GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post - Advice sought on pruning very large spreading conifers ??

Uncle Marvo · 03-10-2006, 09:25 AM posted to uk.rec.gardening

In reply to Mike Lyle ) who wrote this in
, I, Marvo, say :

wrote:
I have a number of low spreading very large conifers. They seem to be
to big for the location. How and when can I cut them back, as it
seems as thou there will be just wood with no shoots afterwoods.

Or is it a case of dig out.

You're right: if you cut back into brown wood, they won't grow back.

I'm not sure that's true of all leylandi even. I was dealing with two at the
weekend with a chainsaw, one greens up and one doesn't. I'll find out what
exact varieties they are.

The sides don't regrow on one of them, but the top does on both. But they
need a good seeing-to with the chainsaw, then leaving for a few months to
recover before you can reshape them on the top with a hedgetrimmer. It has
worked before, for me anyway.