Stop conifers growing sideways?

[yorkslad]

Hello all. I've recently built a chicken wire dog fence and am worried that the adjacent row of conifers will run into the wire and make a mess.

The fence is constructed with three horizontal bars of wood attached to the posts. This creates two panels of wire (the bottom one 90mm, the top one 60mm)

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(The wonky bit on the right is actually supposed to be a post!).

I needed it to be quite high and flush to the hedge as there is a busy main road on the other side. The trees themselves are only growing out around the top panel.

My first thought was to install a hinged panel inside the top area so that I could get easily inside and trim the growth. Then I wondered whether weed suppressant or tarp along the back of the top panel would stop growth? If so, would this risk damaging the trees? (They are around 12 feet tall).

Many thanks if anyone can help? :/

 

[Becky]

Welcome to the forum

Not sure I follow what you're asking... you have a wire fence running alongside a conifer hedge, and you don't want the conifer coming through the fence? I can't picture the hinged panel you're talking about. Which direction does the fence face?

 

[Sean Regan]

Get some strong garden wire and make a band of it to contain the branches.

I did it to this conifer a couple of decades ago. I had to "let it out a bit" over time.

 

[yorkslad]

Welcome to the forum

Not sure I follow what you're asking... you have a wire fence running alongside a conifer hedge, and you don't want the conifer coming through the fence? I can't picture the hinged panel you're talking about. Which direction does the fence face?

Hello Becky. I've actually realized that lowering the fence to the base point of the branches is the preferable option. Don't ask me why I didn't do that to begin with but I was a bit tired after 30m of fence! :/

 

[yorkslad]

Get some strong garden wire and make a band of it to contain the branches.

I did it to this conifer a couple of decades ago. I had to "let it out a bit" over time.

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Thanks Sean Regan. It would have worked if not for about 30 of them! In the end I decided to lower the fence. It's still at 1.5m so more than enough. Many thanks

 

[Becky]

I've actually realized that lowering the fence to the base point of the branches is the preferable option.

Glad to hear you've got a solution worked out