Should I buy bare-rooted or pot grown?
Bare-rooted and root-balled trees are grown directly in the ground and must
be dug up before they can be sold. They inevitably lose some of their root system during this
process which causes poor growth or at worst death. To prevent these problems we grow and supply all our
Leylandii and Thuja in pots.
When is the best time of year to plant them?
You can successfully plant Leylandii and Thuja at any time of year so long as you remember
to water them during any hot or dry spells during their first growing season.
What size should I buy?
We specialise in smaller trees because they establish
themselves more rapidly, take less looking after and can catch up with larger ones that were planted at the
same time. They are quicker and easier to plant. If
you buy larger trees they will need extra care until they are established, such as staking, feeding and regular
watering. They are more expensive to buy and to look after. Planting also requires
more work.
How fast do they grow?
Green Leylandii grow about 3ft in height per year.
Gold Leylandii grow slightly less at around 2ft 6in per year. However, gold Leylandii tend to bush out more and create a denser
hedge quicker than green Leylandii, although they take slightly longer to reach the same height. Our gold Leylandii are "Castlewellan"
which is the fastest growing of the gold varieties. Thuja are
slightly slower growing at 2ft per year but fill in quickly due to their dense foliage.
How far apart should I plant them?
If you want a dense hedge as quickly as possible plant Leylandii
18in to 24in apart. If you want a taller Leylandii hedge (5 metres or higher) then plant them 24in to 36in apart so they do
not end up competing with each other for water, light and soil nutrients. Thujas have a more columnar growth habit and should
be planted 12in to 18in apart for smaller hedges or 18in to 24in apart for hedges over 3 metres high.
How do I plant them?
Dig a hole a bit bigger than the rootball. Mix the
soil you've dug out with some multi-purpose compost and preferably add some controlled release fertiliser such as Osmocote.
Put a layer of this in the bottom of the hole. Remove the plant pot and sit the tree in the hole, the top of the
rootball should be about level with the ground. Fill the gaps around the sides with more of the soil/compost/Osmocote mixture
and firm it down. Give it a good watering.
Will they need staking?
All our trees are perfectly happy with just a cane for support,
unlike larger trees which may require staking, especially in exposed windy locations.
Do I need to keep watering them?
This depends largely on when you plant them. When planted in Autumn/Winter they
may not need regular watering unless they are in an exposed position where the wind can cause them to lose moisture. If you
plant in Spring/Summer they will need watering during any dry spells. In either case once they've had a full
growing season they will look after themselves.
Can I keep them small/narrow?
Contrary to popular belief Leylandii and Thuja are very easy to keep at
any size you like. Just cut back any long shoots when they become wider or taller than you want. This
will keep the hedge at the desired size and encourage side shoots to increase the density of the hedge.
How often should I trim them?
Once a year is sufficient to keep your hedge at any size you choose.
A lighter trim twice a year will keep it looking good all year round. It is a simple job that can be done with either garden
shears or an electric hedge trimmer.
Are Cypress aphids a problem?
We've grown 100,000's of trees over more than a decade and have
not seen a single Cypress aphid. We supply hundreds of customers throughout the UK every year and none of them has reported
any incidence of aphids.
