I've got three Leylandii trees at the bottom of my garden that are in need of some trimming. They vary in size, the largest much be around 20ft tall and the two smaller ones are probably around 12 - 15ft in height.

Are there any general rules of best way to trim / top these? Before i start butchering them around!

I'd like to reduce the height to around 10ft, and thin out the spread a little.

Also what is the best method of trimming them? I'm guessing thin out the sides as much as possible first and then use a ladder against the tree to attack the very top.

Whilst i'd love to rip these out completely they do offer a degree of privacy and probably look nicer than a 6ft fence, plus the neighbour seems to quite like the privacy from nearby flats from looking into his garden.

When you take the tops out they grow sideways more so you have to trim that back every year. The other thing is that you cannot trim a branch back past the green growth as it will never grow back. I use petrol hedge clippers to trim the sides. I had a bloke in to top them out and he climbed up inside the trees and cropped them from the inside so to speak. Bloody nuisance and they produce a lot of green waste.

DWD

Will topping them stop them growing upwards? Or will new growth start upwards? It looks like the trees have split before ie each tree has 2 distinct tops.

The worst thing about these is if they were kept at a reasonable height i really would'nt mind them, but these have got so tall and someone has trimmed the bottom so for the first 4-5ft there is no growth, and therefore little privacy after from the neighbours patchy hedge, but the higher part provides perfect privacy!

They don't seem too bushy at the moment but i don't mind annual trimming if needs be, i just think if i let them get any taller they won't be manageable for me to trim.

They grow new shoots upwards which are easy to trim to keep to your height. All the energy goes into the existing branches which grow out to make it bushier. If you can get them to a height that is reachable it makes it easier to control with loppers and clippers.

Laurels are a much better screening bush but they take a few years to get going. I have some that are 12 foot high now and they went in as one foot high shrubs eight years ago.

DWD

Two of the three successfully reduced to approx 10ft, they were probably actually 20ft tall in the end! The one remaining one is probably 30ft but the neighbour is going to chop that one down to size and dispose of for me!

Just need to get all the rubbish to the tip now!

Its amazing the difference it makes in the garden even though they blocked no light to my garden the garden looks and feels bigger.

Sounds good. Yes, a lot of waste to dispose of

DWD