Hi,

I have a line of leylandii very close to the house (like, seven feet)
which I need to fell and then reduce. I presume this is a supposed hedge
that got out of control and the average size is now 20+ feet high and
10" diameter (chest height).

I'm thinking of getting an electric chainsaw for this, since the job is
close to the house and I think an electric one might be more manageable
up a ladder than a petrol-driven one, but I would welcome any
experienced advice on chainsaws in general, electric ones in particular,
and brands. I'd also quite like to know how *small* a diameter of branch
it's feasible to cut with one.

Thanks,

brian mitchell

"Brian Mitchell" wrote in message
...
Hi,

I have a line of leylandii very close to the house (like, seven feet)
which I need to fell and then reduce. I presume this is a supposed hedge
that got out of control and the average size is now 20+ feet high and
10" diameter (chest height).

I'm thinking of getting an electric chainsaw for this, since the job is
close to the house and I think an electric one might be more manageable
up a ladder than a petrol-driven one, but I would welcome any
experienced advice on chainsaws in general, electric ones in particular,
and brands. I'd also quite like to know how *small* a diameter of branch
it's feasible to cut with one.

Thanks,

brian mitchell

Seven feet?? :-((

I feel sure others will advise you, but I guess it would be wise NOT to take
them all out at once because of heave.

--
Mike

The Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association
www.rneba.org.uk
Luxury Self Catering on the Isle of Wight?
www.shanklinmanormews.co.uk

"'Mike'" writes:

Seven feet?? :-((

The line appoaches the house at a slight angle but the nearest is seven feet.

I feel sure others will advise you, but I guess it would be wise NOT
to take
them all out at once because of heave.

I hear what you say but I have already excavated twice between these
trees and the house, once right beside the foundations and once close to
the trees(to a depth of about 2ft) to install a land drain, and found a
mass of small and fine roots rather than anything large. The house is on
a steep stony slope and is not of normal construction; it's timber frame
with cladding on a natural stone/lime mortar foundation, so it's all
very flexible! To be honest, I'm more concerned about losing a useful
windbreak, given all the gales we've had, but my neighbour has planted
his own line of conifers (!) which are getting quite robust now.

brian mitchell






--
Mike

The Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association
www.rneba.org.uk
Luxury Self Catering on the Isle of Wight?
www.shanklinmanormews.co.uk

Brian Mitchell wrote:
"'Mike'" writes:

Seven feet?? :-((

The line appoaches the house at a slight angle but the nearest is seven feet.

I feel sure others will advise you, but I guess it would be wise NOT
to take
them all out at once because of heave.

I hear what you say but I have already excavated twice between these
trees and the house, once right beside the foundations and once close to
the trees(to a depth of about 2ft) to install a land drain, and found a
mass of small and fine roots rather than anything large. The house is on
a steep stony slope and is not of normal construction; it's timber frame
with cladding on a natural stone/lime mortar foundation, so it's all
very flexible! To be honest, I'm more concerned about losing a useful
windbreak, given all the gales we've had, but my neighbour has planted
his own line of conifers (!) which are getting quite robust now.

brian mitchell






--
Mike

The Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association
www.rneba.org.uk
Luxury Self Catering on the Isle of Wight?
www.shanklinmanormews.co.uk

Heave is caused by soil absorbing unaccustomed amounts of water - which
your trees have been using.

Killing/removing the trees will alter the
volume of the soil and may result in heave and/or subsidence.


--
Rusty

In article ,
says...
Hi,

I have a line of leylandii very close to the house (like, seven feet)
which I need to fell and then reduce. I presume this is a supposed hedge
that got out of control and the average size is now 20+ feet high and
10" diameter (chest height).

I'm thinking of getting an electric chainsaw for this, since the job is
close to the house and I think an electric one might be more manageable
up a ladder than a petrol-driven one, but I would welcome any
experienced advice on chainsaws in general, electric ones in particular,
and brands. I'd also quite like to know how *small* a diameter of branch
it's feasible to cut with one.

Thanks,

brian mitchell

I have a Bosch (40-18S)and it tackles quite big stuff if the blade is
sharpe, it is light and easy to use. I am not keen on using it off the
ground, but it would be quite happy to take out a 20 foot lylandii
cutting at around chest height, be a good idea to get someone to control
the tree coming down with a rope.
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

Charlie Pridham writes:

In article ,
says...
Hi,

I have a line of leylandii very close to the house (like, seven feet)
which I need to fell and then reduce. I presume this is a supposed hedge
that got out of control and the average size is now 20+ feet high and
10" diameter (chest height).

