I have had some luck with my leylandii, i watered them every night for the
first few weeks, then every other night (depending on weather) for a few
months, out of 25, 2 died and i think this was due to me clipping them with
the strimmer. over 18 months they have gone from 3ft to 8ft (some less)

I also put a soak hose and left that on several times.

Don't every cut them back, they don't regenerate, let them cut about 2 feet
more than you want, then cut 1 foot off, then cut the other foot off little
by little over time (if anyone know a better way please share it, i have
been told this is the best way todo it, but i am no expert).

Steve


"Earths_Child" wrote in message
...
I'm out in the garden most nights, and get to prune, and dig and water and
feed, so I can't think what is happening. I've read the earlier posts
about dying conifers, but would like to know what I might be doing wrong.

Had some conifers (spreading leylandii) put in early spring to get a
garden boundary going. Most of them did pretty well; though one of them
dried out by mid march and I uprooted it and put it in the shredder,
replacing it with another from the garden centre (a slightly different
variety, but thriving none-the-less). Recently however, another of my
conifers suddenly went brown and the needles started dropping.

I cut it back, fed the plant, and sprayed it in case mites had got to it,
but it went downhill rapidly and within two weeks, I had to dig it up.
I've trimmed it and replanted it behing one of my healthier greener
leylandiis, in case something magical happens, and this time, I replaced
the gap with four newer conifers.

And then suddenly only two days ago, another of the conifers planted in
spring has taken a nosedive. If the other two are anything to go by, I
don't hold out much hope, although I intervended on Tuesday night when I
noticed the first discolouration and the slight droop.

Why is this happening? Is there anything that I can do to prevent
healthy looking green conifers from drying out and dying within what
appears to be days?