Matt Barton26/4/04 10:17

Hello,

Appologies if this is an all too familiar query, but I couldn't find an FAQ
for the group...

Here it is: http://www.nugget.demon.co.uk/MetaFAQ/index.html

I moved into a new house just before christmas, and at the bottom of the
garden is a 30ft leylandii. I've no problem with the tree itself (I quite
like it actually - it's a nice counter-point to a *massive* leylandii hedge
which shelters my house from a railway line), but it's so big that I'm
worried that if I don't deal with it now, it'll be too big for me to manage
in 6 - 12 months (and I'd hate to have to pay someone to do it if I can do
it now myself).

I want to cut it to about half of its current height, and then maintain it
at that height - my questions a is it likely to survive, is there a
better course of action, is there a particular reason why doing so is a bad
idea?

Once you cut into old wood on leylandii they don't sprout back and look very
ragged. We advised a neighbour of ours not to do this, she thought she knew
better and she's now left with trunks sticking out of the top of lower
growing foliage looking simply awful.


--

Sacha
(remove the weeds to email me)

"Sacha" wrote in message
. uk...
Matt Barton26/4/04 10:17

Hello,

Appologies if this is an all too familiar query, but I couldn't find an
FAQ
for the group...

Here it is: http://www.nugget.demon.co.uk/MetaFAQ/index.html

Thanks very much.


I moved into a new house just before christmas, and at the bottom of the
garden is a 30ft leylandii. I've no problem with the tree itself (I
quite
like it actually - it's a nice counter-point to a *massive* leylandii
hedge
which shelters my house from a railway line), but it's so big that I'm
worried that if I don't deal with it now, it'll be too big for me to
manage
in 6 - 12 months (and I'd hate to have to pay someone to do it if I can
do
it now myself).

I want to cut it to about half of its current height, and then maintain
it
at that height - my questions a is it likely to survive, is there a
better course of action, is there a particular reason why doing so is a
bad
idea?

Once you cut into old wood on leylandii they don't sprout back and look
very
ragged. We advised a neighbour of ours not to do this, she thought she
knew
better and she's now left with trunks sticking out of the top of lower
growing foliage looking simply awful.

Hmmm, I can imagine that looking unattractive. What would you advise
instead?

Matt

In article ,
"Matt Barton" writes:
|
| Hmmm, I can imagine that looking unattractive. What would you advise
| instead?

Cut it off 3-4' above the ground, remove the stump and plant a
more suitable tree :-)


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

Cut it off 3-4' above the ground, remove the stump and plant a
more suitable tree :-)

LOL! You're not suggesting anything I haven't already considered. Not sure
where/how I'd dispose of 30ft of tree though. I've only got a Renault Clio,
and I'm buggered if it'll fit on the roof....

Matt.

In article ,
says...

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

Cut it off 3-4' above the ground, remove the stump and plant a
more suitable tree :-)

LOL! You're not suggesting anything I haven't already considered. Not sure
where/how I'd dispose of 30ft of tree though. I've only got a Renault Clio,
and I'm buggered if it'll fit on the roof....

Matt.



Get a tree surgery company to do it. They take it away and chop it all
up for firewood and mulch.

On Mon, 26 Apr 2004 12:52:21 +0100, "Matt Barton"
wrote:


"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

Cut it off 3-4' above the ground, remove the stump and plant a
more suitable tree :-)

LOL! You're not suggesting anything I haven't already considered. Not sure
where/how I'd dispose of 30ft of tree though. I've only got a Renault Clio,
and I'm buggered if it'll fit on the roof....

a box of matches comes to mind :-)

Once you cut into old wood on leylandii they don't sprout back and look
very
ragged. We advised a neighbour of ours not to do this, she thought she
knew
better and she's now left with trunks sticking out of the top of lower
growing foliage looking simply awful.

Yes, down my street there's a 12' leylandii hedge on the boundary between 2
front gardens. On the owner's side they've maintained it well and it looks
quite handsome. The other side has been cut back almost to the trunk and is
a horrible wall of brown with not even a hint of green showing.

In article ,
says...

Yes, down my street there's a 12' leylandii hedge on the boundary between 2
front gardens. On the owner's side they've maintained it well and it looks
quite handsome. The other side has been cut back almost to the trunk and is
a horrible wall of brown with not even a hint of green showing.

I suppose hedges are better planted so they will grow entirely on the
owner's side of the boundary, which leaves the other person free to
choose their own preferred backdrop to their planting. Like a purple
trellis or something

In article , Matt Barton
writes

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

Cut it off 3-4' above the ground, remove the stump and plant a
more suitable tree :-)

LOL! You're not suggesting anything I haven't already considered. Not sure
where/how I'd dispose of 30ft of tree though. I've only got a Renault Clio,
and I'm buggered if it'll fit on the roof....

