Leylandii in my garden

[Soon2bC]

Hi, we have just moved into a new house and the previous owners had put in a leylandi hedge around the front garden they have kept it to 4 or 5ft tall but over the past 8 years it has been there it has got very thick and is almost solid. We have decided that we want to remove the hedge as it is very close to the front of the house and blocks light for us and the neighbors (who hate it)

i dont want to use chemicals to kill it off if possible as its next to a public path where kids walk to school and out cat loves to lay under there. I am not financially able to get someone to remove them and after 2 hours with a hand saw have only made a small nick in the side of one trunk (what a wimp). my garden has bare patches where the grass struggles to grow near the treas and is only small

can anyone recommend a way of killing these off so i can then let the roots rot away. i have been told you should do it gradually as the roots suck up lots of water and will need to settle slowly to stop problems with the house (not sure if this is true)

Next year i hope to be in a position to pave part of the garden to provide off road parking and lay new turf and plant native shrub borders so i would like to start killing them off now so when i can finally afford to get the other work done i will be ready!

[JT05]

This morning, We have just finished cutting down a similar hedge. Fortunately we have a chain saw, the only quick way, I'm afraid. Do you know anyone who has one and would be willing to help you out? Not for the inexperienced.
When cut down they will appear 3 times larger than they were upright!
Our strategy for removal was to clip the branches into small pieces and take to the tip in strong reusable garden waste bags. ( from Wilkos)
The trunks will have to be chain sawed into pieces, then you can either burn or take to the tip.
This all sounds very labour intensive and it is! the other choice is to pay a tree lopping service.

[Soon2bC]

I have been told to hammer in some copper nails and they will cause it to rot and then it will just lift out of the ground but I am skeptical! Fortunately they are short trees I can see over the tallest one.

i am thinking of cutting off all the branches and getting them to the tip and then thinking of a strategy to get rid of the trunks. I am trying to get hold of a recip saw (think chain saw would be too much to handle). In the meantime i have been lent a better hand saw (this one even has teeth!!) as mine is knackered.

How are you going to remove the stumps JT?

[JT05]

Some of them are already dead, so they will be hacked out with a pick. The others will be the support for trellis to grow climbing roses and clematis. The stumps don't grow any new bits once cut.
BTW in our previous garden we did cut down a couple of leylandi with a bow saw. A bit of an effort, but it worked.

[Soon2bC]

JT.... we did it!
chopped the little blighters down with a borrowed bow saw and a blunt axe! have got out 1 of the 5 root balls so far and also found information which means we may have our parking space this year for about £100 (we are going for gravel)
I am working on being DIY queen this year!!

[JT05]

Great news, you must be proud and pleased. I'm still bagging up the remains, it was quicker and cheaper than getting a rubbish remover. More money to spend on the plants to fill the new space!

[Soon2bC]

We have chopped and bagged and loaded and now 5 car trips later its at the tip.
Today my OH is taking out the next load of roots (hopefully) my plan is to have it done by next weekend, but not sure if that is realistic. we will wait and see.
It is a shock when its all gone it looks so empty now and we can see the street!!!
new plants! I must need some more of those