I have to plant a 6 mitre high screen about twenty mitres long to hide an old ruin from my house. Problem is that 100mm below the ground is rock so i've got to dig and pick it out first and backfill with the appropriate trees and earth. Has anyone had experience of doing this? How deep and wide should the earth trench be, What's the best trees to plant to form a tight interwoven screen, where's the best place to get them and, roughly how much should they cost ? A lot of work but i'm not going to be able to sell the place till i've done it.
Many Thanks
Planting a screen
That sounds pretty drastic..is the ruin that bad 
There is some artificial green bush looking stuff that comes by the yard... but 6metros hight
would be easier to cover the ruin with ivy or bugambilia...
If you are not prepared to pay a fortune..you will have to wait for trees to grow...appropriate trees
There is some artificial green bush looking stuff that comes by the yard... but 6metros hight
would be easier to cover the ruin with ivy or bugambilia...No muerdes la mano que te da de comer.
Lenjames, I think Silver is right, cover the ruin with fast growing climbers. Your six metre alternative is well nigh impossible. If you think that a normal fast growing tree, in unfettered conditions, will have a root pattern that roughly mirrors the canopy you will understand your problem.
Grouser
Planted Screen
Thank's Silver and Grouser but, the ruin is not mine and it's on adjascent land slightly higher than mine, hence the height necessity.
That must be one of those that some est. agents classify as "in need of refurbishment". Someone may buy it without the screen being there, is it really that bad? What did you think when you first looked around the house, something made you buy it. The other thing you need to think about is the wind - can be really powerful at times and pretty destructive.
I used to be indecisive but now I´m not so sure.
planted screen
No, it dosen't bother me in the least. To me it's part of the character of the campo. But i had two prospective buyers up today and they're only critisism was, the close ruin next door and the closeness of the road outside. It's only a small road running between Casabermeja and Vinuella de la conception. One of the reasons i chose to build here was for the easy 50 mitre access road, which i've now concreted. I thought it would be a selling point. Suppose you can't please everybody. I suppose some people like a 5 Klm dirt track.
sounds like most would think this way..I certainly doit dosen't bother me in the least. To me it's part of the character of the campo
viewers..not buyers...I know that lots of people have a kind of hobby..looking at campo places..it gets them around and gives them an idea of prices...two prospective buyers up today
forget Planting a screen mate
review your selling line... walk quickly past the ruin while showing something in the oposite direction... expalin that the "road" outside is just a tarmac lane with very little traffic...Soon it will rain and al around you will be green
No muerdes la mano que te da de comer.
Re: planted screen
Sounds like you got the wrong type of buyers. Anyone who's seriouslylenjames wrote:their only criticism was, the close ruin next door and the closeness of the road outside
looked for houses on the campo would recognise a ruin for what it was:
a house that's been deserted for many (50+ ?) years, and will likely
stay that way.
I think you were probably lucky that this ruin "screened" the time-wasters
for you. Without it they may have made you an offer and strung you
along only to find that when the crunch came, they really wanted
a little apartment in town and therefore pulled out at the last minute.
So far as a 20 metre screen goes, wouldn't that appear a little
incongruous? Unless there were other rows of trees in the area, one
that size would stick out. If I was looking, I'd certainly take a peek
behind it to see what it was concealing.
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campo babe
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I agree that a ruin would possibly be a feature to the sort of people who want to live in the campo, and as such has probably saved you from timewasters.
We have a similar problem with trying to plant in rock dust. We have a track close to the front of the house and would like to plant some sort of screen. I had an idea of importing a bank of soil/earth, not topsoil, and planting into that with shrubs that grow more easily up here. At the moment it's still in the ideas stage.
We have a similar problem with trying to plant in rock dust. We have a track close to the front of the house and would like to plant some sort of screen. I had an idea of importing a bank of soil/earth, not topsoil, and planting into that with shrubs that grow more easily up here. At the moment it's still in the ideas stage.
If its on a slope without a retaining wall the rain would probably wash it all away.I had an idea of importing a bank of soil/earth,
I dont think the ruin would really put someone off...cos lets face it there are loads all around... it just was not what they were looking for...or maybe they were just looking... not all viewers are buyers.
No muerdes la mano que te da de comer.
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Sandramay
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[quote="silver"].. would be easier to cover the ruin with ivy or bugambilia............ Lurve the idea of the latter Silver. Does it attract all the nasties from other plants 
Lenjames if you are determined to set a screen, you could consider pencil pines, Pinos Erectas? They are in keeping with the the Mediterranean countryside, grow quickly with irrigation BUT you would still have to wait a few years to achieve six metres.
Lenjames if you are determined to set a screen, you could consider pencil pines, Pinos Erectas? They are in keeping with the the Mediterranean countryside, grow quickly with irrigation BUT you would still have to wait a few years to achieve six metres.
Sandramay
Planted Screen
Well, thank's to all of you for good constructive comment, advice and opinion. I've listened and learnt and, i think your right. I'm dropping the idea of a screen and let the house sell itself on it's merits with the ruin on view along with the beautiful views of the El Torcal mountains in front of me.
Thank's again to you all, for me this posting has been a good example of how this forum can work very well.
Thank's again to you all, for me this posting has been a good example of how this forum can work very well.
Sandramay
I dare say that it would creat a nice shady retreat for manyDoes it attract all the nasties from other plants Very Happy
I know that view..its lovely... especialy the multicoloured "carpet" that forms in front of the Torcal.I'm dropping the idea of a screen and let the house sell itself on it's merits with the ruin on view along with the beautiful views of the El Torcal mountains in front of me.
No muerdes la mano que te da de comer.
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Solysombra
Lenjames, if you can get hold of some wattle saplings or seeds this is perfect for your requirements, grows very thick and very fast (wattle is used to make the hurdles for horse racecourses), don't know where you'd get it though but i'm sure you'll get some in Spain as it's used in tanning leather (all those unfortunate bulls) good luck with it, ps Wattle is a form of acacia 
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