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Post by Susie Snowdrop on Feb 19, 2007 21:42:37 GMT
I know that recent government legislation has restricted the height of these conifers when used as a hedge. WHY THEN do people still want to use them . We have such a wild array of fantastic enviromentally friendly hedging available! If you want a hedge........................THINK NATIVE...........THINK WILDLIFE...............THINK FRIENDLY Susie x
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Post by Deleted on Feb 19, 2007 21:44:01 GMT
think foundations !!!! The things are evil unless they're in the middle of a forest. They shouldn't be allowed anywhere near a residential area.
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Post by Chuckles on Feb 19, 2007 22:57:40 GMT
Jenny there is nothing wrong with your fence, if you want to cover it why not put some wires across it and grow something in the bed to grow up it. A nice smallish rose or some clems or jasmine the list is endless If you want evergreen, grow some Ivy but not the clinging kind though, it will rot the fence eventually
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Post by JennyWrenn on Feb 20, 2007 7:21:00 GMT
I did originally plan something like you mentioned Chuckles - but - am in a hurry to create privacy and densisty - decided on Laurels but too slow - and of course during winter months apart from a clem sim to Pamela Jackman (lovely fluffy seed heads for quite some time) the fence would be visible
Thyey are in now and a massive job for little me when digging them in - feel should leave them even though the warnings are scary
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Post by JennyWrenn on Feb 20, 2007 7:25:33 GMT
OK I am convinced - the two near the house will be dug up, but I really feel I want to leave the others by the fence as they are - if they lift the paving slabs then just have to re set them - it took me ages too to decide on what to plant here and I did post a thread on this board before I did it - dont think I got any scary warnings then but obviously no one had had experience of them that posted
Thank u everyone for your care and concern - jenny x
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2007 7:55:00 GMT
So sorry I didn't see your thread asking about them jenny. I was horrified by what I found when I started digging my two up (well actually they belonged to the upstairs neighbour who was absent when I got out the loppers). When I first started "pruning" it was more to save the light in the garden, when I started digging downwards, I realised what had caused the damage to the patio. It might take years for any real damage to show but thought you and CB ought to know what lies ahead. oh and another lesson, if you're going to keep them. don't trim away the green from the outside, it doesn't grow back and leaves nasty brown gaps.
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Post by JennyWrenn on Feb 20, 2007 7:58:28 GMT
Oooo dear why do garden centres sell them I wonder without a warning label I havent the heart to pull them all out and start again; Would some kind of organic weed killer not kill the root system if it got too bad Hate using chemicals in the garden
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2007 8:02:51 GMT
I suspect with all the bad press about lleylandi, the GCs think you know what you're getting !
I have a couple of lemon conifers and intend keeping them in pots.
I am very wary now of what I'm planting direct.
There's also the matter of keeping them watered. With our ever changing climate there must be potential subsidence issues with large trees like these.
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Post by Mr Grinch on Feb 20, 2007 8:05:48 GMT
Jenny, You have a lovely fence, especially when you have painted it a nice colour. Please, please get rid of these ! There are sooooo many different options. The things will grow fast, but you have them i raised beds so the roots will burst out of the sides, then under your patio, then under your patio, then under your house then thats it, you had it !!! How about a nice Viburnam ?? They are evergreen, bushy and good for wildlife. The have flowers and are not too instrusive. These Leylandii are boring, raping thugs and should be banned !! Please please please dig em up !!
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2007 8:28:23 GMT
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Post by Plocket on Feb 20, 2007 13:44:06 GMT
I really am not a fan of these trees and have been desperately trying to think of positive things to say about them rather than being negative. All I can think of is that Dunnocks like to nest in them (and pigeons ) and Blair's shoulder-knot moth eats it (not quickly enough in my opinion).
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Post by oldmoleskins on Feb 20, 2007 15:23:05 GMT
Jennywrenn, are you saying they're completely contained within your boarded bed?
If so, being relatively shallow rooted, you may not have a problem, particularly if kept watered (and therefore unadventurous)...
