Bill Pritchard14/1/04 3:24

I know that leylandii grow quickly and that you shouldn't grow them close to
the house, but if I keep a hedge trimmed to 6ft, how far will the roots
eventually spread outwards?
Bill Pritchard
Retired and Emotional

A very general rule is that roots will spread to the tree's canopy width.
My experience of leylandii is that the roots spread beyond the width of its'
waist and take up a lot of ground. They're very 'massy'and my husband's
opinion is that they'll spread as far on a 6' one as on a 20' one!
Unless you're prepared to be very strict indeed with this hedge, don't plant
it. It has to be trimmed rigorously for height and width, or you will lose
a lot of your garden both shade and width wise.
If you only want a hedge up to 6', had you thought of planting yew, holly,
copper beech (which will retain its dead leaves if trimmed) Escallonia (if
your climate is friendly) or Fuchsia (ditto re climate).
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
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