Which privacy trees are best for noise reduction?
I have a 50 foot span along my back fence which separates us from our neighbors. Lately, their kids have started hanging out in the backyard a lot more with their friends, which is awesome to see in this day and age. However, with that comes the noise. It's difficult to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee or read a book when kids are constantly screaming on the swings etc.
when we bought the house, there were 20-ft emeralds surrounding the property, which have been okay for a while, but lately they are badly thinning out, and some have completely died. Now I'm thinking of replacing these trees with brand new ones, but I don't want to wait for years in order to enjoy privacy. I need the privacy immediately.
I'm thinking of getting 10 ft emeralds or excelsas installed. several marketplace sellers are encouraging the excelsas because they say they are more dense, but from the pictures I'm seeing, they seem to get really thin as you go up the tree. Are these the best choice for me? or should I just replace them with the similar emeralds that I'm going to take out? if I get emeralds, how far apart should I space them in order to have a tight wall.
I know that trees arent going to block out all the sound, but with the dead trees right in the middle of the yard, I'm noticing the neighbors' noise quite a bit this year. I'm hoping it will make some difference by getting new trees planted.
Any suggestions please? should I go with the excelsa (Red cedar) the trees at 3ft apart, or perhaps emeralds at 2 ft apart? Or any other suggestions to get a quick privacy barrier setup? I'll leave a picture of my current setup where some trees are dead, some are dying and thinning, and some are on their way towards death.