Tips For Topping Leylandii

kevinwebster83 · 22 Jan 2010

Hi,

I'm just wondering if anyone has any tips for topping leylandii?

We live on a corner plot and the previous owners planted lots of leylandii trees pretty much everywhere. The main problem area is around the side of the house where it borders the pavement - which the council aren't happy about. The trees are currently about 20+ feet high and i'm wanting to drastically cut them back but am unsure about how to go about it, what the best time of year to do this is, etc.

Can anyone offer any advice or tips?

Thanks, Kev

Burnerman · 22 Jan 2010

Is there any mileage pruning these things about 6" from the ground?

Just my opinion but they are an eternal pain, grow at the speed of light and should never be put in in the first place.....I have to use a hired tower to prune next doors trees and I have to do it yearly. The best time to prune is probably October though, I think.
John

kevinwebster83 · 22 Jan 2010

Just my opinion but they are an eternal pain, grow at the speed of light and should never be put in in the first place.

I completely agree, they are a total pain however they do provide a good deal of privacy but again, the hassle of keeping them trimmed and neat far outweighs the advantage of having them.

The council have already sent us about 4 letters demanding that we cut them back as a couple of branches are overhanging onto the pavement. The first letter we received about a week after moving in, which was harsh.

Hmm, suppose we did take them out - what could we replace them with that would be both manageable and give us privacy?

Burnerman · 22 Jan 2010

Indeed, they do provide privacy and security, to some extent.
I'm no gardener, but I'd be looking at something like a beech hedge - excellent cover for birds, reasonably quick growing and hardy.
Trouble with leylandii, the branches are difficult to cut with a machine because they are too bendy, and chopping large boughs from them just gives loads of bald spots...!
John

RedHerring · 22 Jan 2010

If you are considering taking them out, they can be pulled over with a chain about 2 meters up and a vehicle winch, say a Land Rover with winch, perhaps tied to a ground anchor or another tree.
They don't have deep roots which makes it relatively easy to pull them over.
I pulled about 40 out from the perimeter of our backgarden about 3 years ago. They were all round the three sides of the backgarden taking up 1 - 3 meters of the boundary. The lawn didn't suffer too badly either.

Long straight branches useable in the garden, decent logs cut up and stored for fire wood, twigs reduced to chips and used for paths or spread around the garden, stumps burnt on the garden fire.

noseall · 22 Jan 2010

As stated above, a leylandii will be much easier to prune when it is lying on the ground.

Thermo · 22 Jan 2010

leylandii are perfect for screening in the context you have given, provided they are managed properly. they have only got a bad name as people dont look after them.

To prune them you can reduce the height pretty well as much as you want. In terms of cutting the foilage back, once you get past the greenery and into the brown areas, it wont come back.

noseall · 22 Jan 2010

Thermo said:
To prune them you can reduce the height pretty well as much as you want. In terms of cutting the foilage back, once you get past the greenery and into the brown areas, it wont come back.

They have a propensity to become a bit 'leggy' eh Big T?

Thermo · 22 Jan 2010

not if they are planted at the correct spacing to begin with and they are looked after.

JohnD · 22 Jan 2010

Burnerman said:
Is there any mileage pruning these things about 6" from the ground?

they look best if pruned to 6" below ground level.

Thermo · 22 Jan 2010

what and painted concrete posts put back in their place.....heathen!

Deluks · 26 Jan 2010

John has concrete trees, painted green.

Thermo · 26 Jan 2010

and gnomes

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Tips For Topping Leylandii

RedHerring

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