Can Leylandii be cut back into old brown wood in Ramsgate?

No. Leylandii (Cupressocyparis leylandii) does not regenerate from old brown wood. If you cut back to wood that has lost its green foliage, that area stays brown permanently. This is the single most important practical constraint on Leylandii maintenance: every trim must stay in the green zone. A hedge that has not been trimmed for two or more growing seasons may already be at a height where bringing it down to a manageable profile means cutting into brown wood, at which point the usual option is a staged reduction over several seasons, keeping every cut within green growth. Thuja plicata is generally more forgiving of hard cutting than Leylandii, but you should not rely on it regrowing from bare wood, so keep cuts in green growth where you can. That makes it the more forgiving long-term choice for gardens where annual trimming cannot be guaranteed.

Which conifer hedge handles North Sea salt exposure better in a Ramsgate garden?

Thuja plicata (Western Red Cedar) handles North Sea salt exposure better than Leylandii. Neither species is suitable for a directly exposed seafront or cliff-top frontage without an outer windbreak of tougher species such as olearia, tamarisk or griselinia; both are inland or sheltered garden conifers in the Ramsgate context. On a moderately exposed site, set back from the cliff edge or protected by a wall or building, Thuja plicata is usually the more resilient of the two. Leylandii is susceptible to salt-wind scorch on its outer leading faces, and damaged tips on a hedge that cannot regenerate from old wood become a permanent management problem.

How fast does Leylandii grow compared to Thuja plicata in Thanet?

Leylandii is one of the fastest-growing hedging conifers, putting on up to around a metre a year. Thuja plicata 'Atrovirens' grows more slowly, roughly half to two-thirds of that pace. The difference is meaningful in practice: Leylandii reaches screen height sooner but needs two or three trims a year to stay manageable, while Thuja plicata stays manageable on a single main trim. Thanet is one of the sunnier parts of England, so both grow well in a warm summer, which reinforces the case for choosing Thuja if you want a hedge that stays manageable on an annual trim cycle.

When is the right time to trim Leylandii and Thuja plicata in Ramsgate?

Leylandii should be trimmed twice or three times per year in Ramsgate to control its growth rate: a first trim in late May to June once the main spring growth flush has hardened, and a second trim in late August to mid-September before the cut ends are exposed to autumn cold. A third light tidy in July is worthwhile on vigorous hedges. The window must close by mid-September; a late trim leaves new soft growth exposed to cold damage. Thuja plicata is best trimmed in August as a single main cut: the August window allows the cut tips to harden before the first frosts while avoiding the main spring growth flush. A light spring tidy in May is optional on hedges growing vigorously. Both species' trim windows fall within the guidance nesting window (1 March to 31 August, RSPB and GOV.UK), so a visual nest check before any work starts is how you avoid committing an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

← All guides · Species choice · Updated September 2026

Leylandii vs Thuja plicata hedge: which conifer screen suits a Ramsgate garden?

Q: Which costs less to look after, Leylandii or Thuja plicata?

Thuja plicata usually costs less to look after, because it grows more slowly and needs one main cut a year, while Leylandii needs two or three visits a year to control its growth. A routine hedge cut typically costs £120 to £400 depending on length, height, species and access, and I quote a fixed price after seeing photos. Leylandii that has been left to get tall costs more again, because it needs platform access or a staged reduction.

Leylandii is one of the fastest-growing hedging conifers; Thuja plicata grows more slowly. The faster species wins the first three years and then requires two to three trimming visits a year to stay manageable. The slower species needs one. The difference that matters most, though, is not the growth rate: it is that Leylandii does not regenerate from old brown wood, and Thuja plicata does.

FastLeylandii growth rate

ModerateThuja plicata growth rate

2-3xLeylandii trims needed per year

1-2xThuja plicata trims needed per year

Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, s.1: nesting season

It is an offence to intentionally or recklessly damage or destroy a wild bird's nest while it is in use or being built. The accepted guidance window (RSPB, GOV.UK) runs 1 March to 31 August; the Act itself sets no dates. Both Leylandii and Thuja plicata trimming windows include months within this period. A competent visual check for active nests before any work starts is how you avoid committing the offence. Both species have dense evergreen canopies that attract nesting birds: goldcrests, wrens and dunnocks are regular occupants of conifer hedges from late March onwards. If active nests with eggs or unfledged chicks are found, defer the cut. Cutting outside the nesting season (September onwards for the main annual work) removes this constraint entirely.

