Fence Landscaping: How to Manage Trees

Fences make your property look great while giving your home or business a measure of security. Trees offer plenty of benefits to your property as well, whether they’re tall ones that have been there for decades or saplings you just planted this past spring. Today’s blog from Carnahan-White explains how to manage trees alongside fence landscaping.

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First, the benefits of trees to your property are numerous. They provide shade on hot summer days for humans, animals, and plants. Trees offer shelter for birds, and the birds, in turn, help control bugs that may take a liking to your garden. Aesthetically, deciduous trees change color in the fall to create a beautiful palette. Arboreal plants also give squirrels and other small mammals a place to call home.

There are two ways to manage trees for fence landscaping: with existing trees and with new trees. 

Existing trees can still make your fence landscaping look fantastic. However, large trees can pose hazards to the fence. The key here is to trim and prune branches back. Talk to a certified arborist about the best tree-trimming practices that reduce the chances of harming the tree, or research how to prune existing trees yourself.

Tree roots may cause fence posts to shift or lean. Carnahan-White can help you fix leaning fence posts to work around your trees. Or we may suggest pruning back the roots of your tree. An extreme solution is to remove the large tree altogether for fence landscaping, especially if there’s a risk the tree will fall over and damage your fence.

Tree landscaping for new trees is much easier to manage, although you may have to wait many years for your saplings to grow into full trees. 

The first consideration for this fence landscaping is to choose the right kind of tree. You’ll want narrow species that are relatively short. Red maples and Japanese maples have beautiful plumage in the fall. Red oaks can grow pretty tall, but they’re perfect if you have a lot of space. Rocky Mountain junipers are evergreens, and a local tree nursery can supply you with taller, thinner cultivars.

Make sure you have room to plant your new tree for fence landscaping. Make sure it has plenty of space to spread out as it grows, so don’t plant it within five feet of your fence. Consider 10 to 15 feet as a minimum. Be sure to plan ahead so you can maintain the tree as it grows.

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You can have the best of both worlds with great fence landscaping! Carnahan-White Fence Company specializes in constructing and installing all types of fences and ironworks for both decoration and security. Contact Carnahan-White or call 417-883-0733 to start the conversation on your new fence, and we’ll give you some tips on how to manage trees near your fence. Serving you for 70 years!