Just one Leyland tree - not a hedge

[M. Goddard]

It's been v. interesting to see all the experience here about Leylandii hedges. I'd be very thankful to hear anyone's experience with how to manage a single Leyland tree. It is young and I want to know how to look after it. It is doing a single screening job. It's not quite as tall yet as we'd like but will be this year. Already the width is fine as it is. What would be the pruning policy you can recommend? Also, I've looked for an image of what the roots of a single tree do. Does anyone know of an drawing to look at onlline? Thank you.

[Mark Allread]

Trim it a couple of times a year once it has reached the size you want it to be.

*Never* cut back into 'brown wood' as it will not regrow from there - it only grows from the green.

[Tim Watts]

Leylandii?

Or does your tree go on strike every 6 months?

Seriously - uk.rec.gardening will know :)

[Davey]

I wonder if this is a case of uncorrected auto-correct?

[Chris Hogg]

Er...what's wrong with 'Leylandii'? It's what they're called...

To the OP: I'd go all round it with a grub-axe or sharp spade, cutting down through the roots as far as I could. Then I'd cut under it as best I could, get a crow-bar under it and lever it out. Then cut it into small pieces that will either go through your shredder, or if you haven't got a shredder, small enough to fit in the car to take it to your local dump, sorry, recycle centre.

Then go out and buy something a bit more appropriate for the site, that won't grow so fast, won't need trimming twice a year, won't be a boring plain green and won't look ugly after three years having had to have its top cut out. Your local garden centre will have several alternatives that are infinitely preferable to a Leylandii as feature plants; ask the staff.

[Brian Reay]

You can 'clip' them to limit spread and trim the top (I call it the leader but that probably isn't the correct term).

The problem arises when they get too tall to do yourself. We've just had two taken down which, in the past, we've had 'topped' several times over the years professionally. (They have always been too high to reach without my wife panicing I would fall.) In the end, we decided enough was enough. The bill ran to about £500 so it is worth keeping them under control.

[soup]

Nothing. Have a look at how it's spelt (spelled) in the thread title and in the case above.

[Chris Hogg]

Nothing wrong with that either: Leyland cypress, Cypressus x leylandii or × Cuprocyparis leylandii are what it's called, common and botanical names.

[Tim Lamb]

I've used them for garden hedging. Annual side and top and they are nearly as good as Yew.

>

[news]

Sounds reasonable

AJH

[news]

Except when you forget to trim them for a year or two, the yew can be cut back.

IMO western red cedar makes a nicer hedge than Lawsons or Leyland cypress.

AJH

[T i m]

Ah, but say said tree/hedge grows to a maximum of 50ft untouched, that would still look like just a shrub in *your* garden. ;-)

To the OP, I understand (from those who know and others here) you really have to keep on top of them (or risk ending with a load of bare sticks when you forget and cut it back hard).

Cheers, T i m

[tabbypurr]

Why? How many days have you got?

That has to be the world's easiest question. Prune it right to the ground, then prune the roots all to the same point. Leylands are simply not suited to typical domestic use. They almost always fail to get trimmed at some poi nt, and after that you can't bring them back to size. They've caused so man y disputes. Do yourself a favour and get rid. Yes they're cheap & quick gro wing, but like so many cheap instant things you only regret it.

They've been frequently referred to as leylands for a long time.

Lawsons are the same but worse. Very bad for large browned areas.

NT

[Tim Watts]

"Leyland" in the subject line...

[Chris Hogg]

My reply to Soup, which you've obviously not read. Pity, but no matter:

"Nothing wrong with that either: Leyland cypress, Cypressus x leylandii or × Cuprocyparis leylandii are what it's called, common and botanical names.

"

Any gardener would immediately know what is meant by a Leyland tree.

[Tim Watts]

Never heard that, but I'll take the correction.

I thought my joke was still good though - which is what it was :)

[Andrew Mawson]

Cut it to the ground, burn the debris, dig out the root and plant something indigenous !

Leylandii are a plague, a blot on the landscape, and their ultimate growing height has never yet been found. We have approximately 3/4 of a mile of the blasted stuff on the farm planted by a previous owner to screen a footpath about 12 years ago. Well they grew like weeds - when they were about 12 foot I could no longer reach them with my tractor mounted hedge flail, so had them cut down to 4 foot six - now they get flailed twice a year - the trunks in places are a good 9 inches diameter, and they are planted so close together you could walk across the top of them!

I'd rip them out but in the meanwhile we need them as stock cover from winter northerly winds.

The ONLY good thing about Leylandii is that it doesn't self seed

Andrew

[Adam Aglionby]

Leyland is the singular name after Capt Charles Leyland who propogated them at Haggerston Castle, now a crarvan site.

[John Rumm]

Must have been a different branch of British Layland?

(Sorry, will get my coat and leaf!) ;-)

[The Natural Philosopher]

Cut the main stem about 2' below desired final hedge height and clip back any large branches to around 6" less that desired width then use a hedge trimmer on it.

6 monthly cutting is recommended by no longer than annually