Ok,
the gardener seemed helpful at the start, but the owner of the hedge
expressed similar concerns that the hedge was now thin. The said
gardener charged 150 quid to spray cut branches with "fungicide". He
said this would ensure it turns green again. I now think the gardener
was just trying to make a fast buck.
I have since discussed the hedge with a garden centre owner. She
doubts that there will be regrowth and also said that because the tree
root system will have extended into my garden i will not be able to
grow anything underneath them. I've noticed that our grass did not
take well underneath either. The leylandii suck all the goodness from
the soil apparently. One thing suggested was a "Montana Clematis"
which is quite prolific and may compete with the trees.
I understand I can cut the roots on my side of the fence. If I cut the
roots and place some kind of barrier to prevent the roots crossing
over again and fertilize the soil on my side, should I be able to grow
what I want? What might an effective root barrier be?
If I do cut the roots could this encourage fungus and death in the
trees? Could the trees having a viable root sytem on one side only
cause them to blow over in the wind?
Obviously the trees are a nuisance to me and judging by the amount of
material on the internet, overgrown leylandii cause quite few
neighborhood disputes throughout the country.
Thanks for ant further advice, mike