I'm thinking of getting an electric chainsaw for this, since the job is
close to the house and I think an electric one might be more manageable
up a ladder than a petrol-driven one, but I would welcome any
experienced advice on chainsaws in general, electric ones in particular,
and brands. I'd also quite like to know how *small* a diameter of branch
it's feasible to cut with one.

Thanks,

brian mitchell

I have a Bosch (40-18S)

I looked it up. It looks good, and the sort of thing I had in mind.

I am not keen on using it off the
ground...

Because these are planted so close together (I can only just squeeze
between them, and I'm thin) and the branches are so interlocked, I
thought it might help with the controllability if I took off some of the
larger lower branches first.

be a good idea to get someone to control
the tree coming down with a rope.

I agree, but there is a strip of land to the other side, away from the
house, to aim them into, so if I choose a windless day...

Thanks.

brian mitchell

Brian Mitchell writes
I agree, but there is a strip of land to the other side, away from the
house, to aim them into, so if I choose a windless day...

Trees do one of two things

a) fall towards the side they've been cut (as the cut closes up) - ie on
to you if you are cutting from one side.

b) fall the way you least expected and which will cause maximum
inconvenience

Tie a rope as high as you can and get someone to guide it the way you'd
like it to go.
--
Kay

On Thu, 10 Dec 2009 13:35:18 +0000, K wrote:

Tie a rope as high as you can and get someone to guide it the way you'd
like it to go.

Prevoiusly making sure that you have enough space for it to land. A
sighting device with a less than 45 degree lower angle might be
useful.

And make sure the rope is long enough such that the guider isn't in
the landing area or if they have to be has a clear escape route
bearing in mind that the tree may well bounce/roll when it lands.

--
Cheers
Dave.

In article ,
says...
On Wed, 9 Dec 2009 20:50:59 -0000, Charlie Pridham wrote:

I have a Bosch (40-18S)and it tackles quite big stuff if the blade is
sharpe, it is light and easy to use. I am not keen on using it off the
ground, but it would be quite happy to take out a 20 foot lylandii
cutting at around chest height, be a good idea to get someone to control
the tree coming down with a rope.

A question Charlie - wouldn't cutting such tall leylandii down that much
kill it off altogether? I ask that question as we too have a very tall
leylandii hedge running around part of our property and I hate it - makes me
feel rather claustrophobic

Yes :~)))
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

On 2009-12-10 13:23:50 +0000, Charlie Pridham
said:

In article ,
says...
On Wed, 9 Dec 2009 20:50:59 -0000, Charlie Pridham wrote:

I have a Bosch (40-18S)and it tackles quite big stuff if the blade is
sharpe, it is light and easy to use. I am not keen on using it off the
ground, but it would be quite happy to take out a 20 foot lylandii
cutting at around chest height, be a good idea to get someone to control
the tree coming down with a rope.

A question Charlie - wouldn't cutting such tall leylandii down that much
kill it off altogether? I ask that question as we too have a very tall
leylandii hedge running around part of our property and I hate it - makes me
feel rather claustrophobic

Yes :~)))

Go for it, would be my solution. I hate the damned things when grown
in the wrong place. I had a big, green, boring, claustrophobic slab of
them in my previous garden. When they came down I truly preferred
drive and walk by villagers peering into the garden I was making. It
led to many interesting chats. Normally, I hate to see trees felled,
it's a horrible thing to me. I could have danced the "death to
leylandii" dance the day those came down!
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon

On 2009-12-11 08:48:07 +0000, Aries said:

On Fri, 11 Dec 2009 01:59:20 +0000, Sacha wrote:

On 2009-12-10 13:23:50 +0000, Charlie Pridham
said:

In article ,
says...
On Wed, 9 Dec 2009 20:50:59 -0000, Charlie Pridham wrote:

I have a Bosch (40-18S)and it tackles quite big stuff if the blade is
sharpe, it is light and easy to use. I am not keen on using it off the
ground, but it would be quite happy to take out a 20 foot lylandii
cutting at around chest height, be a good idea to get someone to control
the tree coming down with a rope.

