Leylandii cuttings

[Tomatoking]

I have read that it is possible to take Leylandii cuttings, but takes a year to get roots. Has anyone had success with them?
Mr TK

[FionaH]

I moved this from growing techniques so people could respond

[janeyo]

Don't do it they are evil

[Galileo]

Burn the cuttings!!!! Leylandii are Baaaadddddddddddddddddd

They ruin neighbour relations.

[jayjay giant]

Don't bother with them. I had to cut mine down. They were bleeding the garden dry !
The soil underneath them had turned to sand ! The chickens have it as part of their run now and use it as a dustbath. Nothing will grow in it now, not even after 2 years of chicken manure and being turfed over. The turf just dies, the soil is literally lifeless.
Sorry to be so negative but that is the truth.

James

[Flummery]

I'd go for a yew too.

[Jeanied]

If you want to try a chamaecyparis, why not go for one that is less of a thug, like the chamaecyparis lawsoniana?
You need to give the cuttings bottom heat to get them to root. I expect you have more growing space in Brittany, Tomatoking - are you trying to grow a hedge?

[Tomatoking]

I wondered where this can of worms had gone, as I posted it a while ago, then couldn't find it, thanks for moving it Fiona.

Well, I am in France, and we do have plenty of space where I was going to plant the leylandii, in fact it was to replace some dead 40 ft trees growing on a bank that I had cut down that had acted as a wind break in our top paddock.
There were a few leylandii on the neighbour's side, further down the bank.
The trees would not cause any shade to either property as it is surrounding a field. On our side it is just the top paddock, and the horses have acres of land lower down to graze in. The neigbour's side is an unused very wide track that is full of brambles now, leading on to a field which has another entrance.
There are other trees on the bank, which are not too healthy, so I thought free, fast growing Leylandii would eventually fill the space in a few year's time if I planted some cuttings that I had raised.
I do appreciate all your valid points, as i have seen the trouble that these trees cause when grown too close to buildings or soil used for growing on. We know of the restrictions of height, etc., with leylandii when they are on bordering properties and intend keeping them in check, which we have done with another wind break of them, in the middle of our land.

[Jeanied]

Here is how to do it, TK

BBC - Gardening - Gardening Guides - Techniques - Taking conifer cuttings

[Pies]

Having spent much of the last two years felling 48 (yes, forty-eight) 40+ foot tall Leylandii that robbed the garden of light and nutrients, and robbed us and the neighbours of a magnificent view, the only thing I suggest you do with Leylandii cuttings is burn the bloody things ....

Seriously, there are a lot of alternatives you can use as hedging which are much nicer to grow, easier to look after, and far more wildlife friendly.

Yew (not as slow growing as people think)
Beech
Hornbeam
Privet
Hawthorn
Holly, to name but a handful, there are so many more.

seriously, what do you want to achieve, then let's decide what the best plant might be

Ditto,you will very soon regret growing them

[sagegreen]

....the only thing I suggest you do with Leylandii cuttings is burn the bloody things ....

Seriously, there are a lot of alternatives you can use as hedging which are much nicer to grow, easier to look after, and far more wildlife friendly.

Couldn't agree more; I would go so far as to say i think leylandii should be banned from sale!!

[jackyspratty]

Agree totally. Hate them! My neighbour has the front and back. Shes not good at cutting them back, and we have no light, and a bare space along our side of the fence where nothing will grow. In the front our side of the "hedge" is brown and horrible. If I could work out a way to discreetly kill them from our side of the boundary without her knowing I would Any ideas?!!!

We also have bamboo sprouting up everywhere where the runners have come from her side! Hrmmph

[jacob marley]

a chap up the road from where i live used to sell Leylandi cuttings and from what i could see he just used to plant them in wet sand in the open ground most of them grew so he must have been doing something right...jacob