This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.
To lop or take conifers to stump?
I am hoping someone can advise regarding a decision I am struggling to make over my two tall conifers at the bottom of my garden which I inherited with the house a few years ago.
Do I lop them to gutter level or shed level or take them down to stump? I am not sure of the condition of the fence behind them or who owns it, but from what I can tell they do not appear to be falling down in any way. I have also noticed that there is a degree of browning at lower levels
Additionally I do not enjoy looking at a plain fence and enjoy lots of greenery, even ivy covering wooden fences.
Lobbing them significantly or taking them down to stump would mean I become overlooked in the garden, so in some ways they are useful to provide a level of privacy. If I replaced them with something else it would take a few years to provide any decent levels of privacy.
I am aware conifers grow quickly, so basically I want to avoid as a single income house hold having to factor in the extra cost of continually having them reduced.
So to significantly lob or should I go right down to stump? Work booked in for next weekend and need to make my decision before then .
Any thoughts gratefully received. TIA

Do I lop them to gutter level or shed level or take them down to stump? I am not sure of the condition of the fence behind them or who owns it, but from what I can tell they do not appear to be falling down in any way. I have also noticed that there is a degree of browning at lower levels
Additionally I do not enjoy looking at a plain fence and enjoy lots of greenery, even ivy covering wooden fences.
Lobbing them significantly or taking them down to stump would mean I become overlooked in the garden, so in some ways they are useful to provide a level of privacy. If I replaced them with something else it would take a few years to provide any decent levels of privacy.
I am aware conifers grow quickly, so basically I want to avoid as a single income house hold having to factor in the extra cost of continually having them reduced.
So to significantly lob or should I go right down to stump? Work booked in for next weekend and need to make my decision before then .
Any thoughts gratefully received. TIA

0
Posts
If cutting into brown wood it might look a bit brown on top, but it could be a good compromise?
A better solution would be as you have suggested to remove and replace….this would obviously be more expensive and take time. You would also likely need to take time to improve the soil
A new fence with trellis and climbers would provide some privacy, but nothing will give you the total block the conifers do.
They will probably decide for themselves in a few years time, as mine did, when they start to fall will be the time to do something with them.
For me, I would leave it, the birds will love it in the winter.
I'm retired and on a limited income .so I understand your concerns .. we bit the bullet and got rid of all but one of the large trees in our garden, and had the last one pollarded so at least it won't cost so much to maintain ... given the way of the world at the moment I'm so glad that we made that choice.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
The tree surgeon wants my decision asap and is booked in for this weekend.
If only I could see a before or after picture...I really do not like looking at fence panels and that will be my view.
I do not want to lose my privacy, but equally do not want the expense of regularly maintaining the trees.
It is like a looming tower hanging over me when I sit in the garden, a large section of ground in front is very dry.
Possibly an ugly tree which maintains some privacy is better than no privacy at all?
Now thinking of lopping down to below gutter level and removing some of the thickening, although seems quite brown inside?
( silk purses and sows' ears )
Lots of ideas here https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/garden/604478/How-to-create-a-private-garden
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.