A question Charlie - wouldn't cutting such tall leylandii down that much
kill it off altogether? I ask that question as we too have a very tall
leylandii hedge running around part of our property and I hate it - makes me
feel rather claustrophobic

Yes :~)))

Go for it, would be my solution. I hate the damned things when grown
in the wrong place. I had a big, green, boring, claustrophobic slab of
them in my previous garden. When they came down I truly preferred
drive and walk by villagers peering into the garden I was making. It
led to many interesting chats. Normally, I hate to see trees felled,
it's a horrible thing to me. I could have danced the "death to
leylandii" dance the day those came down!

I'd love to but I have to persuade Tony first !

You need a frinedly farming neighbour with a 'run wild' chainsaw. ;-)
The other possibility might be to take all the branches off and use the
remaining trunks, with rope or chain looped between them, as a sort of
pergola.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon

On Dec 11, 8:48*am, Aries wrote:
On Fri, 11 Dec 2009 01:59:20 +0000, Sacha wrote:
On 2009-12-10 13:23:50 +0000, Charlie Pridham
said:

In article ,
says...
On Wed, 9 Dec 2009 20:50:59 -0000, Charlie Pridham wrote:

I have a Bosch (40-18S)and it tackles quite big stuff if the blade is
sharpe, it is light and easy to use. I am not keen on using it off the
ground, but it would be quite happy to take out a 20 foot lylandii
cutting at around chest height, be a good idea to get someone to control
the tree coming down with a rope.

A question Charlie - wouldn't cutting such tall leylandii down that much
kill it off altogether? *I ask that question as we too have a very tall
leylandii hedge running around part of our property and I hate it - makes me
feel rather claustrophobic

Yes :~)))

Go for it, would be my solution. *I hate the damned things when grown
in the wrong place. *I had a big, green, boring, claustrophobic slab of
them in my previous garden. *When they came down I truly preferred
drive and walk by villagers peering into the garden I was making. *It
led to many interesting chats. *Normally, I hate to see trees felled,
it's a horrible thing to me. * I could have danced the "death to
leylandii" dance the day those came down!

I'd love to but I have to persuade Tony first !
--
What other people think of you is none of your business.http://ariesval.co.uk/val/

That won't be difficult Val, one of your cakes should just about do
it :-)

Judith

Aries wrote:

A question Charlie - wouldn't cutting such tall leylandii down that much
kill it off altogether? I ask that question as we too have a very tall
leylandii hedge running around part of our property and I hate it - makes me
feel rather claustrophobic

I know my name's not Charlie, but there's a lad called Charlie down the
road, so I'll answer on his behalf.

Cut off all the grennery from most, if not all coniferous trees will
kill them. Generally if not always, conifers only grow from the bits
with foliage. The only exception I can think of offhand is yew, which
technically, is a conifer,

--
Rusty

"Rusty Hinge" wrote in message
...
Aries wrote:

A question Charlie - wouldn't cutting such tall leylandii down
that much
kill it off altogether? I ask that question as we too have a
very tall
leylandii hedge running around part of our property and I hate
it - makes me
feel rather claustrophobic

I know my name's not Charlie, but there's a lad called Charlie
down the road, so I'll answer on his behalf.

Cut off all the grennery from most, if not all coniferous trees
will kill them. Generally if not always, conifers only grow
from the bits with foliage. The only exception I can think of
offhand is yew, which technically, is a conifer,


Here is one I did earlier
http://share.ovi.com/media/Muddymike...uddymike.10669

It stayed like that for many years and even became a landmark for
car "treasure hunt" rallies.

Mike

In article ,
says...
On Fri, 11 Dec 2009 00:24:01 +0000, Rusty Hinge wrote:

Aries wrote:

A question Charlie - wouldn't cutting such tall leylandii down that much
kill it off altogether? I ask that question as we too have a very tall
leylandii hedge running around part of our property and I hate it - makes me
feel rather claustrophobic

I know my name's not Charlie, but there's a lad called Charlie down the
road, so I'll answer on his behalf.

Cut off all the grennery from most, if not all coniferous trees will
kill them. Generally if not always, conifers only grow from the bits
with foliage. The only exception I can think of offhand is yew, which
technically, is a conifer,

The Leylandii hedge we have here is around 12 feet tall in places and
there's a lot of it going around one side and the end of our garden. I
would love to either cut it down to say 6 feet or take it out altogether and
plant evergreen shrubs in their place. Let me confirm what you're saying -
if we cut them down by half will that kill them altogether ?

--
Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak;
courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.
~ Winston Churchill
http://ariesval.co.uk/val/

Reducing a 12 footer by half would unfortunately not kill it but would
leave it looking rather ugly
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea