Sukashigaki Restoration

The sukashigaki, or "see through fence," which separates the courtyard from the backyard and Dragon's Spine area was in serious need of repair. Last year I noticed how bad most of the posts had rotten and knew I would have to replace them soon. 

The last two days had temperatures in the 60s so I decided the time was right to get an early start on this major restoration. After cutting back the bamboo a few days earlier, it seemed like the best time to get started. The absence of the thick bamboo, and the opportunity to avoid stepping on new shoots, was ideal.

I first built this fence in 2015, almost ten years ago. At that time, I was not using 4 in. x 4 in. x 30 in. In-Ground HDPE Fence Post Decay Protectors. 

This time I added a protector to each post. Doing so will help slow down the rot that can occur. 

With untreated cedar, there is usually three ingredients needed for rot: air, soil, and water. This occurs right above, at, and below the surface. 

By having the protector protrude from the surface, the rot can be slowed down. I've been using these with the more recent fence rebuilds and so far they seem to be working - only time will tell. 

Once the old posts were removed, it was time to dig new post holes. Admittedly, I am getting too old for this kind of work, but going slow helped. New drainage gravel at the base was added and the new posts inserted and aligned  without too much difficulty.

Because it was warm, I had the opportunity to stain the posts. I was also able to extract the original copper caps from the old posts and reuse them to protect the tops of the new posts.

The tan/brown color doesn't match my green stain, so they do stand out. When I have used these elsewhere in the garden I have been able to hide them with plantings. Doing so along this fence line will be difficult, so when it warms up I will try spray-painting them a matching green color.

The natural cedar screen insets were originally designed so that I could remove them as a singe piece. The next phase of this restoration will be to sand those pieces, re-stain them, and reinsert them between the posts. Although I can start the sanding now, I will have to wait until we get warm weather again before I can complete the re-staining.

Bamboo Bummer

It's mid March and the weather is starting to warm up a bit. As a result, I was able to get into the garden early to start some cleanup and maintenance. Unfortunately, the Clumping Bamboo (Fargesia rufa) in the garden took a heavy hit this winter. The deep freeze throughout the winter left most of the existing bamboo leaves wilted and dead. This often happens during cold winters, but last year was an exception. Almost all of the bamboo survived and thrived. Not so this year.

Wanting to remove the dead stocks before new shoots emerged, I cut back all of the bamboo within the garden, starting with the area along the sukashigaki or "see through fence." 

These two beds look devastated and I am hoping they recover as soon as possible.

I cut the shoots down to the ground. Doing so will make it easier to rake and clean out in the future. Remember to wear good knee pads when doing this work. The small bamboo spikes that are left behind are sharp, pointy, and painful to kneel upon.

I also had to remove the bamboo in other locations as well: middle gate, behind the garage, and along the stroll garden. 

It would have taken all day, but I used a powerful hedge trimmer and reduced the time in half. However, I still had to trim down some of the spikes with hand clippers when done.

It will take some time for new shoots to emerge and fill in the larger areas. We won't see thick heavy growth until late August if we are lucky. On the positive side, with the bamboo gone along the "see through fence" I can now begin the process of removing and replacing the rotten fence posts that need replacing.