Controversial and unneighbourly, or excellent coverage providing vital privacy – what‘s your view?
We try not to get too involved in the arguments for and against these fast growers, but have found ourselves felling and hard pruning more and more Cupressus varieties this year than we seem to have done have in previous years.
Leylandii grow to up to 20m in height with a 5m spread at maturity, and have been the cause of thousands of neighbour disputes. Because of their growth rate, they are best pruned regularly in an annual cycle, which helps to avoid them becoming tree “towers” that block light, and cause a claustrophobic menace in neighbourhoods. High hedges legislation (information from your local council website) can be helpful with unresolved disputes.
A year’s growth on a Cupressus tree might be as much as 15 cm or 6 inches. This can be removed with no damage to the tree, but beware! Cutting beyond the green face into the older wood is risky as the tree will not regenerate and this is what leads to bald patches on your hedges and trees.
Once felled, Cupressus varieties do not regrow, and so it’s possible to live with stumps (as long as they’re not a tripping hazard) and not be concerned about having to grind them out
If your Cupressus is left unpruned, a more radical management plans is often necessary. Sadly, single trees don’t always look very natural when they are reduced in height, but this is often the only way to effect some control if the customer prefers not to fell. A reduced Cupressus hedge can be thing of sculptural precision when completed carefully; these are the mainstay of boundaries and surburban gardens up and down the land.
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Half way through a high hedge boundary reduction. Spot the red shirt?
“Meer cat” Tom pops out of the top of this single tree reduction
Do you have a Cupressus tree or hedge that needs attention? Contact Andrew on 01256 817369 or 07771 883061 or email him at Andrew@primarytreesurgeons.co.uk for advice and a free quote