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Hi Alisdair
what are the details of this hedge (height your looking to work at etc)
I might anoy some here however i am a firm beliver on knowing your strengths and where to then say something is beyond your current skill level,
this situation could be one of the most dangerous situations you could put yourself in when you don't know what to do exactly and what tool and kit you would need, i personally would take this chance to pass this job to a trained arbourist who has the kit and knowlege if you cant do this with feet on the ground and a hand saw / pruning saw for the thick stuff
Good pair of loppers, silky (pruning type) saw, if you have a long reach cutter with chainsaw attachment that will make life easier but it's possible without.
Leylandii reductions vary so much, some come apart nicely, others are so tangled and matted they end up having to be chopped off in chunks....
Thanks for the replies guys. Funnily enough Neal I pretty much told them what you suggested. I trimmed as much as I could, probably took off about 6 inches of height and tidied it up - letting in more light which was the objective. But to be honest the rest is probably beyond me atm. The hedge is easy 10 feet high, about 3 feet wide and about 30 feet long and I realised to cut the height they wanted would be a much bigger job.
Adam, it was a pretty well developed hedge with lots of thick growth. I was wondering about the possibility of cutting the main trunk off at somewhere around the height desired, hence not having to cut the individual branches. Would this be feasable? Or would it leave a horrible looking open top?
Hello Alisdair,
All good advice below. A good folding handsaw from silky or Felco will cut through what your describing. Chainsaws can be unpredictable in such wood jf your not used to them.silky saws are especially sharp, you will be amazed at what they can cut through and how quickly.As Neal says assess the safety first.good boots and gloves, especially if its wet...If it's high or very high,have someone with you, or at least the client on hand to help in case of an accident. Again if height is an issue then a well secured ladder if it's not feasible to climb from one to another...And take your time..
Best
P
I took one of these on the other week. Was about 10’ bringing down to 7’.
one word, horrific!
really really dense growth. Absolutely loads of waste. Hedge was at least 6’ wise too!
i suggested it would have been easy to take out the whole lot and chip it. Thankfully the customer agreed and I ended up making a fair days wage. Lesson learnt of Leylandii reductions!
I reduced a large leylandii hedge last year, it was approximately 14-16ft heigh, 60ft long and went from 6ft wide at one end to 8ft wide at the other end. The client wanted it taking down to 8ft, I completed all the big stuff with Stihl pole saw and smaller stuff with loppers and silky saw. 5 loads of waste, 2 and half days to do on my own, it was some job. I removed leylandii hedge for my uncle last October, very different job all together, very dense entwined growth, had to cut small amounts at a time and lots of pulling and pushing to free branches. Took a lot longer with two of us, about 50ft long, 8ft heigh, and 5ft wide. They're not my favourite hedges to work on, but it's what pays the bills.
The main thing to remember when reducing conifer hedges is the amount of waste, you can end up with loads of it! I usually use a combination of a silky saw and a long reach pole pruner/chainsaw. I do try to avoid them as I work on my own and they can quickly turn into a huge job because they get so wide.Also remember it's bird nesting season and thick conifers can easily hide the nests, it's better to leave it until later in the year if possible