Conifer Bush Trimming
Xander Rander
Posts: 70
Hello,
Hopefully pictures are attached.
I have a row of conifers that I would like to grow higher to block out the fence and the neighbours.
Everyone has decided to lop down all their trees in the area which has done nothing other than expose everyone's brick work 
.
So my question is: -
How would I trim the conifers to encourage them to grow upwards quicker than just leaving them to their own accord?
Do I trim the tops?
Many thanks.
0
Posts
Hi
To encourage them to grow I'd feed the soil around hedge with Fish Blood and Bone about now and water it well in. Don't trim the tops until they are nearly at the height you want, but trim the sides, shaping the profile of the hedge into a gentle 'A' shape so that it's a bit wider at the bottom than the top. This way the base of the hedge will get plenty of light and stay green and the hedge will be sturdy and not get top heavy.
Trim regularly - never cut back beyond the green of the hedge as it will leave you with brown dead looking patches - Leylandii does not regrow from old wood.
You need to be aware that there is legislation regarding the height of evergreen hedges which may become a nuisance to neighbours. This applies to hedges over 2 metres tall.
Details here https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=408
Hope that's helpful
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Trimming the top will have precisely the opposite effect to the one you are trying to achieve. It will encourage the plants to bush out sideways. The only way to encourage vertical growth is by feeding, as Dove explained.
Thank you both very much for the information.
I will take the advice and apply it right away.
Many thanks
I never used FB&B, just light trim early spring and latish summer from bottom to neck high and they have flourished to the perfect height!