Leyland Cypress Sunlight Requirements

Thuja Green Giant and Leyland Cypress trees will tolerate partial shade. We want to discuss the overhead Canopy, shade on one side, what is the impact of being in the South vs North can effect a shady planting site. We also will cover the symptoms of too much shade, pruning the canopy shade trees and also recommend a good substitute for shady location privacy screens.

A straight overhead canopy of shade is not the best situation for Thuja Green Giant or Leyland Cypress trees. The least desirable situation is an overhead evergreen or pine canopy, because the trees under an evergreen canopy don't even get sunlight during winter. If that is your application, don't plant there! Sometimes it cannot be avoided. For example, in Long Island and in the Hamptons area, some neighborhood have rules about what can be cut and are very strict about cutting native trees to replace with anything not native to the area. Even so, I am not recommending planting Leyland Cypress or Thuja Green Giant trees under a canopy. I have planted these varieties under a canopy that was very high and still it effects the trees.

Thuja

Northern locations tolerate shade better than southern locations if from decidious trees! If the trees bring the shade are deciduous tress, at least after those canopy trees shed their leaves, the Thuja Green Giant trees will get full sun all winter. This is more beneficial from NY and northward than in southern states, because they shed about five weeks earlier in fall than southern trees and don't green up until one month later than southern deciduous trees. On Long Island, Thuja Green Giant or Leyland Cypress trees planted under a partial canopy of scrub oaks may get full sun for seven months of winter before leaves re-appear, whereas southern states with a similar situation may only provide five months of full sun. Shade on one side of your row is normally fine, because your Leyland Cypress trees will still get the powerful straight overhead sunlight. Thuja Green Giant or Leyland Cypress trees can grow three feet per year if fertilized properly, so remember if one side of your row has shade from slower growing species, The Thuja Green Giants or Leyland Cypress will "beat out" the shading trees in most cases and eliminate the problem.

Leyland Cypress Sunlight Requirements

The main symptom of too much shade on Leyland Cypress and Thuja Green Gants is the trees thin out. At first planting if Ball and Burlap field grown trees, they will be thick at first. Over the years, shady applications will take their toll and they will thin out somewhat. The second sympom is slow growth rate. As I stated above, thinning is not caused by shade to one side, lack of straight overhead sunlight is the problem.

Providing light by pruning the offending shade trees is a great idea! If you cut limbs off an evergreen tree that is shading your Leyland Leyland Cypress row, those limbs will not grow back so it should be a one-time effort. If your arborists trim deciduous trees like Oaks, Maple trees, it is more likely to require trimming again at a later date. If the limbs on deciduous trees are cut all the way back to the trunk, on the side that shades your Leyland Cypress trees you may solve it completely. The advice here is do the tree surgery overhead before you plant the privacy hedge beneath. The arborist will probably be able to let the limbs to fall if it is done before installing the Thuja Green Giant row, but if you wait till after planting, the arborist will likely have to rope the branches down to avoid damage on your privacy screen below.

A good substite variety is Nellie Stevens Hollies for shady applications. Also remember, when you plant in a mature woodland, the trees nearby not only steal sunlight but will have established root systems that will compete with your new plants for moisture.

Leyland Cypress Sunlight Requirements

Leyland Cypress Vs Thuja Green Giant For Privacy Screens

Leyland Cypress and Thuja Green Giant are the most popular privacy screen trees because they are the two fastest growing evergreen trees, are inexpensive compared to other evergreens, and also they do not shed lots of needles like Pine trees do. The fast growing attribute translates into less expensive purchase price. You will likely pay less for a 12 foot Leyland Cypress or Thuja Green Giant than a Norway Spruce because they did not need to cared for as long in the growers care. Both varieties can grow three feet per year if fertilized properly.

One of advantages of Thuja Green Giant trees is deer resistance. While deer don't eat Thuja Green Giant, they really don't like Leyland Cypress that much either. All the locations we grow Leylands we also grow Green Giants, deer are very plentiful and never eat any of them. There are woods and fields nearby, it is urban deer with no other food that eat these trees. They only damage smaller trees anyway, 6 foot tall and smaller. Another advantage of Thuja Green Giant over Leyland Cypress is Green Giants are cold hardy through hardiness zone 5, which includes mainland NY state, Maine, Northern CT, Mass, etc. Leylands are safe through hardiness zone 6, all of Long Island, southern Mass, CT, etc.

Thuja

There are many websites available where you can enter your zip-code and find your hardiness zone. If you see Leylands growing in your area, that is obviously the answer that they do well in your area. One tip is if you are on the northern border of any evergreen tree's growing range, it is more important that you plant in spring because the first winter should find them partially established, or rooted. We recommend if you are north of Virginia, not to plant Leyland Cypress trees after October 15th. Almost every year, we ship a load or two after that date to Long Island and they have good success but do not plant into November and also you can expect some wind-burn on Leyland Cypress trees planted in late fall. This is usually not a big problem, the following spring I like to trim off the outer 2" if that is how much has browned, apply slow release fertilizer around April 1, and they will push out new growth and be fine. Winter burn is not about greenery that froze to become brown, it is due to the tree not being able to send enough moisture to support the greenery during winter when the ground was frozen, leaving the outer edge of the greenery brown. Feel free to call or email for locations where we have repeat Leyland Cypress customers, like Fairfield CT, etc.

