Is this Leylandii hedge likely to recover?

AliceW

P1050581.JPG

Parts of this hedge are still green, but not sure if hedge will recover. I think it has spider mites as I can see webs.

Keep_pedalling

Think of this as a chance to replace those hideous trees with something much nicer. Spider mites don’t make webs those will be actual spiders.

Farway

I think it is a deceased hedge. Possibly as a result of last year's very dry summer.

Once it goes brown that's normally the end, they don't sprout fresh growth from old wood, unlike a lot of trees.

As Keep P says, get planning on the replacement, but the hedge will not just fall down so you have time to wait & see.

Dustyevsky

Conifer spider mites can make webs, but not as large as those of normal spiders. Also, there's the possibility it was a cypress aphid attack.

If it's a Cypress leylandii hedge, the chances of a full recovery are low.

Keep_pedalling: Think of this as a chance to replace those hideous trees with something much nicer.

Personally, I see nothing wrong with the well-clipped hedge in the picture. I wish my neighbour s kept theirs so well. We have lots of ivy and brambles growing through.

If it's your hedge, you can decide what to do once the outcome is clear. Otherwise, you may have to liaise with your neighbour. It's not easy to tell how large the hedge is, but getting the stumps out, if it's well established, won't be easy!

Silvertabby

It may not be as dead as Monty Python's parrot, but it's not far off. I would have it removed (stumps as well) then give the soil a good feed and rest while you decide what to replace it with. (Not more Leylandii !)

Keep_pedalling

Leave it until after the nesting season before taking any drastic action.

FreeBear

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81987234#Comment_81987234

Prune it at ground level for best results 😛

And if you do decide to replace it, don't go for Laurel either - That is another thug of a tree with the other disadvantage of suckering from any roots left in the ground.

Silvertabby

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81988146#Comment_81988146

Leylandii won't regrow from being cut back to ground level. If you mean just cut back and leave the stumps, that won't work either. A neighbour recently had a Leylandii hedge removed, stumps and all - if they'd been left there wouldn't have been enough decent soil to grow anything else.

Dustyevsky

Maybe I should call the Home Office. Some of you guys are close to indulging in hate speech towards innocent, defenceless trees, whose misfortune was to be the progeny of two cousins, who accidentally met in Wales after being kidnapped by plant hunters in the C19th.

What do you mean, “That's insane.” ?

Look around. 🤣

FreeBear

Leylandii won't regrow from being cut back to ground level.

I know. That's why I made the tongue in cheek suggestion.

But to be honest, leylandii (and laurel) should never be planted in gardens. And being a hybrid of non-native species, it has no place in the wild either.

horsewithnoname

replace it with a nice hedgerow of mixed native species, as someone said above, wait until any nests have been vacated.