What hedges to plant for privacy?

[tulle]

 

hey guys I’m wanting to plant some hedges along my back fence for some more privacy. My neighbour is always concerned about her retaining wall. What would be the best hedge/screening plant with minimal roots. Also am I better off building a garden bed for better soil and controlling the roots. I’m located in Brisbane and plants would get full sun

[JacobZ]

Hi @tulle,

Thank you for your question about hedging plants near a retaining wall at the border of your home.

When planting hedges near a retaining wall, it’s essential to set the plants back far enough to prevent root interference. I'd suggest you aim for a minimum setback of 1–1.2 metres. This space allows roots to develop naturally without placing pressure on the wall. To add extra protection, consider installing a root barrier behind the retaining wall. Bury it vertically between the wall and the hedge, angled slightly away from the wall, with the top edge just above soil level. This helps direct roots downward and away from the structure while still giving plants plenty of room to thrive.

For your sunny Brisbane garden, a few excellent choices with manageable root systems include Murrayas, Viburnums, and Lilly Pillys. Murraya forms a dense, fragrant hedge about 2–3 metres tall and has fine, fibrous roots that stay close to the surface. Viburnum is fast-growing, evergreen, and perfect for creating privacy screens up to 3–4 metres tall, while Lilly Pilly ‘Resilience’ offers glossy foliage, attractive new growth, and a tight habit without invasive roots.

If you want to improve soil quality or control root spread, a raised garden bed can certainly help, though it won’t fully stop roots from reaching deeper ground. Personally, I think it would be better to plant your hedging plants in the ground ensuring they are set back from the retaining wall a sufficient distance, adding compost to the soil when planting, adding slow-release fertiliser when required and giving them plenty of water.

Let me know what you think and if you have further questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Jacob

[tulle]

That’s great Jacob, thanks for all the info it has helped me out a lot. In regards to using a root barrier for Murrayas would I need a barrier 300 or 600mm deep barrier? Also The ground is a little bit uneven were I’m looking to plant aswell should I level it out or it won’t matter.

thanks again for your help and suggestions

[JacobZ]

Hi @tulle,

Murrayas tend to have fairly shallow roots, but the deeper you can go with your root barrier, the better. I'd be using the 600mm barrier regardless of what you planted just to be safe.

There isn't really any reason you'd need to level the ground for planting unless you wanted to. Personally, I wouldn't bother. 

In future, you could always put some garden edging up and mulch over the ground. This will cover the unevenness, help with water retention and help to slowly release nutrients into the soil.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Jacob