By Caroline100
Cumbria,
United Kingdom 
We have inherited a 20 year old leylandi hedge which looks good on our neighbours side (they like the privacy) however our side looks like it has recently been cut back (we moved in a few months ago) - all the branches have been cut back and of course now it wont grow back. Our neighbours would like the hedge to remain. What is the possibility of planting new (and small as a mass of roots to plant between) leylandi plants in between the old ones to eventually grow up in amongst the other trees so I will be able to trim the new ones each year properly but cover up the bare branches of the other ones? Or are there any other solutions apart from cutting the whole thing down? Thanks in advance for the advice.
11 Jun, 2012
Answers
I agree with Cammomile, unless you remove the roots nothing else is likely to grow well in between/near Leylandii.
Difficult one this because if you remove the trees there is nothing to stop your neighbours putting it back on their side. Which may give you even more problems as they grow 3-5 feet per year and have to be trimmed a lot, which means you have to return everything you cut on your side to your neighbours sand you must not cut across your boundary.
Keep in mind the law governing most continuous hedging which now says that at the back it must be no more than 2 meters (even less in most fronts) this may help you when talking to your neighbours re their removal?
One solution re height would be to remove the roots and plant a row of Pleaching but this would not be cheap.
On the whole growing a hedge takes time but removing Leylandii and going for a hedge of Privet, Copper Beach or even tall shrubs will be worth it in time as long as you put some goodness back into the soil as well.
But to expect the height that you get from Leylandii may well be unrealistic and/or illegal?
11 Jun, 2012
i believe with leylandi you need planning permission these days . why not make a minus into a plus . you dont have to trim your side for obvious reasens leaving that job to them . you have your privacy to . how about making a raised border with sleepers or blocks and put some good soil in that . then you could get some trellis and plant some nice climbers and other plants of the right choice in front .
11 Jun, 2012
Thanks so much to everyone who has replied - lots of options for consideration. Regards, Caroline
11 Jun, 2012
Sorry I was under the impression the hedge was yours Caroline.
11 Jun, 2012
If it is your hedge Caroline then I'm with the others, remove and replace. You are going to need more than just a raised bed to disguise a leylandii hedge that has be cut back into brown wood.
11 Jun, 2012
ofcourse you will mg hence the climbers etc .
12 Jun, 2012
Its not really what your neighbours want, its what you want and can afford. Someone more knowledgeable might be able to tell you about filling in the hedge but I know from experience that the ground below these trees is moistureless and you probably won't be able to plant more.
11 Jun, 2012