There must be dozens of people with wood burning stoves who would be
glad to take it off your hands!!!!!
--
Jane Ransom in Lancaster.
I won't respond to private emails that are on topic for urg
but if you need to email me for any other reason, put ransoms
at jandg dot demon dot co dot uk where you see

Matt Barton wrote:
"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

Cut it off 3-4' above the ground, remove the stump and plant a
more suitable tree :-)

LOL! You're not suggesting anything I haven't already considered. Not
sure where/how I'd dispose of 30ft of tree though. I've only got a
Renault Clio, and I'm buggered if it'll fit on the roof....

Well, we gat about 3 gypsies a week knocking on the door offering to deal
with our trees. If you wait until the autumn they'll bring it back and try
to sell it back to you as firewood...

On Mon, 26 Apr 2004 14:42:28 +0100, Jane Ransom
wrote:

In article , Matt Barton
writes

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

Cut it off 3-4' above the ground, remove the stump and plant a
more suitable tree :-)

LOL! You're not suggesting anything I haven't already considered. Not sure
where/how I'd dispose of 30ft of tree though. I've only got a Renault Clio,
and I'm buggered if it'll fit on the roof....

There must be dozens of people with wood burning stoves who would be
glad to take it off your hands!!!!!

I doubt it, Renault Clios are rubbish :-)

Jane Ransom wrote in
news
LOL! You're not suggesting anything I haven't already considered. Not
sure where/how I'd dispose of 30ft of tree though. I've only got a
Renault Clio, and I'm buggered if it'll fit on the roof....

There must be dozens of people with wood burning stoves who would be
glad to take it off your hands!!!!!

I doubt it, if Matt lives in an ordinary modern suburb. I was in the same
boat when I lived in Cheshi all my neighbours had gas fires.

I could probably have found someone with a woodburner if I'd combed the
countryside round about long enough, but it was easier to pay someone to
come and take them away.

Victoria
--
gardening on a north-facing hill
in South-East Cornwall
--

"Matt Barton" wrote after
Nick Maclaren wrote
Cut it off 3-4' above the ground, remove the stump and plant a
more suitable tree :-)

LOL! You're not suggesting anything I haven't already considered. Not sure
where/how I'd dispose of 30ft of tree though. I've only got a Renault
Clio,
and I'm buggered if it'll fit on the roof....


Well you shouldn't try to fell it in one lump anyway, too dangerous. Just
cut it down in Clio fitting lengths bit by bit from the top and burn all the
thin stuff leaving you with the bits of trunk to dispose of down the Council
tip. You have to cut it up into manageable lengths even with a LR Defender
van.
If it's dry, the green and thin brown bits will go up like a torch, so be
careful.

--
Regards
Bob

Use a useful Screen Saver...
http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/
and find intelligent life amongst the stars

Matt Barton26/4/04 12:34


"Sacha" wrote in message
. uk...
Matt Barton26/4/04 10:17

Hello,

Appologies if this is an all too familiar query, but I couldn't find an
FAQ
for the group...

Here it is: http://www.nugget.demon.co.uk/MetaFAQ/index.html

Thanks very much.


I moved into a new house just before christmas, and at the bottom of the
garden is a 30ft leylandii. I've no problem with the tree itself (I
quite
like it actually - it's a nice counter-point to a *massive* leylandii
hedge
which shelters my house from a railway line), but it's so big that I'm
worried that if I don't deal with it now, it'll be too big for me to
manage
in 6 - 12 months (and I'd hate to have to pay someone to do it if I can
do
it now myself).

I want to cut it to about half of its current height, and then maintain
it
at that height - my questions a is it likely to survive, is there a
better course of action, is there a particular reason why doing so is a
bad
idea?

Once you cut into old wood on leylandii they don't sprout back and look
very
ragged. We advised a neighbour of ours not to do this, she thought she
knew
better and she's now left with trunks sticking out of the top of lower
growing foliage looking simply awful.

Hmmm, I can imagine that looking unattractive. What would you advise
instead?

Matt


I don't like leylandii under any circumstances (almost) so you don't want to
hear my answer. ;-) BUT in your shoes, I'd cut it down and put something
else in its place that won't mind being cut back or will go to the height
you want and shield your garden.
Eucalyptus are evergreen, graceful and don't mind being trimmed back - or if
you find the right variety - let go to the height you want.
IMO, C. leylandii make great wind breaks but you've just met the worst
problem with them - the ones that have been allowed to grow too big in the
wrong setting. They can go to 100' easily. OTOH, your railways shielding
hedge sounds what you need but keep a firm grip on it!
I think they need loadsaspace and careful control. If those two criteria
are ignored there's potential trouble for present and future owners.
A tree surgeon should be able to fell your tree and log it for you for many
warmer winters to come. ;-)
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

--

Sacha
(remove the weeds to email me)

Nick Maclaren wrote:
Cut it off 3-4' above the ground, remove the stump and plant a
more suitable tree :-)

If you do decide to fell them, then my technique is to leave the trunks at
least 2m tall so you can lever the root out of the ground with them. Dig
round, and under, and then use the exposed length to rock them about to
break them loose of the soil. In bad cases I have run a chain from the top
of the stump to the car towing hitch, and loosened them like that. Try to
get all the roots out to avoid honey fungus.