Laylandi topping.

[billpierce]

Never in the history of connie bashing has mrs miggins not wanted "just a wee bit more off the tops", usually waiting for you to have just packed your kit away

[Mick Dempsey]

You should have made a nice flat top, at about the same level as the stump and level all the way across (see below)

What you did is NOT how it should be done, at least if you were trying to do a good job.

You climb the tree, anchor as high as possible, then find your height, cut around till you’re left with just the stem you’re anchored into.

Pop that off and down you come.

 

Edited September 10, 2019 by Mick Dempsey

[Stere]

Why not tidy up the sides abit?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don't think any self respecting  Mrs miggins would be happy witht the current shape....

 

 

Edited September 10, 2019 by Stere

[Stubby]

8 hours ago, billpierce said:

Never in the history of connie bashing has mrs miggins not wanted "just a wee bit more off the tops", usually waiting for you to have just packed your kit away

Remember . Its actually " Farmer Miggins "

[trigger_andy]

15 hours ago, Mick Dempsey said:

You should have made a nice flat top, at about the same level as the stump and level all the way across (see below)

What you did is NOT how it should be done, at least if you were trying to do a good job.

You climb the tree, anchor as high as possible, then find your height, cut around till you’re left with just the stem you’re anchored into.

Pop that off and down you come.

 

Keep in mind it was a £150 job not £1500......

[Paul in the woods]

43 minutes ago, trigger_andy said:

Keep in mind it was a £150 job not £1500......

Indeed, and it depends what Farmer Miggins wanted. Some farmers round here tend to prune trees by simply driving tractors into them.

 

Personally I'd like it rounded if it's in the garden, but in my wood I'd prefer it more spiky.

[Paul Tomo]

18 hours ago, Stere said:

Why not tidy up the sides abit?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don't think any self respecting  Mrs miggins would be happy witht the current shape....

 

 

Can’t it kill the tree if you take to much off? He only wanted it topping 6ft. I would say that trimming the tree like you say would look better.

[Gary Prentice]

5 hours ago, trigger_andy said:

Keep in mind it was a £150 job not £1500......

Shortening the ascending lateral limbs would take a couple of extra minutes. 

Leaving them as he has will allow them to romp away and become more prone to damage by snow and wind. Also, the tree will be a bugger to reduce again in the future because there's no central point in it - they'll just be loads of skinning poles around the hollow centre.

2 hours ago, Paul Tomo said:

Can’t it kill the tree if you take to much off? He only wanted it topping 6ft. I would say that trimming the tree like you say would look better.

Kill it , its a Leyland cypress, it'll survive a lot worse than that.

 

EDIT: As long as you don't bare it to old wood it will continue to grow.. You can cut the foliage back hard as long as there's still foliage there. It won't produce new growth from bare wood, like yew would, but it will tolerate pretty harsh pruning. 

Edited September 11, 2019 by Gary Prentice

[Mick Dempsey]

7 hours ago, trigger_andy said:

Keep in mind it was a £150 job not £1500......

 

Edited September 11, 2019 by Mick Dempsey

[Gary Prentice]

1 minute ago, Mick Dempsey said:

 

Harsh