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Cutting down leylandii hedges
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VM



Joined: 23 Nov 2007
Posts: 1748
Location: Lincolnshire
PostPosted: Wed Jan 16, 13 11:14 am    Post subject: Cutting down leylandii hedges Reply with quote
    

Don't know if this is the right place for this, but...

The lovely garden we have acquired with our move to Lincs has lots of leylandii hedging around it, within it. It has been well maintained by the previous owners, but we nevertheless want to get rid of most or, eventually, all of it because of it cutting out light and being a pain to maintain.

My questions are: (1) Do birds nest in it and therefore do we need to cut down pretty much now or leave it until after nesting season?

(2) Can we use the trunks for firewood?

(3) Any suggestions for what to do with the leaves/smaller branches - other than just put them in garden waste bin for council to take away? We used to use conifer trimmings as a mulch for blueberries on our old allotment, but don't know if we are going to plant blueberries here (not sure about soil - see other post).

thanks for any replies
Veronica

Bodrighy



Joined: 15 Aug 2008
Posts: 2157
Location: Near Devizes
PostPosted: Wed Jan 16, 13 11:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Despite the speed the stuff grows at leylandii is quite a hard wood. I have turned some and found it to be quite a nice wood to work as well. I would imagine that it would be OK for firewood though it would need drying out for 12 months if you have room to log it up.

Looks like this worked



Pete

Nature'sgrafter



Joined: 22 Feb 2012
Posts: 527
Location: Sanday , Orkney
PostPosted: Wed Jan 16, 13 11:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Pete is right the trunks make excellent fire wood the smaller branches (anything less than an inch)burn even freshly cut very quickly in a garden incinerator it just takes lots of paper to get it started and then regular feeding until it's gone. Also yes Birds do use them to nest in so your right to think about the timing of cutting them down.

Midland Spinner



Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 2931
Location: Under a green roof
PostPosted: Wed Jan 16, 13 11:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Birds do nest in it.

Mostly pigeons in my experience, but also smaller birds.

Cut down before the nesting season and you should be fine, and as Pete says, if you season it well it makes firewood.

Lorrainelovesplants



Joined: 13 Oct 2006
Posts: 6521
Location: Dordogne
PostPosted: Wed Jan 16, 13 12:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

We have pidgeons, crows and magpies nesting in ours (they are very tall - John says 35ft).

We have cut and used as firewood - it took 18 months seasoning. The crappy bits we used as kindling. It takes ages to break down if composting(I dont think the little bugs like it).

VM



Joined: 23 Nov 2007
Posts: 1748
Location: Lincolnshire
PostPosted: Wed Jan 16, 13 7:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Thanks for all that, folks - very useful.

That's a pretty bit of wood, Pete - I'd never have thought that leylandii could produce something so nice!

Better get the saw out soon before those birds start nesting - oh, perhaps better wait til the snow has gone!

TTouch Homestead



Joined: 13 Oct 2011
Posts: 703
Location: Cardigan, West Wales
PostPosted: Wed Jan 16, 13 7:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

We are toasty warm thanks to the large leylandii hedge we took down on moving in. It burns lovely. We chipped the smaller stuff or used it whole on top of the really bad mud areas to stop us sinking...

marigold



Joined: 02 Sep 2005
Posts: 12458
Location: West Sussex
PostPosted: Wed Jan 16, 13 7:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

My brother left the leafy bits of his ex-leylandiis in a heap at the bottom of his garden while he got on with other things. Ten years later he had a pile of rather nice soil conditioner.

vegplot



Joined: 19 Apr 2007
Posts: 21301
Location: Bethesda, Gwynedd
PostPosted: Wed Jan 16, 13 7:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

marigold wrote:
My brother left the leafy bits of his ex-leylandiis in a heap at the bottom of his garden while he got on with other things. Ten years later he had a pile of rather nice soil conditioner.


Those small jobs can take ages, but 10 years!

Tavascarow



Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 8407
Location: South Cornwall
PostPosted: Wed Jan 16, 13 7:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

The twiggy stuff can be shredded & used as a mulch around ericaceous shrubs if it's left in a pile to heat for a few weeks.

marigold



Joined: 02 Sep 2005
Posts: 12458
Location: West Sussex
PostPosted: Wed Jan 16, 13 7:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

vegplot wrote:
marigold wrote:
My brother left the leafy bits of his ex-leylandiis in a heap at the bottom of his garden while he got on with other things. Ten years later he had a pile of rather nice soil conditioner.


Those small jobs can take ages, but 10 years!


He build a rather splendid cider shed in front of them and out of sight, out of mind...

vegplot



Joined: 19 Apr 2007
Posts: 21301
Location: Bethesda, Gwynedd
PostPosted: Wed Jan 16, 13 8:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

marigold wrote:
vegplot wrote:
marigold wrote:
My brother left the leafy bits of his ex-leylandiis in a heap at the bottom of his garden while he got on with other things. Ten years later he had a pile of rather nice soil conditioner.


Those small jobs can take ages, but 10 years!


He build a rather splendid cider shed in front of them and out of sight, out of mind...


out of his head

john of wessex



Joined: 18 Jun 2007
Posts: 2130

PostPosted: Wed Jan 16, 13 9:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

W trees we've just finished burning two leylandii-oid trees we cut down in the spring.

Burnt a treat.

You need to handle it with gloves as the resin gets everywhere. As advised on Downsizer we didnt throttle out wood burner to stop problems with the chimney.

Good King Wenceslas had the right idea - got the page to carry the logs!

Nicky cigreen



Joined: 25 Jun 2007
Posts: 9702
Location: Devon, uk
PostPosted: Wed Jan 16, 13 9:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

we burn leylandii in the woodburner - just mix it up with other wood

the leafy branches are really good on the bonfire - they go up with a woof!

Hairyloon



Joined: 20 Nov 2008
Posts: 15425
Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.
PostPosted: Wed Jan 16, 13 10:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

colour it green wrote:
the leafy branches are really good on the bonfire - they go up with a woof!

Even fresh, provided your fire is hot enough and you don't put too much on at once.

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