live in northeast NJ and we purchased a house just off a main road. During the winter, when all the leaves are off the trees and plants, we can now see the main road from our yard and more importantly, we can hear the constant traffic. We are looking to put in some type of screen that will keep its leaves during the winter months to keep out the noise and view. Along that edge of our property is a few maple trees that we do not want to remove, but they put the area into partial sun and also create soil with a lot of roots and would make it difficult to dig holes for the plantings. We are tired of seeing arborvites (one neighbor has them along his property line with us) and want something different. Any suggestions?
An evergreen screen to keep out noise in the winter.
I would suggest bamboo if you could make sure it remains contained.
A row of Holly might do the trick. They are prickly enough to keep people out as well.
There are many types, choose an evergreen type that grows tall enough for the job.
Andy P
Both my experience and everything I've read say that plants won't help much with traffic noise, though they will help the view. (I just don't want you to be too disappointed.) You may get some good specific suggestions on the trees and shrubs forum.
To help with noise, I've heard suggestions of white noise (like running or splashing water) or solid barriers like a fence or a berm. With your existing maples, the berm wouldn't be a good idea, though.
Sorry not to be more helpful with suggestions.
I also live on a main road and I know what you're talking about. It used to be a quiet main road, but 16 years later, it's very busy. Anyway. We have one 30 foot fir tree from the original owner on the front corner. There was another on the east side of the house which we had removed 4 years ago. The change in the noise level and the odor of car exhaust was very noticable to me as I sit by the windows at the computer. No one on this street with plantings gets any real relief from noise, everyone notices it and complains. The benefit of the plantings is really in privacy and cleaning the air stirred up by the traffic. During the hottest part of the summer we keep our windows closed and with the air conditioner running there is virtually no noise inside the house. My bedroom window on the second floor also faces the street. In the spring and fall when the windows are open I notice the noise. I've gotten used to all but the noisy motorcycles and teenage drivers who are not the majority anyway. With the fir tree gone, we have planted junipers which were supposed to be unpalatable to the deer, but aren't apparently in the dead of winter at least. So we have to wrap them in deer net. They will only grow 12 to 15 feet, and the height and spread were an issue for the neighbors. Don't know if you have any of these limitations. There are varieties of evergreens besides aborvites that you could use. The holly idea is a good one and berms and fences are more effective sound barriers but a noise abatement fence would be very expensive.
If you put an amusement park in your front yard, it should drown out the traffic noise. ;^)
I have dealt with this problem by not expecting one row of trees (regardless of variety) to do much in terms of noise. I do have a good number of evergreen trees and shrubs along the perimeter of my property but I have also planted colonies of different shrubs through out. This layering of shrubs has also allowed me to create different "rooms". One thing I would suggest is to be careful in choosing trees and shrubs that will not totally hide your home from view leave occasional windows for the passer by to see your home and yard. kt
We allowed the utility comapny to cut back the brush & trees in front of our house, & we were amazed at how noisy it is now. We planted a row of Hollies, that will someday form a nice hedge. Hollies are great because they are evergreen, very dense & provide a home & hiding place for wildlife. While we wait for them to grow, I plant annuals, daylilies, Bee Balm, Iris, Daisies & Sunflowers & Coreopsis - whatever will grow in the poor, sandy soil. This helps to tone down the road noise. Anything will help to muffle the sound from the road-
Julie