Disposal of Leylandis

paulocon2

Over 20 years ago, a younger version of myself ignored the advice of his elders and planted around a dozen baby leylandi trees as a means of providing protection from the wind for a new build.

Having spent quite some time wrestling with the adult leylandis, I now have a different answer to the question 'what would you do if you built a time machine'.

The result is that I have a huge pile of leylandis occupying the space that the overhanging leylandi branches used to occupy! Whilst the pile acts as a testament to the foolishness of youth and serves a harsh lesson to me every time I look at it, I am tiring of the 'I told you so' glances from those that advised against all those years ago.

Just wondering if anyone has any experience of disposing of a similar pile of shame?

magicbastarder

leylandii burns well if you have a stove; season it for two years though.

Jim_Hodge

Season and burn or trailer it to a recycling centre.

Dempo1

Yes, makes excellent fuel but needs to be thouraghly seasoned (Dried) , there is unfortunately a bit of preparation, removing branches, foliage and sticky due to high resin content , I actually use everything, thin branches for kindling and mulch foliage.

Word of caution re resin and stoves, important to fully dry out timber before burning as resins when burning can clog up flu, turning in a tar, that builds up.

I've 15 in a row (Grown from saplings, 21 years ago) but have now reached un sustainable heights , so gradually cutting for fuel .

If OP doesn't want to utilise, perhaps a tree surgeon might come and mulch on site and remove or as Jim mentioned, re cycle centre if they accept them 🤔

magicbastarder

i know of a woodturner who - unlike pretty much every other turner in the country - works with leylandii. he usually uses large pieces though, and sandblasts them to get great texture on them.

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119177385#Comment_119177385

That's interesting, I thought wood turner's work with hard woods normally🤔 amazing skill though, (wood) love to give it a whirl 😁😉

magicbastarder

yeah, hardwoods are much better to work with but i've turned softwood occasionally, mainly cedar. one thing it's fun doing with softwoods is scorching it with a gas torch and scrubbing away the char (which i first saw performed by the chap mentioned above, max brosi). you get lovely patterns in the wood.

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119177416#Comment_119177416

Fair play, an amazing Skill 😉

paulocon2

Thanks for the replies folks!

It's not so much the trunks that I have an issue with disposing of (a neighbour will take them for firewood), it's the branches and tops - I have a massive pile of them in the garden!

Got a quote for an industrial shredder/mulcher (350/day) so that is one option.

Probably too much to haul to the recycling centre (a number of trailer's worth).

@Dempo1 , are they kitchen chairs in the picture you posted minus the backrest? I have the same in my garden :-)

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119179280#Comment_119179280

Well spotted 😁, yes they are indeed, got them on a job lot a few years ago, backs were not great so thought why not use them in the garden 😏

I'd check with your local recycling centre and maybe borrow a trailer, might a bit of effort but cheaper I'd think. Unfortunately unlike leaves , grass etc , the remaining branches won't break down and will just be ugly to look at. Wear gloves if doing the work yourself, very sticky.

Part of garden

magicbastarder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119179280#Comment_119179280

how big is the pile? you could buy a domestic shredder for probably half that price, that will take branches up to maybe 40mm thick, would be hours of work though.

Lumen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119179416#Comment_119179416

would be hours of work though

More like weeks!

I got most of my Lleylandii offcuts professionally shredded and kept the chips for beds and the chicken run. Made great compost over a few years.

The rest I shredded myself with hired diesel chipper. I would not do that again, as within an hour or two I'd rendered the thing useless. It takes a bit of skill (and patience) to use a chipper properly.

Gloomtastic!

If you’re near Dublin OP and you go the shredding route, I’ll take them off you for the chicken run. 😋

magicbastarder

I shredded them from about 20m or 25m of massive hedging in my garden, using a domestic shredder. Must of that was from a row which had been kept pruned to a block about 4m or 5m high and 3m deep. Couldn't for the life of me find a narrow access shredder for hire.

paulocon2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119180149#Comment_119180149

Mind me asking how much it cost to get them professionally shredded?

paulocon2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119179343#Comment_119179343

Lovely garden. As regards the chairs, I love reusing stuff like that in the garden!

steamsey

Hi. Had experience with this only recently. Leylandis all around the borders of my garden and were out of hand - blocking light and looking ugly. They were planted probably in 1975.

Took them down with a chain saw. Started shedding the branches and green parts and realised I'd be at that for weeks. Got a grab truck out for €300 first time (5 trees) and €400 very recently (4 trees). All the cuttings since the '70's were packed in behind them so there was a lot of waste.

I did keeo a few bits for burning.

Dont like the stuff much and was just happy to have it gone. 700 quid is not that cheap BUT it saved me weeks of work to cut it up, shred, drive to green waste disposal etc.

I'd say chop the trunks for burning (in a few years) and just get a grab truck out for the rest. I wouldn't go down the shredding route unless you are looking for a hobby for the next few weeks.

BorneTobyWilde

What I do with the branches is cut off all the small stems from them, until you're left with just the branch, That too is good firewood, it's also far easier to shred the rest.

Lumen

I think I paid €100 a tree to for topping or felling, with logging and shredding of the waste (which I kept). So I can't separate out the shredding only, but I've had them out other times and it wasn't much more expensive than hiring the shredder myself.

paulocon2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119182109#Comment_119182109

That's for nothing!

Lumen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119184284#Comment_119184284

Well, my procurement process involved getting three quotes, which all came out between €1800-€2500, asking the internet and then going back to one of them and asking "how about €100 a tree". 😀

This was a couple of years ago though.