In article , Nospam@invalid
says...
On Wed, 27 Apr 2011 08:00:46 +0000, Timmos1983
wrote:


Hi guys, Im new here and also VERY new to gardening!!

Ive recently moved into my first home and am currently trying to sort
out the garden so we can enjoy this lovely weather properly!!

Anyway, firstly, please take a look at the attached photographs I took
of the conifers. As you can see, they are very patchy with browny grey
dead sections, tiny bugs to appear to fly out of these areas when
'trimming' the connifers to!?

Im sure I am in the right place to find out what the problem is, and if
it is possible to overcome this?

Any advice would be much appreciated!

links snipped

That hedge looks like the previous owners didn't trim it properly from
the outset and now you're having to get it into shape but I'm sorry to
say that from the photos it looks like you have simply cut too far
into the trees; as we say "into the old wood".

It is normal for only the outside growth on conifers to be green
whilst the growth inside - the "old wood" - appears dead. Essentially
the damage is now done and the trees will not regrow from that old
wood.

However there is a workaround. Allow the shoots around the "dead"
areas to grow long, bend them over and tie them together to cover the
dead bit. This will take a few years but, in time, you'll be able to
train sufficient new growth to hide the dead stuff. Meanwhile, you
need to allow the hedge to becomer a bit thicker and never trim beyond
the green growth.

Another thing is that the photos look like there are actually two rows
of conifers with the ones on your side being shorter than the ones
behind. If that is the case then only the outside side of each row
will be green, the insides will die completely over time as they get
insufficient light.

All true, dreadful hedges in my opinion, yew or similar is much better as
it can be cut hard back
It also sounds as if you may have aphids causing damage, this is made
worse by cutting too short
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea