Leylandii hedge not growing.

[WJT]

I know there is another thread with someone wishing to cut one(hedge)down but we want to grow one! [Www]

We had a Leylandii hedge planted December 07 and they are just not growing properly after a year and a half and many have died. I know all of the reasons why many people don't like them and in fact this was discussed here on the forum before we planted them. But can anyone give me advice on how to save them?

There are about 80 in total and spent a lot of money on them and need to save them and have them grow as quick and high as possible. They are not near our house or any other house but are needed. Any advice most welcome. Thank you in advance.[:)]

[cricri]

Treat them as you would your plants. Water and feed them. Hedges are always neglected. I have a clay and stoney soil and plants/trees can take 3-4 years to get settled. Leylandii have roots near the suface and can dry out very quickly during the dry summers. In 2003 we lost a lot of hedge due to the drought. Now have laural instead. [:D]

Terry

[Hester]

My hedge planted in Sept 2005 when the trees were very small seemed to be growing well until I pruned it for the first time last Autumn.  I thought that Leylandii were tough as old boots but they have all started to go brown and branches are falling off.

I bought some special crystals from the garden centre (there are lots of products that are specifically for conifers) and watered them in.  Then I cut out as much of the brown as I could, though I only have twenty trees. There is quite a lot of new growth but I think that some of it is still starting to turn brown, it's very frustrating!

I researched on the internet and they are prone to a form of canker for which "effective chemical control is not available" so I am crossing my fingers that they will recover.  Regards Hester.

[WJT]

They are a good distance from the house so would be very difficult to water but with all of the rain we have been having lately I don't think that is the problem at the moment. I felt that they probably need something because the holes are quite shallow and the soil same as yours Cricri, very poor and stony.

I like you Hester thought they were meant to be very sturdy and wouldn't need much looking after. We did have to put netting around them last year because the deer starting eating them and now many just seem to be dying. I assume by your statement Cricri about the roots being shallow the fact that the holes they were put in weren't very deep wouldn't be a problem? By the way, when they were planted they were all around 80cm high.

I just hope adding fertiliser will do the trick.Thank you for the responses, good luck with yours Hester.