Conifer Hedge Questions and Solutions

Why conifer hedge question and solutions? Well, because it’s a gardening matter that bothers a lot of Plews’ clients and has done over the years. As both a garden designer and professional garden consultant I’ve regularly been asked what can be done with them.

However, whilst it’s not always a bad feature to have in the garden, Leylandii in particular have seen a lot of bad press. And so the conifer hedge question seemed worthy of a blog all on its own.

Beginning with a couple of definitions and examples to help you, we’ll consider the options for maintaining existing conifer hedges and even planting new ones. Plus a brief foray into legal matters. There are related Plews blog links below for more help and inspiration.

A Bit of Botany – What is a Conifer?

Basically, a conifer is a gymnosperm, which means it belongs to the non-flowering category of plants. Coniferous trees and shrubs bear cones, or to be botanical about it, drupe-like seeds. The name conifer is derived from Latin and means ‘cone bearer’.

They are mainly evergreen, but there are some deciduous conifers. For example, the larch tree, Larix decidua, which is the only deciduous conifer in Europe.

Some conifers grow rapidly, others more slowly, so discovering which one you have in the garden will be helpful in making your decision. Not all conifer hedges are made of Leylandii trees although it is one of the most popular, funnily enough because of its fast growth habit….

What is a Conifer Hedge?

A conifer hedge is a hedge which is made of a particular type of evergreen shrub or tree. It is usually but not always kept clipped in a formal or semi-formal style.

There are over 600 different species of conifer, but the most usual conifers used for hedging are those which have soft, flat scaled leaves rather than needles. These are largely found in the Cypress, Cedar and Redwood groups. Some of the most popular hedging conifers are: –

Leylandii

Leyland cypress, Cupressus × leylandii, X Cuprocyparis leylandii or X Cupressocyparis leylandii. Leylandii cannot be hard pruned as they will not regrow. Which is why you may have seen ‘stumps’ and bare cut branches ‘uglifying’ gardens.

Cupressocyparis leylandii ‘Castlewellan Gold’ is sometimes not recognised as a Leylandii as it isn’t ‘green’. It’s an attractive variety and makes good foil for shrubs such as Camellia with dark evergreen glossy leaves.

Thuja

Thuja – one of the easiest conifers to identify – rub the foliage for it to give off a pleasant scent. To my nose, a faint pineapple or pear drop aroma. (I’ve found it varies with soil, location and cultivar) They’re popular as hedging, because, unlike many conifers, they can be pruned fairly hard and will regrow.

Thuja plicata, western red cedar – Thuja plicata ‘Goldy’ has yellow-gold foliage that turns a more orange shade in winter.

Thuja occidentalis, northern white cedar, for a lower hedge these offer good options.

Chamaecyparis, false cypress

The crushed foliage has a slight parsley-like scent and foliage colours of blue, blue-green, green and gold.

Lawson’s Cypress

Chamaecyparis lawsonia, Lawson’s Cypress, is a beautiful tree with feathery, blue-green foliage. But as a hedging plant, although used, its not the best choice as it can grow to 60 foot in the garden. For a strong blue coloured foliage look for cultivars with ‘blue’ in the name.

Yew, Taxus baccata

You didn’t think Yews were conifers? They are! Yew is a British native and as such wins top place as wildlife friendly conifer hedging in the UK. And of course they make classy evergreen hedges. Just think of all those gardens attached to historic houses with long herbaceous borders backed with ten-foot-high yew hedges.

On a practical note, they will grow back when pruned, which is why they’re also a popular topiary plant. However, Yew are slow growing so if you’re after a quick barrier they may not be the answer, unless you can add temporary cover behind or purchase larger plants.

Conifer Hedge Questions and Solutions

For all the bad press that conifer hedges, and Leylandii hedges in particular, receive, they can be the ideal hedge in many garden situations. Kept pruned to a neat shape and the correct height, conifer hedges can be a positive asset to your garden. For example, they can screen an ugly view. But sometimes help is needed.

Questions:

I have just moved in to a new house. The garden has a conifer hedge. Should I take it out?
We haven’t been pruning our conifer hedge and it’s grown higher than we thought it would. Will it stop growing soon?
Can my neighbour make us take out our hedge? I think some birds nest in it.
How easy is it to maintain a conifer hedge?

Answers / Solutions:

Some here and some in the legal section. Before you take any action or make a decision, you first need to establish the following: –

What sort of conifer is it?
Are able to maintain it (yourself or by employing a gardener)?
Does it take up a lot of space in a small garden?
Are there birds nesting in there?
Is it providing a wind break?
Does it hide an ugly view?
Do you like it?

The first one is relevant, as different conifers which may look like Leylandii to the untrained eye, grow at a different rate or have ornamental features. (as per our brief examples above)

Push right into the hedge. If it has dense, mainly green leaves down its stems them you could cut the width back and still be looking at green foliage.

