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Leylandi trimming help

snowyysnowyy Posts: 58
in Plants
Hi
i have some leylandi that I’m trying to get to form a hedge, looking on various websites and videos on how to cut them back to encourage dense side shoots etc but a little confused about the info. All the information says do not cut back into old wood only green growth as it will either die back or not grow from that cut but are they talking about the green stem or the actual foliage. I’ve started to trim them as you can see in the pics but need to cut more off as the branches are too long. The first pic shows shoots cut to the green stem.

The other pics show how much I’ve trimmed off and an example of the branch I need to cut back due to being too long. When they say old wood are they talking about the brown branch as shown in the last pic or is it when the patch turns brown. The brown stem in the last pic has green foliage coming out of the sides so if I cut it back to one of these green foliage nodules will that branch die back? Advise please on to cut back or not, 

Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    I would say you can cut that back ... when they say don’t cut back into brown wood it means don’t cut past where there is green  coming of the sides of that frond. 

    Difficult to explain 🤔 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    There's no "old wood" on your plants. 
    " Old wood" is really the stuff deep inside a well established plant . 
    Trim your now and keep on top of it and you'll have a lovely hedge. Don't be put off by the Leylandii naysayers. 
    Devon.
  • AuntyRachAuntyRach Posts: 5,291
    edited April 2020
    You can take a hedge trimmers to those - top and sides as they are young and green.
    You do need to check for bird nests though, as it is unlawful to destroy a nest that is being built or in use. 
    My garden and I live in South Wales. 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I agree with all of the above  :)
    It's just at the right point to get it looking really smart, and keeping it that way.
    As @AuntyRach says, just check there are no birds nesting, although it's probably less likely with a younger hedge like that. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • snowyysnowyy Posts: 58
    AuntyRach said:
    You can take a hedge trimmers to those - top and sides as they are young and green.
    You do need to check for bird nests though, as it is unlawful to destroy a nest that is being built or in use. 
    Thanks for the advice, yes checked for nests and none in there. When you say sides I’m assuming you mean the front and back and not the shoots in between the plants
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Yes - just the front of the hedge itself  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • snowyysnowyy Posts: 58
    Hostafan1 said:
    There's no "old wood" on your plants. 
    " Old wood" is really the stuff deep inside a well established plant . 
    Trim your now and keep on top of it and you'll have a lovely hedge. Don't be put off by the Leylandii naysayers. 
    Thanks for this, yes wasn’t sure exactly what they meant by old wood, they also mention brown wood so wasn’t sure if they meant any branch that was brown and not green, brown patch foliage or something else.
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