Leylandii trimming issues

[PatrickFirwood]

Hi all, 

 

Looking for a bit of advice from someone a bit more knowledgeable and experienced than myself. The weekend before last we reduced a row of leylandii that hadn't been trimmed for about 4 years, we reduced the top back to where it had been done before (by approximately 5ft) and then trimmed the sides with a hedge trimmer. The customers were very happy with the results and the fact we hadn't reduced it too hard or butchered it. 

 

Fast forward to now (8 days later) we received a call to say a lot of brown patches had developed, so we went out to have a look, take some photos and try figure out what had caused them. We've been scratching our heads trying to work out what could have caused this and the only thing we have come up with so far is the very hot, dry and sunny weather we had the week following us reducing it, and we thing it could have been sun scorched? I'll attach some photos below (the first two being just after we had finished and the last 3 a week later), we would really appreciate some advice if anyone has any... 

 

 

[Richard 1234]

Too much cut off probably but not know how much you cut off it’s impossible to tell!

youve got to be careful with them when they haven’t been touched in a long time.

doubt they will come back green but they might.

[PatrickFirwood]

Thanks for the reply. I'll attatch a before and after photo below. We were convinced that we didnt take too much off... 

[nepia]

I think you answered your own question in your first post:  hot... dry...  assuming you're in the south of the country that is.  I believe it's been somewhat less dry oop north.

Edited June 29, 2020 by nepia

[Richard 1234]

11 minutes ago, PatrickFirwood said:

Thanks for the reply. I'll attatch a before and after photo below. We were convinced that we didnt take too much off... 

That looks ok from pictures so can’t help really!

[Mick Dempsey]

Has the chèque cleared?

[Richard 1234]

Not your fault it was left for 4 years!

maybe shouldn’t have cut it being so hot but we don’t have this heat often 

[PatrickFirwood]

Thanks for the replies. I suppose my only concern now is will it get any worse? If not do you think it will recover from the damage done so far? 

[Mick Dempsey]

I can’t see how you could have done much better.

 

Tell them you’ll ‘monitor it’ 

 

Should be OK

[TIMON]

I did some similar the other day. They had been neglected for so long and there was so much dead material in them, it was nigh on impossible to get a good finish. Went back the next day as the customer wanted to look at cutting them further back, and they agreed to have them removed...
best thing for them once they have gone past a certain point.