But what if the hedge has not been kept pruned and there is a lot of dead wood away from the outer leaves with no sign of new growth? Generally speaking, without seeing the hedge, I’d say its sounds like a Leylandii. More drastic action than pruning may be required.

Where the hedge is taking up room in a small garden, the first thought is often to take it right out. That isn’t always the best solution as you’ll need some form of boundary. (See below and blog links for ideas).

Another important consideration is whether your prized herbaceous perennials will be blown over if you take the hedge down only to discover it was a windbreak. Hedges filter the wind, slowing it down and reducing potential damage. It’s also worth remembering that conifer hedges offer frost protection. This can be very useful when you have a large collection of potted plants in the garden.

Conifer Hedge Questions and Solutions – a Few Legal Facts

The laws surrounding hedges and trees are also covered in the blogs below.

Do you live in a conservation area?

If so, you may need permission from your local council to cut back or remove a hedge. Best to check with your local council before you do any work. Permission could take up to six weeks to obtain. Councils are usually fine with you pruning conifers that have obviously been planted as a hedge and have just got too large.

Nesting Birds

It is against the law to disturb nesting birds, as per Section 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. And it is not safe to assume that because it’s a Leylandii there wont be any birds. In my experience pigeons frequently nest in Leylandii hedges, but they’re not the only species that do. I’ve also found Greenfinches and other small garden birds appreciating the dense foliage.

Where most of the conifer hedge has to come down, I would recommend planting alternative nesting sites, ie other hedging plants and trees, or putting up nesting boxes.

Hedge Heights

Whilst there is no legal maximum height for a hedge, if your hedge is above 2 metres tall you may potentially be asked to reduce it’s height. For example, if a boundary hedge is blocking light from your neighbour’s garden. There are specific measurements and conditions to establish if the hedge is having an adverse effect.

In England and Wales the High Hedge Act is part of 2003 Anti-social Behaviour Act; in Scotland the laws dates from 2013. In both sets of legislation a high hedge is defined as a row of ‘two or more evergreens’ that rise to a height of more than two metres above ground level. Crucially, it must also be considered a barrier to light.

Alternatives to a Conifer Hedge

Whatever boundary you choose should be a part of your overall garden design. For example, if you have an informal wildlife hedge but the rest of your garden is contemporary and formal it may look odd. (It can be achieved, just needs tweaks in other areas to make it work visually).

If your boundary will be on view in the garden, then it should be both practical and beautiful. Think of the old, mellow brick in a walled garden, or the clean lines of green oak slatted fencing. There are ideas in the blog links below, these are just to start you thinking

An easily pruned and shaped evergreen hedge
A deciduous hedge
Wildlife hedge
Stock barrier or security hedge
A brick garden wall
Wooden panel or featheredge fencing
Trellis fencing
Metal fences
Drystone or flint wall – especially if this is reflects your locality
Fedge – a mix of fence and hedge
Trained trees
Wire fencing

Maintaining Your Conifer Hedge

Planting

The saying ‘right plant, right place’ is just as true for a conifer hedge. They can be both hungry and thirsty so are best not planted next to your prized herbaceous border.

Another item to bear in mind is soil preparation. Giving your hedge a good start will help to keep it healthy and more able to resist pests and diseases. With older hedges that are in need of tlc, a general purpose feed in spring may be helpful.

Pruning

If a hedge is allowed to grow unchecked it can cause problems, so one of the main gardening tasks for hedges is keeping it trimmed. Newly planted hedges require formative pruning for the first couple of years after planting. This is to help hedges and trees develop good balanced shape.

Once established, and depending on the species, prune once or twice a year, before or after the nesting season if relevant. These regular trims, or light prunes should be sufficient to keep even a fast growing Leylandii within bounds. NB and especially if you’re not sure of the species, only prune back to green shoots otherwise you will have brown patches that may never re-grow.

Keeping the height in check is key with conifers. When they get tall, the width increases too. And when they get too tall they start to ‘crown’ which means they lose their foliage and branches on the lower trunk, so they’re no longer a hedge plant.

And finally…

These conifer hedge questions and solutions are general, although based on real life examples from Plews’ clients. If you would like advice relating to your own garden, you may find our Garden Advice and Consultancy services useful. Please do get in touch.

For further gardening advice and inspiration, why not check out Plews Potting Shed blogs, including the selection below and our monthly Tipsheet ? You could come and find us on Instagram – @plewsgd Pinterest and Facebook too.

And on that note, you can have a peek at my new garden in the (new) Instagram account @spitfiresandslowworms and for those of you who prefer Facebook – Spitfires and Slow Worms

If you’d prefer personal help, we offer a mix of practical sessions and theory in our bespoke Gardening Lessons and Courses. There’s a blog link below plus a pdf download with more info