Pleached Trees Advice

[Byker28i]

We've conifers at the back of the garden, which the builders put in about 40 years ago when the house was built. They've run away with us living away for 6 years, but I've cut the height right down, but they are about 2m deep and of course drain all the moisture out the garden. There's 5 trees and two variegated bushes that get massive also.

I'm thinking of taking them down to recover some garden, but I'd like to retain some privacy to the garden behind which is about 2 feet lower, so was thinking of replacing them with pleached trees.

No idea what state the fence is in behind and if taking the trees out would mean a new fence as well. It could be one tree is used as a fence support as it's tight on it.

Is this a good idea with pleached trees? Anyone taken conifers out and whats the effort required? Will a sump grinder do it?
Could I leave 3 feet of so of a trunk if required as a fence support and it won't try to grow?

With pic

[Byker28i]

Next door has three massive trees that they crop every couple of years so don't need much height. What would be a good everygreen tree that wouldn't come out far but would be a screen?

There's 5 conifers there currently, two varigated bushes, along a 15m fence. Thoughts on how many pleached trees and variety?

Edited by Byker28i on Tuesday 29th July 10:03

[Byker28i]

No, nothing from the PH experts?

Time to get a tree specialist in then.

[JoshSm]

There's websites full of the things if you want an idea of size and price.

Personally I'd think twice about buying pleached ones, it involves extra cost to buy them then extra work to keep them that way.

Could just buy reasonable sized regular trees (they arent that expensive) then left them grow out at the top & trim them yourself if you want the bare trunks. Most of them grow pretty rapidly.

[Byker28i]

Thanks, I guess the other option is to add height with trellice or something then grow talk planted part of the planting

[JoshSm]

Trellis isn't a bad idea to add height though the planning limits on ultimate height aren't any different than you could do with a solid fence - could maybe get creative with plant support wire though. And while stuff to grow on the trellis gets going quite quickly it inevitably starts very small and takes a year or three to reach any scale.

At least with trees like beech or whatever you can buy an 8' one straight off. It's only the proper big stuff where it really gets pricy.

[Jeremy-75qq8]

We removed many conifers when we bought our plot and replaced with 3m laurel. You can't see anything through it now. It is evergreen.

[Byker28i]

Thanks, all good ideas. I need what ever is forthcoming as I think those trees have to go now.