When planting leyland cypress trees, it is important to space them correctly. If you space your leylands too close, it may stunt the growth or starve the roots of nutrients. This could leave the trees more susceptible to diseases. If you plant them too far, you may not get the privacy results you want, or it may take longer to achieve the privacy.
To determine the appropriate spacing for your leylandii trees, you must first decide on your ultimate goal. Are you growing them for privacy? Do you want to grow a hedge? Or do you want them to reach a tall height and tower into the sky? Decide on your goals, and you can plant them appropriately.
In addition to spacing, regular pruning is important to maintain the hedge appearance. Leylands require 1-3 prunings a year when shaped as a hedge.
Leyland Cypress Spacing for Hedges: How to Space Leyland Cypress Trees for Hedging
To grow leyland cypress trees as a landscaping hedge, you should space them 3-6 feet apart (on center). The hedge spacing should depend on 1 main factor: How quickly you want it to form into a hedge.
For a quick hedge, plant them 3 feet apart. However, you can easily obtain a hedge at longer spacing distances (up to 6 feet), but it will take longer to acheive the hedge shape. Leylands bush out and have a very dense foliage.
At a space of about 3 feet, the leyland will grow into a nice hedge in approximately 2-3 years. The hedge will improve in thickness and height over time. At spaces greater than 3 feet, it could take 3-4 years to achieve a hedge.
Leyland Cypress Spacing for Privacy Screens and Windbreaks
When planting leyland cypress trees for a privacy screen or windbreak, space them 4-15 feet apart. Your spacing should depend on a couple of factors: How quickly you want privacy, and how tall you want the leylands to grow.
If you want privacy within 2-4 years, then plant the leylands at a spacing of 4-6 feet. At this spacing, it is best to keep the leylands at a height of 15 feet or less.
In contrast, longer spacings will require up to 3-10 years for them to grow together with a dense screen. At the longer spacing, you can easily allow the leyland to achieve a height of 15-40 feet.
Leyland Cypress Spacing for Ultimate Growth and Maturity
Leyland Cypress trees can grow up to 50-75 feet tall and approximately 25 feet wide. In order to achieve its full potential, the leyland should be spaced as far as possible from surrounding trees. Ideally, space the leylands at least 25 feet away from all other trees. However, the leyland may still reach a towering height even if they are spaced closer than 25 feet.