Cutting back/down leylandii

Tombo2001

I've bought a house that has a heap of leylandii trees along the edge of the garden. The garden does back on to the road, its a side garden. So they do offer privacy.

On the other hand, the leylandii are quite overgrown, I'd guess about 15 foot high and six foot wide. I'd guess they take up about a quarter of the garden or more (particularly as a number of them were planted a few feet out from the garden wall). They completely block out the sun.

My inclination is to cut these down and plant an alternative more natural looking hedge that doesnt take up so much room.

Just wondering if anyone could give me a reason not to do this. Is there something I am missing, some reason to hold on to a leylandii hedge? I'm not a gardener so I dont know, but dont want to be having the conversation in years time "you cut down the leylandii hedge....are you mad......!!".....

Wyldwood

My vote would go with cutting them down they are the cuckoo of garden plants. Take all the moisture from the soil, block light and sun and take up loads of space where you could grow other much nicer stuff.
My son bought a house where the entire very large back garden was completely surrounded by Leylandii, you wouldn't believe the difference once they were gone.

Edit: you can't cut back Leylandii as they'll be bare and won't regenerate

Norfolk Enchants_

Tombo2001 wrote: »

I've bought a house that has a heap of leylandii trees along the edge of the garden. The garden does back on to the road, its a side garden. So they do offer privacy.

On the other hand, the leylandii are quite overgrown, I'd guess about 15 foot high and six foot wide. I'd guess they take up about a quarter of the garden or more (particularly as a number of them were planted a few feet out from the garden wall). They completely block out the sun.

My inclination is to cut these down and plant an alternative more natural looking hedge that doesnt take up so much room.

Just wondering if anyone could give me a reason not to do this. Is there something I am missing, some reason to hold on to a leylandii hedge? I'm not a gardener so I dont know, but dont want to be having the conversation in years time "you cut down the leylandii hedge....are you mad......!!".....

The only reason to keep a leyandii hedge is if it has been regularly trimmed and has that tight manicured look, other than that it's an eyesore and is very high maintenace.
I'd definitely go down the route of striping it out now and replacing with a beech or similar hedge.

magicbastarder

i took out two sizable leylandii hedges recently (well, sizable for a suburban garden - one was 15'H x 30'L x 8'W, other was 15'H x 40'L x 12'W) and it was the best thing i could have done for the garden.
beware that leylandii foliage can be a mild skin irritant, if you start to shred it.

Tombo2001

magicbastarder wrote: »

i took out two sizable leylandii hedges recently (well, sizable for a suburban garden - one was 15'H x 30'L x 8'W, other was 15'H x 40'L x 12'W) and it was the best thing i could have done for the garden.
beware that leylandii foliage can be a mild skin irritant, if you start to shred it.

Did you that yourself?

celticbhoy27

You're story is practically the same as mine. I bought a house 4 years ago and it was surrounded by 16 foot leylandi. I wanted to rip them out of it but they did provide privacy and shelter. I cut them back in two stages over a couple of years. They're now at 6 foot and well maintained. Hard graft but because they have a purpose they can stay for another while. Just worth noting, if you do cut them back to a manageable height they're going to look like crap for a few months til they grow back. My advice would be to cut them a foot below what you want the actual height of hedge to be so that you're clipping the new growth as opposed to the stronger old branches which require a loppers if not a chainsaw

magicbastarder

Tombo2001 wrote: »

Did you that yourself?

yes. because i'm a masochist.

Miall108

Tombo2001 wrote: »

I've bought a house that has a heap of leylandii trees along the edge of the garden. The garden does back on to the road, its a side garden. So they do offer privacy.

On the other hand, the leylandii are quite overgrown, I'd guess about 15 foot high and six foot wide. I'd guess they take up about a quarter of the garden or more (particularly as a number of them were planted a few feet out from the garden wall). They completely block out the sun.

My inclination is to cut these down and plant an alternative more natural looking hedge that doesnt take up so much room.

Just wondering if anyone could give me a reason not to do this. Is there something I am missing, some reason to hold on to a leylandii hedge? I'm not a gardener so I dont know, but dont want to be having the conversation in years time "you cut down the leylandii hedge....are you mad......!!".....

My advice would be to get the chainsaw out and hack away on it, as you have said there they are already to high and out of control

Souness

Cut them down, we had a leylandia hedge and cut it down 20 years ago, should have done it sooner. Best thing for the garden. Planted viburnums, laurel, lilac, hazel, philadelphus, cotinus,mahonia and holly in their place. Aestheticially much better and for the birds/wildlife too. Even if you have a nice trimmed leylanida hedge once it gets hit it will not recover.

magicbastarder

as i mentioned, i cut down probably 70 foot of leylandii hedge; in that total of 70 foot, i found one old bird nest which was obviously abandoned for years. compare that with three other nests we know of in the garden, and leylandii does put in a good show for wildlife.