It's generally been my experience that plants a) will live for years in containers (which is what you may have constructed, a large container) and b) strike a balance between 'roots and shoots' - so if constrained at say 5 or 6 feet, why would they develop the root system of a full-grown plant?
It is absolutely true that they can cause serious subsidence in houses - let alone patios - where they are allowed to get beyond 'normal' hedge height and should never be allowed to get beyond 6 feet because that is close to the limit of 'nuisance hedge' and the legistlation that followed - 6'6" to be precise.
If you're going to keep it at 6 feet or under, Leylandii make a perfectly decent hedge, are economical, fast and green. They don't have a particularly invasive root system. You should never, imho, plant trees closer than 15/20m to a house or drains - though in a table recently published as part of an article on Subsidence, cypress was the least threatening - all 'natives' were supposed to be kept even further away...
OM.
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Post by Mr Grinch on Feb 20, 2007 17:46:52 GMT
[They don't have a particularly invasive root system]
Are you nuts oldmoleskins !! They have an a massive root system that goes on for metres. I took three out in my old house and 3 years later i was still trying to get the roots out and that was over the otherside of the garden. Granted when they are babies their root run is small, when they get big, boy they are big all over !
Mr G
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Post by JennyWrenn on Feb 20, 2007 18:05:31 GMT
Oh dear what a dilema no they are not in raised beds - they ground was dug out especially for a selection of shrubs and clem climbers But I wanted something very fast so I bought all these leylandii I cant just throw them on the tip Is there no way round this - I dont have a handy OH in the house jenny
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2007 18:06:35 GMT
Totally with Mr Grinch again here oldmoleskins. Just have a look back to my pics and you'll see how invasive they are (not particularly good pics I grant you). These were two not very tall trees when I decided to give them a bit of a prune, then a bit more then a bit more still and by the time I got down to the roots I had to get the big saw out ! The first rootball that the deck men didn't cut into quarters for me is still sitting in the garden as it's too heavy to dispose of.
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Post by oldmoleskins on Feb 20, 2007 18:28:04 GMT
I stand by what I said: "They don't have a particularly invasive root system. You should never, imho, plant trees closer than 15/20m"
Left to their own devices, of course they are a threat to foundations, drains and any structure - but then so is any tree planted too close!
It's still my 'ho' that a tree restricted to an artificial 5 or 6 feet height will have a lessened root system, and thus be a lesser threat - but hey, I have been wrong!
Since you 'only' have a few JW, dig 'em up, beg some 15/20litre pots from a GC or Landscape contractor, and plant them in those, plunged back into the bed. Use the soil from the bed.
Monitor the situation, and if they've escaped in 10 years time, cull them!
OM.
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Post by JennyWrenn on Feb 20, 2007 18:33:18 GMT
If I plant them in containers will they still grow, in height?
I have badly drained clay soil in the garden
jenny
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2007 18:37:01 GMT
I guess they're like goldfish, and will grow to the space provided ! ;D
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Post by JennyWrenn on Feb 20, 2007 18:41:33 GMT
So that's a "No they wont grow very tall" then mrskp Thank goodness off to aerobix in a minute I will stamp around on the floor in frustration ;D ;D Poor baby Leylandii
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Post by Mr Grinch on Feb 21, 2007 8:32:11 GMT
Never feel sorry for them ! Just exterminate, exterminate !!
Mr G
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Post by oldmoleskins on Feb 21, 2007 9:30:19 GMT
If I plant them in containers will they still grow, in height? I have badly drained clay soil in the garden jenny Ok, so improve the soil with some compost to encourage them... there, that'll horrify some! Of course they will grow in pots - they are available in all sizes at GC's "pot grown" to about 6 feet in 10 litre pots. You can grow most hedge subjects in pots to make 'instant hedging'. If you can scrounge the pots for the sake of a phone call (and 20litres will easily support growth for the next few years) try it - but do monitor the root situation. And feed them in year two onwards - a little osmacote or another slow release fertiliser is good... OM.
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