Hedge cutting and maintenance

SycoLTH · 09-10-2023 2:00pm #1

Hi,

I need some advice.

I have about 60 meters of cypress hedge, 6 feet tall, but half of it is browning and overrun with ivy with the occasional blackberry plant. Then there's 30 meters of some other stuff on the other side of the garden that's very green and tall.

What would you expect to pay (in Offaly) for someone to come and cut it all low and tight, so that the cypress has a chance to show some sign of life?

Any other advice on how to save hedge (or if it's even worth saving) is more than welcome...

Thanks

magicbastarder · 09-10-2023 3:45pm

you can't do what you're asking for unfortunately. once cypress has gone brown it won't recover - you can't cut past the green, if you do it won't regrow as green. it's a trait shared with most conifers.

by the sounds of it, that hedge may have had its day.

looksee · 09-10-2023 4:03pm

A couple of photos would be very helpful.

phormium · 09-10-2023 4:13pm

As said the cypruss can't be cut back further than where it is green as it will not regrow which means it is destined to become higher and wider every year. Any bits that are already brown won't come back.

Athough that said I had one side of a Leylandi hedge (the worst type!) cut back to the wall as it was hanging over neighbours side, it was totally brown and mainly just bits of branches sticking out, looked awful but I couldn't see it 😁 and now 10 yrs later it is back to green and lush again. The brown bits didn't regrow as such but new growth from the other side that was green grew back towards the sunlight and greened up the cut side! I just looked at it not 10 mins ago as I now have to get my hedge trimming guy to cut neighbours side again now each year and he's coming this week.

I pay this guy 30 euro per hour (at least that was last year's rate, probably gone up), there is two of them at it and pay the disposable cost of the cut stuff to local waste facility, usually costs me in or around 300 quid each year. I have about 70ft of 12' high leylandi hedge and other various bits that he cuts around the garden, usually takes them about 5/6 hours in total.

SycoLTH · 10-10-2023 12:19am

There's still some green peeking through, but doesn't look good, does it?

I should have also added that it's over a meter wide, and the neighbour side is green and very much alive.

Maybe I can cut it tight and if new growth comes from the other side well and good, if not I can still say it's an Halloween hedge. But I think I have to try something.

looksee · 10-10-2023 8:10am

A metre wide for that kind of hedge is not a lot, it rather looks as though it has been cut too tight and that is why it is brown. I would doubt there is much you can do about it. There is a lot of brambles and ivy as you said, which is not helping.

phormium · 10-10-2023 8:58am

That looks either like it was cut too tight already or was it totally infested with ivy, anything covering it from light will kill bits. I know bits of mine have died where something else stopped the light getting to it, there was a big Fatsia plant in front of one piece of mine which grew huge and looked great until I discoved it had ruined the tree behind it! I also have an awful lot of ivy through it too and it ruins it and I have to keep trying to stop it growing in patches which causes browing of the tree too.

Unless this is the side in full sun I wouldn't hold out much hope of the new shoots finding their way through. Is the neighbours side full and green because it's not being cut or is it facing the sun?

As said a metre isn't bad, I can't get fibre to house because connection is 2 feet inside my wall (I don't understand the technicalities of it but that's my take on it!), engineers here said it was no problem as sure trees wouldn't be that wide, well it turns out my inside hedge line is over 5ft from boundary wall so no way to access the pipe thingy.

I wouldn't cut it any tighter than it is at the moment, it won't improve it. I have/had a small brown patch I could see from my kitchen window in the distance and it annoyed me, I went out with a tin of green spray paint and it no longer catches my eye! 😂 Hardly the ideal solution through.

SycoLTH · 10-10-2023 9:38am

My side is pointing north-east, but it's in the house shadow most of the morning, the neighbor's would be facing south-west.

I pulled branches of ivy and blackberry a full inch thick, so overrun is an understatement here.

Because there's green shoots at the very bottom makes me want to cut it 2 feet high or less and wait for it to regrow, at least it would be more manageable for a few years.

magicbastarder · 10-10-2023 10:06am

you can't cut it to two feet high and let it regrow - that will kill it. broadleaf trees can survive that, very few conifers will (with the exception of yew)

looksee · 10-10-2023 10:57am

I had to cut down a couple of cyprusses that were growing in a very dodgy spot, cut them down to about 18" and that was the end of them, they never showed a flicker of life after.

phormium · 10-10-2023 12:01pm

If you don't need it for privacy which I presume you don't if willing to cut it to 2ft (which won't work as mentioned) then I'd just take it out altogether and plant something nicer and more manageable.

