Leylandii Advice Please

Bridget Langham

I moved into my house five years ago and have watched my neighbour's Leylandii hedge widen above the fence at the end of my garden. I gained his permission to have it pruned back and duly employed someone advertising in our local Parish Magazine to do the work. My neighbour came to have a look, only to tell me it had been cut too far into the wood and will never grow back. The chap who did the work tells me it will - who is right? 

pansyface

If it has been cut back to bare brown branches then that is how it will stay.

Not a problem for your neighbour, who won’t have to look at it, as the rest of the tree will continue to grow normally.

Bridget Langham

That's what he said! Is there anything I can do to make it look better from my side?

pansyface

Not a lot.😊

Bridget Langham

Oh dear! Thank you for replying Pansyface.

robairdmacraignil

Bridget Langham said:

That's what he said! Is there anything I can do to make it look better from my side?

Plant something on your side of the fence that can grow up to block the view of the leylandii. Photinia red robin or privet might be options or if you have less spare garden space a trellis and an evergreen climber might be worth considering.

Bridget Langham

Thank you, that's helpful. Would Photinia grow that high? I'm looking at a good 10ft of brown above my 6ft fence.

glasgowdan

Having your own leylandii is great as it's easy to maintain. But a lazy neighbour's plant, that's a whole different ballgame! 

robairdmacraignil

Bridget Langham said:

Thank you, that's helpful. Would Photinia grow that high? I'm looking at a good 10ft of brown above my 6ft fence.

The RHS information page on photinia red robin says they grow to 2.5 - 4 metres ultimate height which is about 7 - 12 foot but since they would be closer to you than the Leylandii they might still cover most of the eye sore facing you. Another source I found claims it can grow to 5metre or 15foot tall. Laurel hedging or holly might be options if you want something taller and hornbeam also can be kept to a restricted depth and still grow tall.

Bridget Langham

Thank you robairdmacraignil.

Bridget Langham

glasgowdan. I thought I'd done so well in my negotiations with neighbours and people who seem to know what they're talking about when it comes to pruning - I was sooo wrong!