Leylandii is used to make beautiful hedges and screens. Leylandii has a reputation for thriving in places with unwelcoming external conditions.
Even in such conditions, the plant can grow up to 15 meters. This can prove problematic in some cases. People want hedges to be under their control.
An ideal hedge should listen to the gardener and mold itself to the needs of the gardener. What if your Leylandii went out of control?
Leylandii needs to be within a height limit not only for cosmetic purposes but also because it might not suit your neighbors’ needs.
Is there a Height Restriction for the Leylandii Hedge?
The height of the Leylandii hedge shouldn’t exceed 2m. The council can take action if someone complains about the height of the hedge.
Leylandii trees legal height
There’s a general rule that the height of the Leylandii hedge shouldn’t exceed 2m.
Even though your hedge complies with this law, your neighbors can still complain to the authorities if the hedge bothers them in some way.
So, watch how tall your Leylandii grows. If it grows taller than desired, cut it back.
How do you reduce the height of a Leylandii hedge?
The best way to control the height of the Leylandii hedge is by trimming it. You can trim the Leylandii up to 60% of its height.
When should I trim my Leylandii hedge?
Trim the Leylandii hedge in the late spring or summer. This gives the plant enough time to grow before winter.
If you reside in the UK, you can cut the hedge in May, June, or July. The sooner you trim it the better it recovers before winter.
Tip: Do not trim the hedge in very hot or dry weather conditions. Never cut the hedge in Autumn.
Cutting leylandii hedge in winter?
You wouldn’t wanna cut your Leylandii hedge in winter. If you do so, you risk browning the edges of the hedge.
The tree will recover for sure, but many experts advise against this. Try to re-schedule the trimming session for the summer months.
How far can you cut back Leylandii?
You can cut the Leylandii back up to one-third of its height. Many people cut Leylandii back to 2 meters and it is fine.
Do not cut back the entire green branches though. If you cut back the green branches wholly you’ll see that the hedge shows brown edges.
If Leylandii hedge is blocking the paths or interfering with your neighbor’s property, you may want to cut it back regularly.
If you can’t do regular maintenance then it’s time to replace Leylandii with a more manageable hedge such as Beech.
Tip: You may want to cut Leylandii at the same time each year. When you do so, leave 4 inches of green growth intact.
Can Leylandii recover?
Yes, Leylandii can recover if you trim it right. Do not trim the tree so hard that there’s not much green growth left.
As long as you follow this the tree will be fine. Leylandii will recover if you trim the tree at the right time. Trim it in May or June, it will recover by winter.
Do not trim the tree too often. Trim it once a year, every year. If you trim it too often, the plant will not recover well.
Many experts say that if you trim Leylandii in late spring or early summer, the plant shouldn’t face any issues.
Will Leylandii grow back after cutting?
Yes, Leylandii hedge will grow back after cutting. Regrowth rate and success depend on how you cut the tree and when you cut it.
Leylandii is a tree that grows vigorously, so keep this in mind when trimming it. You may want to cut the tree so that it grows to the ideal height.
Leylandii grows continuously if left unattended for a long time. It grows at a rate of 75-90 cm per year. So, ideally, you should cut the same amount every year.
Just do the trimming once a year though, otherwise, you’ll be interfering with the tree’s growth.
If the plant keeps interfering with the neighbor’s property, it’s best to uproot it and replace the tree with Beech.
Tip: Plant Leylandii Gold Rider as it grows only 45 cm in a year.
Keep the hedge narrow
You want to keep the plant as narrow as possible to avoid conflicts with the neighbor’s trees/property. You can keep the plant as narrow as 45 cm.
Trim the tree back to the same width every year to maintain consistency. If the tree is growing into a neighbor’s property, you may want to fix it by making the plant narrower.
Trimming the sides of Leylandii
You need to be careful while trimming Leylandii laterally. You may accidentally damage the Leylandii when cutting the sides.
Make sure not to cut back so hard that no green parts remain on the tree. This causes brown edges on the branch.
Can you keep Leylandii small?
You can keep it small with timely and careful trimming. Trim the plant once a year, and make sure it recovers by winter. Otherwise, the tree will easily get stressed.
You can keep Leylandii in control. You’d want to keep such a hedge small as it makes sense in the long run.
How to stop Leylandii from growing?
You can not stop the Leylandii from growing. The only way to control the tree’s growth is by trimming it regularly. Cut the tree to about 10ft in height every year.
Doing this at the right time will help keep the plant in shape.
Does Leylandii ever stop growing?
No, Leylandii doesn’t stop growing provided it has the right resources in abundance. They are famous for their vigor.
They keep growing and growing every year. Trimming them regularly is the best way to keep their growth contained.
How to reduce the width of a Leylandii hedge
Don’t cut back hard. Let the green parts of the branches remain on the hedge. You need to be careful when adjusting the width of your Leylandii hedge.
You can trim your Leylandii hedge up to a width of 45cm. Cut back your Leylandii hedge every year to 45cm width to maintain consistency.
Cutting your branches all the way back harms the hedge. You can cut the overgrown side shoots from April to August.
Cutting Leylandii hedge in winter
Don’t cut your Leylandii hedge in winter. You’ll expose your Leylandii to frost damage if you cut back the hedge in winter.
Leylandii branches turn brown when you cut the hedge back in the winter months. Bare patches are seen on the hedges that are cut in the winter.
I recommend trimming the hedge in April-August.
Happy Growing 🙂