new hedge plan

ddel

I'm going to get 100+m of 25/30ft high leylandi hacked to bits, leaving about 4 or 5ft of each trunk, bear of branches. I then intend tacking chain link fence to the remaining trunks to keep the site secure. The soil beneath and around the leylandi will be dead, so I plan to rotavate and mix in a serious amount of 10-10-20 to breath in some life. In a years time I intend planting young laural to eventually regain privacy.

Would it be a good idea to purchase to cheapest bare root, 1ft laural now, put them in pots, feed and water them for the next year and when I feel the soil's in better shape I'll have much maturer plants.

Also, any flaws with my overall plan? Do I need to give the soil a year?

redser7

Would the leylandi not sprout new shoots?

looksee

I don't think the laylandii will sprout, but I think the soil will be in fairly poor condition.

ddel

If the leylandi could re-sprout I'd be delighted, but I'm afraid they just remain bare and dead looking, once trimmed to deeply. Had a quick look at one area of the leylandi and from the tip of the branches to the trunk is over 6 feet.