Lopping Trees

[hamptonhangingpork]

Hi everyone!

Just a couple of quick and hopefully easy questions from people far more knowledgeable than I:

1. Can I lop / reduce the size of conifers and leylandii in winter (by approx. 30%) without killing them?

2. If not now, can I lop in April?

I meant to do it back in autumn but life got in the way.

Many thanks

Many conifers don't regrow from severe pruning if you go back too far so you need to check which variety you have. As long as you leave at least some green at the end of cut branches you should be OK.

Thanks yama!

I would prefer if they didn't regrow because I don't want to be that neighbour. The hedge is 40 years old and jumped up in height after I cut down a pair of 50+ ft leylandii at the end of the garden.

I just didn't want to kill the trees.

If you don't cut back into Brown growth on the sides, it should continue to grow as per. To reduce height , get above it and reach down into the trunk . Leave the sides higher than your cut on the top and you'll never see it. If you imagine looking down the hedge line from one end, the profile once cut, should vaguely resemble a capital M