Planting Leylandii

lea76

Hello

I wondered if anyone can help me?

I have recently bought some leylandii that are 8ft tall.

Does anybody know if there is a special way to plant them and how far apart I should put them? I want them to be a hedge at the back of my garden, (it doesnt border with anybody elses property)

Thank you

Lea

Sailor_Sam

8ft is already a decent height isn't it. Leylandi get a bad name don't they, would you really call it a hedge in years to come if they grew to 40ft.
How big are the root balls, couldn't you plant each of them in a big bucket ???

lea76

Thanks for your reply.

Yes they do get a bad name but I think if they are kept well trimmed they look nice for a hedge.


Yes it is a decent height but they are only thin, they just need to thicken out. We will be keeping them at 8 ft ... we did have one previously when we moved in our house it was about 20ft and we wont be letting them get like that

they are currently in buckets but we want them in the ground...i would say the rootballs are about 18"

prowla

If you plant Leylandii, you will want to dig the, up at some point.
Bear that in mind.

lea76

why would i want to dig them up??

prowla

'cos they will grow.
Upwards and outwards.
And you may chop the tops off to limit the height.
But then they'll grow brown.
And turn into an eyesore.

Lotus-eater

My nieghbour has some about 4 feet apart that he keeps to 8 feet high, chops them down about twice a year. They don't go brown and are fine.
Beware that they take alot of moisture and goodness out of the ground around them. If there is no one else on that border and no reason for a quick hedge, I would put a slower growing hedge there.

Davesnave

People do write some cobblers on here. A leylandii hedge will be a quick, effective screen and windbreak. If it doesn't affect anyone else adversely, why not?

We put in a leylandii hedge at our last house, because we had a rear neighbour whose rather odd twenty-something son was into ornithology, using binoculars, when our other neighbours wife was in the garden sunbathing. Once we noticed the correlation, we decided to act. He also had an annoying fence-leaning, gossiping Mum, but that was just a secondary consideration.

The hedge was placed well within the garden, so it didn't shade anyone else, and we restricted the root run by burying 18" paving slabs vertically about 2' from the leylandii. I think the trees were about 5' apart. They still grew well to around 12' when we topped them out. After that, a trim up every year was all that they required; so straightforward that even my horticulturally-challenged daughter didn't mind doing it.

Like lotus eater says, we found that the ground under the trees did become very dry and hungry, but things like epimediums and geranium macrorrhizum flourished there, as did some species of cyclamen and, on the sunny side nerines and sedum.

Would we do it again? Maybe, say to cover up the view of a polytunnel. But yes, again I agree with lotus eater, something a bit slower like yew has a bit more 'class.'

lea76

thanks for your replies...i knew some people wouldnt like them!

My kitchen is overlooked by a road thats why i need a quick growing screen. Hence why i spent a fortune buying the 8ft ones :eek:

As long i look after them I dont see the harm in them I think they make nice screens

Would you suggest i plant them 3-4ft apart??

Thanks Lea

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

I'm not getting involved as to whether leyland cypress is a good thing to plant or not (they are, IMHO, beautiful, but designed to grow so very tall - and it only takes a sprained ankle for them to take advantage and grow and grow and grow) - BUT - my local authority expressly forbids the planting of it. In fact, they have gone on to make it a condition of any of their tenancies that the planting of leylandii is an evictable offence.

And all planning applications/building inspections come with friendly advice to remove them or potentially end up with a bill for both their removal and the repair of any damage done to road, path, or as a consequence of obstructing light of one of their tenants.

I trust you have checked with your council that they have no objections?

Oh, and some household insurers aren't too happy about trees planted within a certain distance of the foundations - something to do with subsidence, I think.

Anyway, as they grow so easily, plant them 4-5ft apart and chop them level now or they'll be out of your reach before you know it! To fill in the gaps whilst they bulk up, I would suggest something quite undemanding as a contrast (and because leylandii are very good at taking water from the area)

Davesnave

lea76 wrote: »

thanks for your replies...i knew some people wouldnt like them!

Would you suggest i plant them 3-4ft apart??

Thanks Lea

Yes, that sounds about right for the height you're aiming at.

Jojo, you win the Jobsworth Council's Dream Citizen award.:A