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Leylandi Trunk Removal - Planting New Hedge

darach.fitzdarach.fitz Posts: 6
in Problem solving
Hi Guys, 

I had a previous post on this about removing a leylandii hedge. All the overgrown branches have been cut away and what is left is about 100+ trunks of between 4ft and 6ft.

There is about a 1m gap between each of the trunks and on the LHS of the road section there are two rows with the younger row behind about just over 1m back from the front row.  

I plan to plant a new hedge here (possibly Laurel?/open to suggestions) and my main question now is do I have to pull these all out including the stumps? Or can I cut the trunk down to the stump and plant the new hedge in-between the gaps?

It the second option I would prefer but I'm just wary of either leaving the stumps and there not being enough room for the new hedge or using some sort of stump killer and it affecting the ground for the growth of the new hedge.

Also on the RHS there is a slope, is this an issue for planting? 

Hoping to get a new hedge planted in bare root season in November so all advice is greatly appreciated. 

Thanks ! 

Previous Post: https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/1044100/leylandii-hedge-problem#latest


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Posts

  • PalustrisPalustris Posts: 4,307
    Hard work I know, but personally I would remove the stumps before planting. You do have at least room to pull them down towards the lawn.



  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    Take them out, and the ivy roots as well. Otherwise the ivy will grow into your new hedge.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • TopbirdTopbird Posts: 8,355
    Just up the road a couple of neighbours 'shared' a leylandii hedge on the road frontage.

    About 4 years ago the left hand neighbours had their half of the hedge completely removed (stumps and all) , the soil rotovated and lots of organic matter dug in and bare root laurel whips planted. Four years on they have a well developed 5' high laurel hedge.

    The right hand neighbours kept their leylandii but put loads of organic matter in the soil and planted bare root laurel whips. I thought they would just be feeding the conifers and  the laurels would not take. 

    I was wrong. The laurels took much longer to get going but by year 2 they'd grown enough that the owners cut back the roadside half of the leylandii hedge leaving the house side growing (presumably for privacy) but giving some space to the developing laurels.

    The other week I noticed that the leylandii have now been cut to the ground and the laurel hedge is about 4' high. It's not quite as thick and lush as their neighbours but it's healthy and growing away strongly.

    So I guess the moral to that (long) tale is: if you want a hedge to establish as quickly as possible - get the stumps and roots out. If you don't mind giving it an extra year or two then you could probably get away with just cutting the stumps to the ground. Personally - I'd pay someone to come in and get them out🤭

    Are you sure about laurel? It's not the greatest for wildlife and has to be cut quite carefully to keep it looking smart (another neighbour always has brown edged leaves where they've been cut in half with hedge trimmers). A mixed native hedge would look great in that setting if you're happy with an informal look. Beech (or hornbeam - depending on conditions) or yew if you want something more formal.
    Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
  • amancalledgeorgeamancalledgeorge Posts: 2,736
    Wouldn't copper beech look spectacular there? Well done for removing what would have been a really thick conifer eye sore...but I agree with everyone above it would make total sense to remove all the stumps before replanting. It's one of those gardening job none of us relish, but bit by bit can be done. 

    To Plant a Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    I don’t think @lyn will object to me describing her as ‘an older person’ ... she’s older than me and I’m nearer 70 than 65. 
    A few years ago she and her OH removed just such a row of Leylandii stumps to plant a laurel hedge. If she can do it I think most fairly active folk can. IIRC they used the trunks as levers and just levered, wiggled and jiggled them out. They’re very shallow rooted. 

    By the way, I know folk keep saying that laurel isn’t wildlife friendly ... it may not provide much in the way of nectar and berries, but the thick laurel hedges around here provide much needed nest sites for blackbirds, dunnocks, goldfinches and robins and hedgehogs use the accumulated leaf litter at the bases of these hedges as sheltered hibernation sites ... a not inconsiderable contribution to the wildlife here. 😊 

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





  • KT53KT53 Posts: 9,016
    Having a good amount of trunk remaining will make removal an easier proposition as good leverage will be available.  Leylandii don't seem to have very deep root (in my experience at least) so removal, although a big task given the numbers involved, is possible.
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    We did indeed take out a 100’ run of conifer, but replaced it with a flower border, we sawed them almost to the ground and used a pick axe and mattock for the roots, they are shallow,  as OH picked I chopped the roots, the smaller bits can stay in the ground, they rot away quite quickly,  piled on some chicken pellets and planted flowers straight away.


    The  Laurel hedge was at the front, roadside,  took out a dying privet for that.


    Lots of hard work but just take your time, it’s a good job done definitely. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • LucidLucid Posts: 387
    @darach.fitz - I'll be following your post keenly as we've got a run of leylandii on both sides of our back garden boundary. We're planning to remove them and replace with fencing as we've got a dog and there are areas where he can technically get through. I did want to replace with a hedge but it doesn't seem practical in our space - I'm envious of how much you've got! I was just curious how you cut the branches? I've been trying to research as I do want to start cutting back now while the birds aren't nesting. So far I got as far as a polesaw but am interested in what you found worked best?

    Lucid :)
  • K67K67 Posts: 2,506
    edited October 2020
    I I'm with @amancalledgeorge copper beech interspersed with green beech. If you have a reciprocating saw they are great for removing stumps and roots.
  • PalustrisPalustris Posts: 4,307
    edited October 2020
    Just to add that we are both in our mid 70's and removed 42 metres of Leylandii this year and they were bigger trees than the ones in the images above. Takes time but it is not impossible.
    Lucid. Not sure what was used by darach.fitz, but I used a Bosch electric chainsaw. Again, with a lot of care not hard to use. You could cut thinner branches with a bow saw. I only used a chain saw because I have bad Tendinitis in my elbows so sawing motion is extremely painful.
    Hardest job for us was disposing of the brash. Shredded the thin stuff and stacked the thicker down the Holly hedge to dry out for firewood for a neighbour. Re-cycling yard here is very good.
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