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14ft high conifers

AHRAHR Posts: 361
in Problem solving
good morning 

i have some 14ft ish hight conifers. Due to the hight it make it difficult to maintain them. My question is how much can I take off the tops of the conifers with out killing or damaging them? I will like to lower the conifers as much as possible to be able to maintain them easily in the future. 

Many thanks 
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Posts

  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    in theory, unless you go silly, eg down to 3feet , they should be ok .
    How much did you WANT to take off them?
    Can you supply a photo?
    Devon.
  • AHRAHR Posts: 361

  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    You'll find the top will be bald if you cut a decent bit off, but , on  a plus side, the top is unlikely to grow back up. 
    Devon.
  • AHRAHR Posts: 361
    Thanks hosta fan. Preferably I’d like to take it down to about 8ft. 
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    I'd say 8feet is very doable. Beware losing privacy from the house next door before you start cutting .
    Devon.
  • AHRAHR Posts: 361
    Thanks 

    i might do 9ft and see how it looks first. Next door are 2 ft higher than we are. 

    I have a bow saw and a prune saw. Do you think these will be able to complete the job? 
  • YviestevieYviestevie Posts: 7,066
    Just be aware that if you top them then you will need to be 'on the ball' about keeping them trimmed back as they will grow fatter more quickly and if you miss a trim you wont be able to get that back without cutting into old wood.
    Hi from Kingswinford in the West Midlands
  • AHRAHR Posts: 361
    Ok Thanks. I should be able to maintain them it’s the hight I have been struggling with.
  • AHRAHR Posts: 361
    My 14ft hight conifers are now at 9ft. In order to reduce the hight I had to cut into dead wood. So the top looks completely bare. This is only noticeable from the bedroom window not from ground level (it’s not a issue really - at least I can now maintain it properly). Will the top always look this way or will it grow back. 
  • Valley GardenerValley Gardener Posts: 2,851
    Mine stayed like it,when they were cut to half the height,so in the end we had the lot cut down to ground level,they were too much hassle. It seems if you want a Leylandii hedge,you must start trimming it when its fairly small.  
    The whole truth is an instrument that can only be played by an expert.
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