Trimming leylandii

Wig · 18 November 2017 at 12:41PM

I saw the other thread just now, and thought I'd ask my own.

My property has what I think are leylandii -planted by previous owner- along a border of of about 10m, they are about 10m high although the top 4m is more "whisp" like.

I have a chainsaw and am quite cabable of cutting them down. I don't like them. I know the neighbour would probably prefer them not to be so tall, but they don't affect the line of the sun for the neighbour, they affect the line of the sun for my garden. The neighbour has not made any request they be cut. It is purely me who does not want them.

My question is ...if I cut them to 3 m will they die? Will they look stupid?

My problem is the border is not marked with a fence, just these trees, I can see on the land registry plan where the border should be. EDIT: However both the previous owner and the neighbour have said the trees are mine.

At the back of the garden the border is kind of easy to pinpoint because it is a continuation of a long straight line of the border at the back of a lot of houses (behind them a field), so the border between me and my neighbour starts at this intersection. However the intersection has become less precise over the centuries and it could be disputed where it is.

The border 'tween me and neighbour continues about 15m to the top of the garden where the road is.....and at this end it is not so easy to pinpoint where it is. And there is a fence built for the first 3 - 4 metres from the road end, but the fence posts are huge like 10 inch diameter and I think the fence is mine but the posts are on their side. I also think the border at the road end is slightly too much in their favour.

I also don't like paying for things like to have someone install a new fence for me.

I also don't like to talk to people, and discussing my boundary with my neighbour is the last thing I want to have to do.

TheCyclingProgrammer · 18 November 2017 at 1:26PM

10m? That’s tall. IMO that’s get a professional in to deal with them territory.

You can reduce leylandii in height but you’ll probably need to do it in stages.

Mojisola · 18 November 2017 at 1:38PM

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=596
Pruning overgrown hedges
With its rapid growth, a Leyland cypress hedge can soon become overgrown if not maintained at the desired height
Healthy plants will usually respond well to reduction of up to one-third of the height. This is best carried out in early April as the new growth is about to begin
Taking too much off the top can result in a bare, flat-topped hedge. Worse still, it may result in the death of older or less vigorous plants
Where essential to reduce height by more than one third, it is possible (although not recommended) to reduce by one third in the first instance and then, when the plants have recovered, reduce the remaining plant by up to one half
If reduction in width is required, care needs to be taken not to cut into older leafless growth as new growth will not appear from bare wood

Gloomendoom · 18 November 2017 at 1:43PM

I had a similar problem with trees of a similar height. I took some down completely and others were left at 4 m. As suggested above, don't try and the top 7 m off in one go, take them down a metre or so at a time. You may need to use ropes and an assistant to make sure everything falls on your side of the boundary and/or doesn't pivot up as it falls and hit you in the face. In my case it was complicated by my neighbour having built several outbuildings close up to the boundary.

Don't use a chainsaw unless both of your feet are planted firmly on solid ground. I have several chainsaws, all the PPE and a fair bit of experience using them, despite this, I used a hand saw off ground.

Aylesbury_Duck · 18 November 2017 at 2:19PM

Don't play around with a chainsaw to cut down a 10m tree. I cut down a row of 6m tall conifers a few years ago - using a bow saw because I'm nervous about using a chainsaw, even with all the PPE - and the sheer mass of the trees surprised me. There were two of us roping them then sawing them at ground level and we needed both of us, and sometimes a third person, to pull them over and make sure they landed on my side. A 10m tree is heavy enough to do some serious damage, without you trying to outrun it with a chainsaw!

Get professionals in. They'll do all the disposal as well.

firefox1956 · 18 November 2017 at 2:31PM

@Wig......
They will not die but they will not regrow from where you cut them
In my opinion ( having seen others do it ) they will look awful.
Get the chainsaw out !!!

EachPenny · 18 November 2017 at 4:25PM

Unfortunately you are going to have to discuss this with your neighbour. If there is any uncertainty about the boundary then you need to have them on-side before moving it or putting up a new fence. Otherwise you run the risk of either losing part of your garden, or else ending up in conflict with the neighbour.

Also, even if the height of the trees is a problem, I would at least speak to the neighbours to find out what they think before cutting them down. Not everybody hates trees and tall hedges, they provide good privacy and somewhere for wildlife to live. A near neighbour of mine recently removed a 4m high row of trees which has left 8 other properties without the screening we had from a road. Whilst it was entirely up to the tree owner to decide whether or not to remove them, I hope they didn't do it just because they were worried about what the neighbours thought. If they'd asked then the responses would have been to leave well alone.

If there is a risk of any dispute over the boundary, then cutting down the hedge without speaking to the neighbour first might set the whole discussion off on a bad footing.

Maybe go with the G_M approach of tea and cake, it might be that the neighbours want to discuss the hedge with you but are worried about upsetting you.

As for the actual trimming, so long as you leave some green on each branch they will in time regenerate and fill in any holes. The branches are also quite flexible when young, so it is possible to 'weave' some of the lower branches to achieve a green top to the hedge. Once you are happy with the height and width it is then just a case of regularly (perhaps twice a year) trimming back to the same point with a hedgecutter.

sevenhills · 18 November 2017 at 8:44PM

firefox1956 wrote: »

@Wig......
They will not die but they will not regrow from where you cut them
In my opinion ( having seen others do it ) they will look awful.
Get the chainsaw out !!!

I have seen smaller conifers cut, and the top/inside part going brown; but in the OP case, will this matter as it will still be high and out of view.

Grenage · 18 November 2017 at 8:50PM

Yes, as long as you won't see the cut section, it will be ok. If you have to cut the sides, then burn it - burn it all!

FreeBear · 18 November 2017 at 9:29PM

Leylandii is best pruned at ground level and then taken a little lower with a stump grinder (my opinion of course).

DaftyDuck · 18 November 2017 at 10:16PM

FreeBear wrote: »

Leylandii is best pruned at ground level and then taken a little lower with a stump grinder (my opinion of course).

In principle, I agree.

In practice, I find cutting them to six feet, then using the trunk to rip the root up works well.

But then, I don't have a stump grinder!

Trimming leylandii

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