Trimming leylandii

glasgowdan

I do a lot of this type of work. You don't have to speak to the neighbour though it is polite to let them know your plans.

You can cut them down to 3m in one go, no problem at all. You can do this in winter or any time of year. The middle on top where you cut will be sparse and brown, but the side shoots will eventually cover this when they grow upwards. So if you want the hedge to be 3m, cut it to 2.7m.

There will be a main central trunk. I advise getting a silky pruning saw and doing this job by hand. Working up a ladder with a two-handled saw is more than dangerous.

Tie a rope at 4-5m, cut a hinge and get someone to pull the tops over tour side. You don't want to damage fence/gutter/shed in your neighbour's garden.

Gloomendoom

I disagree about chopping 7 m off in one go. I'd do it if it wasn't on the boundary but on the boundary no chance. Unless you judge where the weight lies absolutely spot on, it doesn't matter where you cut a hinge, the thing will want to fall where gravity takes it and drag the groundsman on the end of a rope with it.

Wig

Maybe they are not leylandii or something, but read OP again...the top 4 metres are whispy, not heavy. like a christmas tree. I am sure the top 5 m would not be a problem, and I could increase that to 6 or 7 m in a single cut, once I have a close look at what I am dealing with. t
The bulk of the tree is at the bottom.

Plus maybe they are 9m trees

Aylesbury_Duck

Wig wrote: »

Maybe they are not leylandii or something, but read OP again...the top 4 metres are whispy, not heavy. like a christmas tree. I am sure the top 5 m would not be a problem, and I could increase that to 6 or 7 m in a single cut, once I have a close look at what I am dealing with. t
The bulk of the tree is at the bottom.

Plus maybe they are 9m trees

What's the point in asking folk to read your original post again, when you've just written that they're possibly a different type of tree and possibly not 10m tall? It reads as if you don't like the advice you're getting so are tweaking the description and editing your original post to elicit the answer you do want.

Wig

Aylesbury_Duck wrote: »

What's the point in asking folk to read your original post again, when you've just written that they're possibly a different type of tree and possibly not 10m tall? It reads as if you don't like the advice you're getting so are tweaking the description and editing your original post to elicit the answer you do want.

Wow, you are a helpful soul aren't you? I would prefer if people like you did not reply to any of my threads.

To answer your ridiculous post...

1. I said in the OP "I think they are leylandii"
2. I said in the OP "the top 4m are whisp like"
3. They could be 9 metres they could be 10 I am pretty sure they are more than 8m but I can't measure them until they are on the ground.
4. I edited the OP and I clearly marked it as an EDIT.
5. I edited the OP because to me it makes sense to. So any new-comer to the thread will get a better picture of what the problem is and what the problem is not. without having to read the whole thread. I added to the OP that the neighbours have agreed the trees are mine. Because this appeared to be causing some confusion in the thread.
6. I said maybe they are not leylandii because a lot of replies were saying not to cut a lot off the top in one go incase it fell the other way.... you see when I look at the trees, and I see the tops of the trees are thin and whispy, and I reckon there is not much weight in the top 4m , so I was thinking "maybe the reason these replies are being more cautious is because they know what a leylandii looks like and I don't so maybe a 10m leylandii is a much more substantial tree than the ones in my garden...so I better remind them that I only said "I think they are leylandii" and that they are whispy at the top. But having looked on google images I am still none the wiser as to what they are they could be leylandii they could be thuja...

Perhaps Aylesbury Duck, you could do something useful for a change and explain how to identify what they are, what is the difference between leylandii and thuja, or what ever else they could be.


edited for spelling if that's ok with Aylesbury Duck and EachPenny.

Mojisola

This might help -
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/visiting-woods/trees-woods-and-wildlife/british-trees/common-non-native-trees/cypress/

Aylesbury_Duck

Crikey, no wonder you don't like to talk to people. You appear to take offence very readily. I believe I was helpful back in post #5 but you clearly didn't think so, perhaps because it wasn't the answer you wanted?

Wig

Nothing wrong with your post #5

I don't like rude people, I consider your post #15 to be rude and or unnecessary, and I call it out as such whenever I see it on these boards, I am fed up with people like you, and I bet the majority of MSE users feel the same as I do but are just too afraid to say so.

glasgowdan

Gloomendoom wrote: »

I disagree about chopping 7 m off in one go. I'd do it if it wasn't on the boundary but on the boundary no chance. Unless you judge where the weight lies absolutely spot on, it doesn't matter where you cut a hinge, the thing will want to fall where gravity takes it and drag the groundsman on the end of a rope with it.

7m of Leylandii consisting of 3-4m light whippy growth does not weigh enough to drag people around the place. With a hinge cut, a groundsperson can easily pull it the right way.

As I said, I've done many jobs like this.

Aylesbury_Duck

Wig wrote: »

Nothing wrong with your post #5

I don't like rude people, I consider your post #15 to be rude and or unnecessary, and I call it out as such whenever I see it on these boards, I am fed up with people like you, and I bet the majority of MSE users feel the same as I do but are just too afraid to say so.

It's up to you how you perceive my post, it wasn't meant as rude, merely pointing out that you asked for advice, seemingly didn't like the general advice you were receiving and were slowly shifting your story accordingly. I don't pretend to speak for the "majority of MSE users" but I find that sort of thing irritating. If you want your view confirming, say so, instead of leading people a merry dance until you get the answers you wanted in the first place.

If people are "afraid" of posters like me, they can always ignore or report them. I won't take it personally. I'm not a duck, I don't live in Aylesbury (any more), I'm just an anonymous user on a forum. If you don't like me, that's fine. Feel free to ignore anything I post, or "call it out" (whatever that means) when you feel the need to. It's no skin off my bill.