Leyland Cypress Vs Thuja Green Giant For Privacy Screens

I disagree with an opinion a few have that Thuja Green Giant are much less susceptible to insects and diseases. Where I have Leylands and Green Giants growing side by side, I see that Bagworms are attracted to both trees. It is true that Leyland Cypress can develop a disease called Seiridium Canker, that does not seem to attack Thuja Green Giant, whenever I have heard of Seiridium Canker it only attacked extremely stressed Leyland Cypress trees, for example by planting way to close together and not topping them at the recommended height based on spacing. I have a detailed article explaining proper spacing, the zig zag pattern, etc on my website. Since Bagworms like both varieties equally, and the Leyland Cypress diseases attacks trees in extreme stress, my opinion is if Leyland Cypress are planted properly, with normal after planting care, both are excellent privacy screen trees if in zone 6 where both thrive.

Leyland Cypress Vs Thuja Green Giant For Privacy Screens

Leyland Cypress Tree Spacing Explained

Correct Leyland Cypress spacing is critical. Target height determines spacing distance. How tall do you need them to grow? If a 14' row of Leyland Cypress trees will provide the privacy screen you desire, be sure and "TOP" them when they reach that height. Actually, you must let them grow a foot or so taller than the desired height, then just clip off the main trunk, or central leader.

On evergreen trees, they will be finished growing tall, and spend all their energy thickening out. More height above what you need is a disadvantage for several reasons. The first is that if the trees need to be sprayed for Bagworms at some point, and they are taller than they need to be, it will be more difficult.

Thuja

A second disadvantage is during stress times, like a drought summer, or winter, the tree has to "decide" whether to send the moisture it does have to the upper limbs and truck or the lower limbs, it will always send the moisture to the top growth areas and starve out the lower limbs. Many people say their row of Leyland Cypress was doing fine, then "all of a sudden" this year they started showing brown on the lower needles. This is because the height reached the point relative to spacing that result in stress.

Leyland Cypress Tree Spacing Explained

The "rule of fours" is that you space trees so that the target height is no more than 4 times the spacing between the trunks. Example: You need a 20' tall row to block your neighbor's house or windows, you could space as close as 5' on center. That is provided you will follow through, and when they reach 21 or 22' tall, top them at 20' height. That means each tree will get the moisture from a 5' diameter ground area without competition from the tree beside it.

Another advantage is there will be enough room for a strong 5' diameter root system to secure a 20' tall tree against the wind. The "zig zag" pattern is a super solution if you can surrender some "width" of your property for the privacy screen. Let's take another example; a 30' tall privacy screen.

If you use the rule of 4's, and plant a single file row, you will space 8' on center, 4 times 8' spacing = 32' max target height. If choosing to start with ten' tall Leyland Cypress trees, they will be 4' wide at planting time. That will leave them with 4' of air in between each tree and waiting a long time to close together.

If you plant two parallel rows, with each at 8' on center, but staggered there will appear to be a tree every 4' you will have closure much quicker, yet still have the trees spaced for strength and low stress. In this case the first row should be 4' from the property line, and the second row should be 8' from the first.

If the planting site is tight on space, you could make the second row 6' back from the first row. One note is that the appearance of a tree every 4' is only when you are exactly perpendicular to the row. Also remember a ten foot Leyland Cypress tree may be 4 foot wide at its widest point, but also they get skinnier as they get tall.

In this situation, you still need the 8' spacing based on the rule of fours, and the" zig zag" pattern will get you closure much sooner than a straight line row. If they decided on 12 foot trees, they would be 5' wide at the widest point closure would come much quicker.

The first is that during stress times, like a drought summer, or winter, the tree has to decide whether to send the moisture it does have to the upper limbs and truck or the lower limbs. It will always send the moisture to the top growth areas and starve out the lower limbs. Many people say their row of Leyland Cypress trees were doing fine, then "all of a sudden" this year they started showing brown on the lower needles. This is because tree height reached the point relative to spacing distance that result in stress.

The "rule of fours" is that trees should be spaced so the target height needed is no more than 4 times the distance between the trunks. If you need a 20' tall row to block your neighbor's house or windows, you could space as close as 5' on center. That is provided you will follow through, and when they reach 21 or 22 feet tall, top them back to 20 foot height.

Two advantages are that: Each tree will receive the moisture from a 5' diameter ground area without competition from the tree beside it. Another benefit is a strong 5 foot diameter root system can secure a 20' tall tree against the wind.

The "zig-zag" pattern is a super solution if you can surrender some "width" of your property for the privacy screen. For example, someone needs a 30 feet tall privacy screen. If they use the rule of 4's, and plant a single file row, they should space at 8' on center, 4 times 8' spacing = 32' max target height. If you choose to start with ten foot Leyland Cypress trees, they will be 4' wide at planting time. That spacing will leave them with 4 feet of gap between each tree would take a long time to close together.

If you plant two parallel rows, each at 8 foot on center, but staggered so there will appear to be a tree every 4 foot you will have closure much quicker, yet still have the trees spaced for low moisture stress and strength. For this example the first row should be 4 feet from the property line, and the second row should be 8 feet from the first. If tight on space, you could make the second row 6' back from the first row. One note is that the appearance of a tree every 4' is only when you are exactly perpendicular to the row. Remember a ten foot Leyland Cypress tree might be 4 feet wide at its widest point, but also they get much thinner towards the tip. In this situation, you still need the 8' spacing based on the rule of fours, and the "zig zag" pattern will get you closure much sooner than a straight line row. If they decided on 12 foot trees, they would be 5' wide at the widest point closure would come much quicker. Use and distribution of this article is subject to our Publisher Guidelines whereby the original author's information and copyright must be included.

Leyland Cypress Tree Spacing Explained