Managing Leylands (without topping them)

[treeseer]

10 years ago these were planted as 10' trees. After a decade of no worries, no maintenance, problems are noted.

[treeseer]

Take 2: 10 years ago these were planted as 10' trees. After a decade of no worries, and no maintenance, problems are noted.

[treeseer]

Take 2: 10 years ago these were planted as 10' trees. After a decade of no worries, and no maintenance, problems are noted.

Looks ok S side but N side has tip, and heavy interior, dieback.

Black dots on twigs look like a scavenger. Drainage good, 4" of soil over flare but no girdling seen on the one I cleared so far.

The one that had the green strap pulled out--slippery sap!!--did not have the grey needles--Cercospora?

[treequip]

There are only 2 valid management schemes for leylandii.

 

1 Top them

2 Fell them

[Ian C]

There are only 2 valid management schemes for leylandii.

 

1 Top them

2 Fell them

 

yep

[daltontrees]

10 years ago these were planted as 10' trees. After a decade of no worries, no maintenance, problems are noted.

 

Where are they? What's the climate and has it been unusual weather this year?

[kentjames]

3 Burn them

 

There are only 2 valid management schemes for leylandii.

 

1 Top them

2 Fell them

[treeseer]

Where are they? What's the climate and has it been unusual weather this year?

Zone 7 SE US which was mild and wet this summer, great conditions for Cercospora. The plan is to "CERCOSPORA BLIGHT ON FOLIAGE. Remove dead needles and twigs and branches. There is some hope for new interior foliage to form. The more light comes in, the greater the chance of adventitious growth.

 

Remove soil from stem tissue, dry the area, deeply aerate nearby soil, clean and heat any bleeding lesions, and amend the soil for structure with calcium fertilizer and beneficial microorganisms to help speed compartmentalization.

 

50% thinning proposed for crown above sight line. Reduce height only after assessment and approval." Client made it clear she was not in favour of topping. My past reductions of central leaders on leylands have not always met the objective of opening the center, as topping seems to spur the kind of dense growth that it was supposed to get rid of.

[treequip]

3 Burn them

 

Have done in the past but burning in situ smogs the neighbourhood out and you get complaints

[Gary Prentice]

Diseases of Leyland Cypress Had to look up Cercospora Needle Blight