Since you don't recommend solid stains, and my fences are different types of cedar, would this be a way to get them to match somewhat?
On the white/yellow cedar fence, use Defy Extreme cedar tone.
On the red cedar fence use Defy Extreme crystal clear.
I know they won't match exactly, but closer than using the same stain on both? This will probably only be for a few years until I can replace the older white/yellow cedar fence, which has a lot more rot. I am replacing the worst boards, so hopefully those new boards won't look a lot different than the old cleaned up boards.
Seattle area. Both fences have part shade and part sun, the red cedar is more covered by trees and had a lot more algae growing on them before cleaning, so they stay wet longer. On the back side of the red cedar fence (street side, north side), the stain is a lot more difficult to remove with just the pressure washer, I will probably have to strip that side - thinking of using RAD there.
If I keep these cleaned up after staining, would I just be able to reapply more stain every 2-3 years, and not have to remove it all before adding more stain (much less work).
You cannot get these two wood types to match by using different colors. Bets to use a semi-solid color to blend the two wood types. Armstrong Clark makes our favorite solid color stain. You should be able to clean and reapply every 3-4 years without stripping.