Tall conifer trees

mrbg07546

Hi. I have tall concise trees. Someone says he could cut 3 metered off top and prune for 700. He said after cutting his gut they won’t grow taller? Does this mean they won’t grow taller if I left them as is and I didn’t do work? I’m thinking of getting a ladder and pruning it myself leaving the top(on the presumption it won’t go taller). Picture attached 

MovingForwards

I've just paid for two conifers to be felled, cost me £340, stump removal was extra. Both were taller than yours, with numerous trunks coming off the tree.

If you don't do anything, they will carry on growing. You could get a ladder and prune it yourself, how much time and effort required would depend on whether those trunks split off and made more trunks. Plus you need to be careful of where they land.

Chainsaw and protective gear as standard, a saw would take forever and loppers probably wouldn't be any use.

As with anything, get second and third quotes / opinions.

mrbg07546

Will the height increase?

mollycat

When I've topped Leylandi before the cut part does not continue to grow, but the overall height of the tree increases, bue to other branches growing beyond the previous top, (IYSWIM).

A few thoughts, (maybe not welcome), so no need to indulge me
What do your neighbours think of those? Do you realise that constitutes a "high hedge"?  Don't you want something different where they are? I had 4 trees like yours and prevaricated about getting rid for many years; having now done so, I can't believe I didn't do it sooner.

Davesnave

MovingForwards said:

Chainsaw and protective gear as standard, a saw would take forever and loppers probably wouldn't be any use.
As with anything, get second and third quotes / opinions.

My second opinion as someone who regularly uses a chain saw, is that no one without training and the right gear should climb with a powered saw. This is because the saws used by tree surgeons are different and leave one hand free, but top handled saws aren't standard equipment for the public and need extra care in use.

I took down a Eucalyptus that tall in the spring using nothing more than a new hand saw. I suffer from vertigo so without a hand free to cling on I would have had to give in. I chose a calm day and listened to hear the wood splitting, so I knew when bits were about to fall. It wasn't that hard, and nor would a softwood tree like that be difficult to carve up into manageable bits.

When you pile them all up on the ground you'll wonder, "How did all that fit up there?" so decide what to do about disposal now and liaise with neighbours.

MovingForwards

@Davesnave I wasnt suggesting he do it himself.

Even my OH wasn't interested in taking them down if I hired a chainsaw etc for him. Would have worked out more expensive just to get the trees down, let alone getting rid of the remains.

It took the two guys 4 hours to do mine. They had to avoid damaging the next door neighbours to the left / right, my building neighbours gardens / walls, the boundary walls which are old and numerous other things.

I could hear parts snapping and falling, plus the amount of trips they had to do to get it from my garden to where their shredder was. It was done the other weekend when there was high winds, seeing parts of the tree vanishing and what remained swaying until it everything I could see from the safety of my flat had gone. Then a guy came to collect all the trunks.

For me it was the best £340 I paid, plus the beer / treats to give to the lads as they were about to go. That's why I told him to get other prices as I knew what was involved with mine, the heights of them and the potential damage to everything if it was done wrong.

I didn't go for tree stump removal as that was another £250, instead my OH has the pleasure of dealing with them 😁

[Deleted User]

I would say a tree surgeon is advisable, the right equipment and insurance cover is important - not to mention the expertise on this particular genus and it's regrowth habit/pattern. 
Cheap isn't best here, it's not going to be a one-off exercise because it'll need doing regularly.

Apodemus

If you simply top these, the lower laterals will grow out and up, eventually becoming even more difficult to remove.  Best to bite the bullet and remove them completely and replace with something more suitable to the space.

Davesnave

Catsacor said:

Cheap isn't best here, it's not going to be a one-off exercise because it'll need doing regularly.

If they were mine it would be a one off, but Apodemus has said it very nicely and with correct reasoning.