Need Ideas with Red Tip Photinia (cats, trees, yard, plant)

[Drouzin]

We recently purchased the lot next door from us and are in desperate need of a fence. Apparently people with four wheelers don't care that they are tearing up our yard to get to the woods behind our house. After finding two teens parked in the yard at 1AM I am tempted to dump out a box of nails.

Anyways we didn't want to just throw up a fence and came up with the idea of doing a sort of hedgerow as a fence. Dear husband purchased four red tip photinia and thought they were the most wonderful things ever, (thank you garden center). I severely dislike the things and before he has another day off to get more of those ugly things in the ground, I want to convince him that we should at least alternate them with another shrub thing to make the wall of ugly more interesting.

So, does anyone have a recommendation on what to pair with red tips to make them more appealing? We live in zone 9 and whatever it is it has to like a lot of sun. Thanks .

[Bulldogdad]

Originally Posted by Drouzin

We recently purchased the lot next door from us and are in desperate need of a fence. Apparently people with four wheelers don't care that they are tearing up our yard to get to the woods behind our house. After finding two teens parked in the yard at 1AM I am tempted to dump out a box of nails.

Anyways we didn't want to just throw up a fence and came up with the idea of doing a sort of hedgerow as a fence. Dear husband purchased four red tip photinia and thought they were the most wonderful things ever, (thank you garden center). I severely dislike the things and before he has another day off to get more of those ugly things in the ground, I want to convince him that we should at least alternate them with another shrub thing to make the wall of ugly more interesting.

So, does anyone have a recommendation on what to pair with red tips to make them more appealing? We live in zone 9 and whatever it is it has to like a lot of sun. Thanks .

Some bushes are not going to stop them if they don't already respect your property right. You'll just lose money on torn up bushes. Put in a chain link fence Then you can plant what ever your heart desires. Sorry but that is the only way to keep them out.

[Padgett2]

Red tips seem to be a disease problem in some areas. See if you can talk your husband out of them for that reason.

There are a lot of evergreen shrubs that should do well in zone 9. Have you thought about Oleanders, Ligustrum, Pyrocantha?

Decide first if you want something that you have to keep trimmed or something that you can plant and forget. Photinias can sometimes get leggy if not kept trimmed

I vote for the chain link fence too. Plant shrubs in front of it so that you won't have to look at it.

[Drouzin]

Thanks for the replies y'all. I mentioned the fence issue with hubby and he said we would slip in some kind of wire fence thing if it would make me happy. We spoke with the neighbor, we took the fence down between our yards and so we both have the same problem with people going though our yards, and we've come up with a quick temporary fence idea until we can put up the wooden fence, which will take a while because it's a diy thing.

Unfortunately DH already planted four red tips. He is quite pleased, and I hate to burst his bubble. Oleander is out because we have cats and I understand it's poisonous. I will see if he will go for the Ligustrum or Pyrocantha to put between the red tips.

[Va-Cat]

How about some nice Knockout roses? Nothing says "stay away" like a leg full of thorns!

[cdelena]

RT Photinia get really big and can take a lot of pruning in a limited area. I like them better when used as small trees.

Given a little time they will get big and sturdy enough to block access.

[Innertuber]

I'd keep the red tips trimmed to 4 feet or so. They can get damaged back to the ground in winter. Behind them I'd consider something like Bougainvillea. Georgeous, low maintenance and a good barrier. If you want a real people/truck stopper plant natal plums. You and wildlife can eat the fruit. NOBODY will cut thru that unless they have a Sherman tank or want to lose flesh or paint. They are a task to prune, as are the BVillas due to thorns so push it all as far into the lot as you can. Water it a while and then both are very low maintenance. Both are also pretty east to prune if you do it when the shoots are green. Once they harden it takes lots more caution and generally a little blood.