I'd love to take mine out as they take up a huge amount of the garden being 5ft thick but I live on a corner and it's privacy on two sides that I need, should never have planted them but sure at the time they were quick growing cover!

eire86q · 14-10-2023 11:41pm

Hi sorry for getting of topic im just stuck looking

IMG-20231014-WA0000.jpeg

for help in regards to trees on my side of the boundry. Neighbour refuses to let me maintain branches that have grown onto her side of the boundry . Neighbour also maintains that there her trees even though there is a visible boundry fence and the trees are approximately 1m on my side. I have decided to cut them completely to the trunk on the side facing her property am I withing my rights to do this as I'm pretty sure I'm liable for any damage the trees cause etc. Thanks here's a picture to hopefully paint a better picture

blackbox · 14-10-2023 11:57pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121239699#Comment_121239699

It's not much of a fence. Are you 100% sure it is the property boundary (bearing in mind that she says the trees are hers)?

If you are sure they are yours, you can cut them down. It might be worthwhile getting a professional tree surgeon to avoid any damage to her side.

eire86q · 15-10-2023 12:06am

Yes 100 percent my trees her property actually is about a foot higher then mine and that Is the original fence that was in place since houses were build. We've been In this property since It was build she moved in 8 years ago and has disputes with me and another neighbour over trees. Tree surgeon won't even look at it as I've explained that she will not let anybody even step foot on her property so they don't want the hassle. She wants the trees basicly to grow as high as possible.

looksee · 15-10-2023 10:10am

Presumably you planted the trees? Is she disputing the boundary, or just being stupid about the trees?

It looks as though you need a professional at it, what is that suspended trunk/branch hanging in the foreground?

Are the trees shading her garden or your garden? Why are you so anxious to take the branches off her side of the trees without taking out the trees completely? Its going to leave her with a rather ugly row of dead-looking trees.

eire86q · 15-10-2023 10:35am

Yes we planted the trees. She's just being stupid about the trees. Reason why I'm mad to cut them they are growing very tall on her side and I'm liable I presume if anything falls etc in the future. We have tried to reason with her in regards to just maintaining them etc but she refuses to let anyone on her property for work to be carried out hence the drastic measure. My thinking is if she wants to install a new fence she won't be looking at dead trees. It's a sad situation I know but I'm the second neighbour now in dispute with her. She still would have her right to privacy as the tress are fully green on my side etc and we can't or never will be able to see her property.

looksee · 15-10-2023 10:59am

It is arguable that by cutting off branches on one side of the trees you are creating a situation where they would be more likely to fall over due to being unbalanced, or by such extensive and rough cutting disease can be introduced which will cause the trees to die.

There is good evidence that Leylandii that are trimmed back in late autumn are more susceptible to attack especially if they are trimmed back very hard so trim your Leylandii hedge in late spring or early summer (but watch out for nesting birds). https://www.leylandii.com/faqs/

eire86q · 15-10-2023 11:02am

Thanks for advice ill try seek professional help

magicbastarder · 15-10-2023 11:07am

Just bear in mind that those trees are going to look permanently awful now from her side - as mentioned above, they'll be dead looking as they won't regrow on that side.

eire86q · 15-10-2023 12:54pm

Yeah unfortunately it will but I'm not going to be liable for any damage my trees cause in the future she could barely drive her car up the driveway. I had given her the option of me cutting back and maintaining the trees but she refused

Iodine1 · 15-10-2023 1:29pm

Your trees, therefore you are responsible for full maintenance and anything else to do with them and also any damage they cause.

eire86q · 15-10-2023 2:08pm

Yes thank you unfortunately it is what it is if I can't gain access to maintain

phormium · 15-10-2023 3:19pm

How are you going to cut off all the branches her side and get them out if you can't access her side, is the gap between fence and trees big enough for all that work?

On the issue of killing them off by doing them I doubt it would, I had to do the same to mine on path side as they were hanging over too far, trimmed them right back almost to trunk and indeed they do look awful from that side but I can only see the green side! They are done about 3 yrs now and hasn't affected them in any way that I can see.

eire86q · 15-10-2023 4:31pm

Yeah there about 1m space from the tree line to the boundry once I started the first cut into it so I'm cutting and dragging back all branches onto my side of property so I don't have to stand on her property this way. Itl will look awful on her side alright but I've no issue with her putting up a new fence ill even put costs towards a new boundry fence if she was willing to play ball.

eire86q · 15-10-2023 4:46pm

20231014_171822.jpg

It's going to look shocking bad but she won't compromise at all with me she for some reason thinks the trees are mine but the branches belong to her cuz there on her property....madness.

magicbastarder · 15-10-2023 4:59pm

That's impressive growth for 8 years.

looksee · 15-10-2023 5:01pm

She's been there eight years, the OP has been there longer.

magicbastarder · 15-10-2023 5:04pm

Ah, I misread that.

eire86q · 15-10-2023 6:09pm

Thanks everyone for your advice ill get advice about the health of the tree risks etc and go from there

Hedge cutting and maintenance

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