How do create a plant screen between my neighbours and our balcony?

Question

The balcony recieves full sun in Sydney for most of the day and all plants will be in large pots, but I need it to grow as quickly as possible to around 2 metres? Thank you.

Answer 1

You can try some evergreen shrubs. You can buy them at the size you want, from sapling to full-grown and grow them in pots. I live in the US, and I know you can purchase them as young as 3-4 feet tall. They are great for muffling noise and privacy.

Answer 2

All the plant and building ideas so far a great. I am assuming the balcony is not on the ground floor and so is suspended above on an upper floor. I don't know what kind of balcony you have, but it may not be made for really heavy pots and soil. One way to lighten the load, so to speak, is to use styrofoam containers. This is not the cheap stuff used in "disposable" ice chests, but more like extruded plastic foam. The finish is often quite attractive - made to look like clay or even metalic pots. In addition to being light weight, their insulative properties may be of use if your climate is very warm or if the balcony gets a lot of direct sun.

Water is about 8 lbs per gallon. A large pot with very moist soil will weigh a lot. Perlite will help airate and lighten the soil.

Feeding your plants weekly with a 20-25% strength solution of your favorite liquid plant fertilizer instead of once a month at whatever is considered a "regular" strength amount will encourage the plants to grow faster.

Some plants will get bushier and thicker if you sacrifice a little bit at the beginning of their lives and pinch back some of the shoots. Pinching them back will make them branch, for the most part. I think this applies to most viny plants. Bamboo is a grass, so you won't want to pinch it back.

Make sure you put something under the pots to catch water - and something under that for ocational overflows or spills. You don't want to damage the balcony or leave stains on it. You don't want to pay for repair or replacement!

Good luck!

Answer 3

go to a hardware or nursery store and purchase a piece of lattice the width of your balcony and place this on your side of the railing between your and your neighbours balconies then on your side of the lattice place a long rectangle planter and place in some potting mix and some jasmine or other climbing plant.there are some without any scent if you are sensitive.... this will create quie quickly a thick screen between you and your neighbours .... and will love the sunlight so long as you keep the water up to it on a daily basis...
the hardware store can tell you how to make a simple stand to hold the lattice work upright....

Answer 4

Bamboo would be perfect, especially since it will be in pots. (It can be invasive otherwise)
It is fast growing and attractive. I planted some on the one side of my deck for privacy three years ago and I love it. I had to dig a trench and line it with an old swimming pool liner, though. This stuff can quickly take over!

Answer 5

I agree with Blur, bamboo is the way to go. Be sure it doesn't escape the pots unless you want it everywhere, forever. There are many different types of bamboo, find one that will grow just to the height that you want and you won't ever have to maintain it. Some are varigated, which is really pretty too.

Answer 6

I agree one hundred% with the answer CAPE gave. issues should be a lot worse than having a neighbour who wears his underclothes on his balcony. From own journey with a neighbour from hell very last 12 months (do not get me began on the loopy, disruptive issues she did which had the police and hearth branch over virtually usual) i visit assert that i does not imagine two times about it and does not enable it hardship me.