Replacing a Leyandii hedge

[TheGirlWithGlassFeet]

I've got a big leylandii hedge at the bottom of the garden. Each tree is about 10 foot wide and really eats into the garden. I want to take it out and use the space for a patio. I would prefer to replace it with another hedge but a narrower one.

I'm not sure how to go about replacing it though or what to replace it with. Do I need to take the leylandii out and have the garden exposed until the new hedge grows or can I remove the front half of the trees and plant new hedges and then remove the back half of the leyandii? I'm so confused 🤷‍♀️ I've been putting off making the decision but it needs to be done over the winter before the birds nest in spring. Any advice please?

Go for a varied native hedge using whips. You will be exposed for a couple of years but it will be worth it. Perhaps add a small wire fence in temporarily if you need to.

You are unlikely to get anything to grow until the leyladii have gone (too much competition from the leylandii roots) - and removing the remaining halves would probably damage your new baby hedge if anything had grown, anyway. Have you considered a fence, or even some of that rather flimsy bamboo screening, to give some privacy while a new hedge grows?

Thank you both. I think we will have to go for a fence until the hedge grows. It backs into a road so we will need some privacy.

Glad to hear you will persevere with the hedge despite needing to add a fence also. Good luck!

Luckily leylandii don't grow back when felled, unlike deciduous hedges. They will leave a lot of roots in the ground so plant your new hedge with small saplings - whips (ie single stems, no more than about 40-50 cm,high) like musical frog suggests. They will be s lot easier to plant and tend to establish better anyway. Just keep watering them, they'll soon grow.

I sympathise, I have just paid I the best part of two grand to have two monster leylandii removed. A lot were planted in the 70s and 90s for quick growth and privacy, and they have turned into monsters! I don’t regret getting rid, they were sapping all the life out of the garden.

70s and 80s actually!

We kept the trunks of our leylandii to use as posts for a fence. Much cheaper that way. You can just add some cross beams and remove the trunks at ground level once the new hedge has established. They won’t grow back.