Topping out leylandii's

[conkers]

Leylandii are easy as long as you don't try to take big tops out.

They are prone to catching the wind even on calm days,and making the drop unpredictable.

 

I would suggest climbing high on multie anchors if you can and strip out the green stuff.

Easy to get the bigger sticks down on a pully then.

If it is really windy, then wait for a better day as hand held sections and free fall sections can travel for bloody ages.

[ecolojim]

I prefers to prune them at somewhere near ground level

[Patchwork]

as said, pretty simple to climb up them. I would double wrap your strop. If you happen to slip, it chokes the stem and you're goin nowhere.

 

will defo use that idea when settling down in my position to work on them

[Patchwork]

I prefer not to top out a conifer thats staying.

 

You don't normally have the room....and even when you do you could break one of the laterals that is supposed to be left....and it may ruin the shape.

 

I tend to get as high as I can and dismantle the laterals.... then section/reduce the main stem to a decent lateral so tha it doesn't die back.

 

brilliant idea, didnt think of that at all. decided im going with the double wrap strop and then go as high as i can, top out a tiny section so i dont damage the rest of the tree, clean the stem down the stem while chogging sections to the point of reduction. as for leaving it to somone else to do, its not so much my ability that im concerned with, its just the correct way of doing it and how do least damage the tree.

[vduben]

spike it!!! its only a dirty conifer!!!!!

no only joking dude when you get to where you want it to come down to strip it up from there but just leave 2 pegs side by side every 2ft to stand on and deffo double wrap your strop!!!! try to get as close to the top as possible, if you do it in small enough bits then it dont matter where they drop too much but try to get it all where you wanted it!

[Steve Bullman]

it dont matter where they drop too much

 

it always matters where they drop

[vduben]

it always matters where they drop

 

not if there isnt anything around the base, i personally always do TRY and get it in the right place, oftern there is walls, fences, greenhouses etc but in his situation it wouldnt matter too much

[Steve Bullman]

it always matters where they drop

 

patchwork, it matters mate:icon14:

[Rentachimp]

I worked for 'Conifers from Hell', so I've done my fair share of these

 

If you can take big tops off (without demolishing anything) then do it, but do some nice sapwood cuts so they don't tear off. they can tear about 2-3m if you're not careful.

 

You want to take a 20-30m rope with you, so you can haul the saw up after you've climbed up and, if they're not tightly spaced, you may have to descend to get up the next one.

If you do descend on your rope, make sure you untie your bowline, as it WILL get jammed.

 

Let him know it will look terrible, although it will get better with time.

Make sure your stem isn't higher than the greenery once you do your final cut, as people will complain about that.

 

Wear gloves (I find the cotton gloves with the rubber coated palm best) and long sleeves as they are scratchy. I was once getting off with a girl and she started fussing over me because i had all these deep scratches on my arms and she got it into her head that I was self harming lol

[Husqvarna King]

yeah my mrs thinks im a secret rapist from the state of my arms!!!