Hi there, I’m currently planning to plant a row of Cypress Leylandii conifers along our front yard which borders quite a busy road (please see attached photos) in order to create some privacy / noise dampening by way of a 6ft or so hedge, and am looking for some advice from anyone in the know about these trees, as to how to plant them so that they will thrive. The location soil is quite clay, and so I’m wondering if I should dig a trench or separate holes for each tree. Also I don’t know whether I should amend the soil in some way. I was thinking about digging a long trench about 3 feet wide and 18 inches deep, and amend some of the clay soil with better soil to assist in drainage, and then plant them at 4 foot space intervals, slightly proud. Then mulch over the top to also assist with winter rain water dispersion and drainage. Does that sounds like a good plan to you or would you recommend something else? I dont want to damage / stress the trees and this is also quite an expensive undertaking and so I don’t want the hedge to fail. Thanks so much for any advice in this regard, it would be extremely appreciated.
From the Kingdom with the longest experience of this full-sized tree: The Leyland cypress is certainly of value as a free-growing screen or, except in very exposed localities, as a windbreak. It can also be used as a high hedge if the equipment and labour are available to keep it within bounds. But it is not suitable for the usual garden hedge, being far too vigorous for such a purpose. × Cupressocyparis leylandii - Trees and Shrubs Online If "expensive undertaking" = you intend to buy big ones, note this excerpt from the preceding source: it is essential that the plants should be young and whippy, with a healthy and freely developed root-system. Heavy plants, or those which have had their anchorage roots forced downwards by constriction in a pot, will not be wind-firm. They are talking here about wind-break plantings, but the same issues can occur anywhere the wind gets in. With - as with other fast-growing items - potentially problematic root deformities being chronic among Leyland cypress presented to the market.
Regarding amending the soil, please read https://www.gardenmyths.com/soil-amendments-dont-amend-before-planting/ And I agree with Ron that planting smaller trees would be more likely to succeed. Leylandii grow like stink anyway, you won't have to wait long for them to reach the desired height. That being said, they would really like to be much larger than six feet. After a few years they will get to be a woody pain to trim (many people seem to give up trying eventually). I find yews much more reasonable to deal with, and they can sprout out from old wood. My .02 as a landscaper :)
Thank you very much Ron and Heathen, that is good information to know. I’m quite set on going with the leylandii, we have a local nursery that grows good quality leylandii here and I know some people who have had great success with them. I am happy to do the trimming 2-3 times a year, no problem, I can’t see it being more than a few hrs work with an electric hedge trimmer? So for a 6 foot hedge, what is the maximum height that you would recommend me buying, so that they establish well and strong at a height of 6ft? Do you also have and recommendations / advice with regards to my clay soil and how to go about planting them? thanks so much, really appreciated Dan
Cupressus x leylandii are an extremely popular choice for hedges here in the Oceanside area of Vancouver Island. Their appeal is obvious - very fast growing, attractive, drought-tolerant (once established) and deer resistant. Personally, I would not plant them because of the continual pruning they require to keep in check. This is a tree that will grow to 60 if left unchecked; so anyone who has the time, patience and often money to keep such a tree to 6 feet tall, year after year after year, has my respect - and sympathy. A nice cedar fence is also quick to build, attractive, drought-tolerant and deer resistant - and probably cheaper in the long run.
Thanks Margot, I have considered this, and I just compare the ongoing pruning to keep them in check to that of mowing my lawn to keep that in check. I will also have to mow my lawn a lot more often too! No biggie.. So the pruning of a hedge twice or so a year doesn't really concern me, but I do certainly, understand how it would be an issue to those who don't want to do the necessary maintenance. Does anyone have and recommendations / advice with regards to my clay soil and how to go about planting them? Thank you, Dan
Search this site for more information about planting practices. The Garden Professors™ – Advancing the science of gardening and other stuff since 2009
Thank you Ron. Does anyone else have any local, personal experience / advice on how to go about planting Leylandii in my clay soil? Thank you, Dan
In general, personal anecdotes - whether locally derived or not - do not have the reliability of scientifically conducted investigations; with planting practices in particular there is no end to those who will INSIST that the disproven methods they cling to are producing improved outcomes. Or even that these rituals are essential to the very survival of plantings. Garden Logic – understanding correlation and causation in our gardens and landscapes – The Garden Professors™
Ron, I want people’s experiences and opinions on this matter, I value it and that is my choice, whether you like or not. Not everything has been proven or disproven by scientific method, far from it. This is a forum where people are free and encouraged to share their ideas, experiences and opinions, that is the point of a forum. You have shared your opinion and I have thanked you for it. If you don’t like it / social media then you are free to ignore it / leave. No hard feelings, Dan
None have reached 60 metres yet, but 35-40 metres is well within their reach ;-) https://www.monumentaltrees.com/en/gbr/wales/midglamorgan/19160_coedarhydyglynestate/ https://www.monumentaltrees.com/en/gbr/england/northumberland/2815_kyloewood/4731/ [yes I know you presumably intended feet, but that doesn't cover anywhere near their potential!]
This isn’t an answer to your soil question but more to share how happy we are with leylandii hedges we planted three years ago. It was a tough start as the landscapers did not prepare the trenches correctly and we had no drainage which didn’t come to light until 70% of our hedges died. Fast forward to digging them all out and providing proper drainage we are now the happy owners of beautiful 20’ hedges. We want them this height and they respond very well to trimming, 6’ may be difficult but 8’ I could totally see. The one piece of advice I strongly recommend is ensuring your installer takes the time to ensure they are lined up perfectly and supported well enough to not tip in the wind until their roots stabilize them. Ours had a very sketchy beginning and are slightly crooked, a few years of trimming and it won’t be noticeable but could have been done right to start. They are beautiful, green all year and lush. We are training ours to be a tight formal hedge and are very happy!!!
Typically, these lean over after planting out due to careless container culture at production facilities - see above excerpt I posted about planting small vigorous specimens. With roots that have not been deformed. This issue is common among all woody stock produced in pots instead of lined out in fields (grown in the ground). With fast growing items such as Leyland cypress being particularly likely to have been mishandled prior to purchase by end consumers. This tree also produces a quite heavy top apt to pull it over during heavy snows or high winds (again see commentary I posted previously) sometimes many years after planting. If roots were deformed at planting time. Of course, when formal shearing is involved, this will limit how heavy the top gets to some extent.
