Question
QUESTION: We are planning to plant a privacy hedge this month. I can't decide which would be better for the area and which is more hardy..Leyland cypress or hemlocks. The area gets mostly sun and will be next to our shed. We want a fast, dense grower with minimal issues. Please help. Thanks so much!
ANSWER: I would not recommend either both have pest problems. I would instead recommend Thuja Green Giant, Thuja (standishii x plicata) 'Green Giant .

Thuja Green Giant is becoming more and more popular among landscapers, growers, and homeowners alike. This hardy, fast growing, conifer makes a perfect privacy screen in just a few short years.   

Green Giant will grow from 3 to 5 feet per year and will eventually grow to 50 feet or more with a fairly narrow spread. The color is a deep lustrous green and is pleasantly fragrant.

Green Giant  will grow in a wide range of soils in zones 5 to 8 and prefers a deep well drained fertile soil although it adapts well to frequently saturated clay soils. This is a tough tree and will not easily suffer damage from high wind or heavy ice and snow loads.  

Green Giant is drought tolerant after it is well established, exhibits no significant pest or disease problems, is deer and bagworm resistant and is hardy to -25F.

This new USDA US National Arboretum release as Green Giant has been evaluated since 1967 and will become the outstanding alternative screening-evergreen to the disease prone Leyland Cypress in the south and to the Hemlocks that are dying throughout New England.  Plant 5 to 6 feet apart for a really fast privacy screen, otherwise 10-12 feet apart. Green Giant can be trimmed to any height and width.


Check with your local nursery and they should have these or can get them.


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi again. One more question for you. I have been looking at the thuja Green giants and they seem to fit the bill. However, i came across another variety, Thuja Steeplechase. It seems to have a broader base than the giant. I live in Massachusetts...Would this variety do well for us? Does it have as good a reputation as the giants? Any info you have would be great.
Sincerely,
Christie

Answer
Very similar to Green giant with some differences. Either would be good for the hedge effect. It is fairly new so there is not much on the reputation side.
Thuja 'Steeplechase.' 'Steeplechase' is a branch sport of the popular 'Green Giant' arborvitae. It was discovered in the summer of 1990 in Maryland. Until now 'Green Giant' has been considered the ideal fast-growing privacy hedge, superior to the problem-prone Leyland Cypress, but 'Steeplechase' is even better than 'Green Giant.' In effect, the best just got better.

'Steeplechase' has a pyramidal shape with rich, green fragrant foliage. The foliage is deeper green and has a very fine texture which makes it even neater and denser than 'Green Giant.' Once established, 'Steeplechase' grows at a rate of about 2 feet per year. Fourteen year old trees are approximately 25 feet tall and only 10 feet wide at the base. 'Steeplechase' needs no shearing; but can be trimmed to a smaller size. Thuja 'Green Giant', and therefore Thuja 'Steeplechase', is believed to be a hybrid of the giant western arborvitae and the Japanese arborvitae. They are not to be confused with the much slower growing common Eastern American arborvitaes. Because 'Steeplechase' is so new, the ultimate size is not known; but I suspect about 35 feet tall and 12 feet wide, so 'Steeplechase' doesn't take up a large part of your yard. And unlike 'Green Giant,' it keeps a tight shape and will not stretch and become open. 'Steeplechase' is extremely resistant to snow, ice and wind.

Planting and Care
'Steeplechase' is very low-maintenance; just fertilize every spring and fall and watch it thrive! It is rated as deer-resistant and bag worm resistant. 'Steeplechase' is hardy to Zone 5. If you are in need of a privacy screen or a windbreak in your yard -  'Steeplechase' is the conifer of choice!

For best results plant in spring or fall.

Space 10 feet apart; 6 feet for a quick screen.

Will thrive in any soil from sandy to heavy clay.

Fertilize early every spring and in late fall with Cottonseed Meal and Kelp Meal.

Prune, if desired, in early spring.

Prefers full sun, but will tolerate some shade.

Water regularly until established; very drought tolerant thereafter.

Hardy in Zones 5-8.