Twobtold wrote:

Hi --
I'm looking for recommendations for planting an evergreen noise block at the
back of my daughter's property. She and her husband bought a house in NJ Zone 6
last year. There is a train that runs in back of their property, during the
'green' season the noise is minimal from the passing trains. But during the
winter 'brown' season the noise is pronounced.
I thought a break of evergreen trees/shrubs planted on their property line
(or possibly even encroaching on the RR right-of-way buffer land) would help.
I've
picked out some from a mail-order catalogue:
Colorado Blue Spruce -- Picea pungens glauca
Thuja "Green Giant" --
American Arborvitae -- Thuja occidentalis 'American'
Russian Olive -- Elaeagnus angustifolia
Canadian Hemlock --
Douglas Fir -- Pseudotsuga taxifola
Siberian Elm --
Christmas Holly -- Ilex Opaca hybrids
Are there any in the above list that you would recommend? or stay away from?
Any that will fill in faster than others? Should I be leary of the ones with no
Latin name?
Thanks in Advance, NJ/Z6

Some good advice in the replies. Personally, I'd give my right arm to
live next to a railroad. A screen...I'd remove screening
materials...but then I'm a train buff gg.

Railroads have weed control contractors that apply herbicide annually to
control plant growth in the ROW. Plus rail grinder rail maintenance
vehicles that maintain the "high iron" and have been known to set fire
to adjacent weed and scrub via the sparks thrown. And lets not forget
the railroad designers mantra "drainage, drainage, drainage" to ensure
solid footing through diversion of surrounding water...sometimes into
adjacent properties/areas where its not wanted or affecting local soil
conditions. Plant existance in or along a rail ROW can be a challenging
place to take up residence. Do NOT plant IN the ROW; its not your
property and the railroad legal eagles frown on trespassing as well as
disturbing the roadbed they work so hard to maintain; your work would be
removed, money wasted or worse.

I don't know the exact layout and lay of your land but I'd do a mix of
fast and slow growing evergreen trees and shrubs. Maybe plant a line of
leyland cypress to get a screen up and growing fast, supplemented by
slower/longer lasting eastern red cedar and American holly (whereyou may
be able to obtain from reforestation nurseries to keep costs down) and
the like. Around here and further south southern bayberry (Myrica
cerifera) is semi to evergreen and grows large shrub/small tree size.
Northern bayberry is also good for colder climes at filling in the nooks
and crannies. The leylands will do their job while the cedar and holly
establish, afterwhich when they become a useful size the leylands will
likely be ready to be blown over, attacked by bagworms or the stand can
be thinned. Big yews and chinense juniper varieties can also have a
place here.

Maybe travel through some other neighborhoods to see what other folks
have growing, and maybe working, so you don't have to reinvent the wheel
and what performs in your area?

Pat in coastal Maryland