Leylandii: the case for and against

Leylandii (Cupressocyparis leylandii) is a bigeneric hybrid of Monterey cypress and Nootka cypress. It is the fastest-establishing conifer screen available in UK nurseries, a quality that explains its ubiquity in Thanet gardens planted from the 1970s through to the early 2000s. Planted small, it reaches screen height far sooner than slower conifers.

That growth rate is also the source of every problem Leylandii generates. Left untrimmed, it adds many metres of height per decade. The practical ceiling before management becomes a specialist job sits at around 3-4 m for most residential Ramsgate plots. Above that height, the trim window tightens, the number of required visits stays at two to three per year, and the risk of accidentally cutting into brown wood on the inner face rises with every centimetre added.

The old-wood rule: the fundamental constraint

Unlike most broadleaf hedging plants, Leylandii will not regenerate from old brown wood. Cut into a section of the hedge that has lost its green foliage, and that area remains brown. The hedge does not push new growth from bare wood the way yew, hornbeam or even Thuja plicata will. This means every Leylandii trim must stay within the green zone: the outer layer of current-season growth. A hedge that goes more than one season without a trim is already at risk of the inner brown zone becoming the only realistic cut-back point.

On a Ramsgate plot where the hedge has reached 5-6 m without regular trimming, the options are a staged reduction over two to three years (reducing in small steps each year to stay in green wood) or removal and replanting. The staged Leylandii reduction guide covers that process in detail. The point here is that Leylandii's old-wood rule is not a minor management note: it constrains every decision about the hedge from the day of planting.

Coastal exposure

Leylandii is not a front-line coastal plant in the Ramsgate context. On an exposed cliff-top or seafront plot without a windbreak, salt-laden easterlies scorch the outer foliage, and because Leylandii cannot regenerate from that scorched wood, the damage is permanent. The hedge then either holds a brown outer face for years or requires a side of the hedge to be stripped back, leaving an asymmetric profile. For sheltered inland Thanet positions (the town centre gardens, East Cliff rear plots, West Cliff gardens protected by the built terrace) Leylandii performs reliably. For moderately exposed positions, Thuja plicata is the more resilient choice.

The Leylandii annual trimming guide covers the September deadline and what drives the price.

Thuja plicata: the case for and against

Thuja plicata 'Atrovirens' (Western Red Cedar) is the most-planted conifer screen that is not Leylandii in the UK. Its glossy, dark-green, scale-like foliage has a faint fruity scent when cut, and unlike Leylandii it maintains a dense habit from ground to top without the lower browning that Leylandii develops when shaded out by its own growth.

Its growth rate is roughly half to two-thirds of Leylandii's pace. For a homeowner wanting a 2 m screen quickly, Leylandii closes that gap faster. For a homeowner who wants a 2 m screen that stays at 2 m on a single annual August trim, Thuja plicata is the more straightforward hedge to own for the following ten years.

Forgiveness of hard cutting: the practical advantage

Thuja plicata is generally more forgiving of hard cutting than Leylandii. Nursery guidance says it will push new growth after a hard cut in a way Leylandii will not, though results vary and you should not rely on it regrowing from completely bare wood. That changes the management calculus: a Thuja hedge that has been neglected for a year or two is easier to bring back down than the same job on Leylandii, which is a multi-year project.

This advantage is not unlimited. Very old, very bare sections may be slow or unable to regrow, and a hard cut of more than half of the plant's height in a single operation will set it back. Even so, the extra tolerance means an unplanned gap in the annual trim cycle is a setback rather than a crisis.

Coastal exposure

Thuja plicata handles North Sea salt exposure better than Leylandii. It is still not a front-line coastal hedge: on a directly exposed East Cliff or West Cliff frontage facing the open sea, both species need a protective outer skin of tamarix, olearia or griselinia before they will establish reliably. But on a moderately exposed position, Thuja plicata's tolerance of salt-laden wind is meaningfully better, and if salt-scorch does damage a section of foliage, it is generally more likely to recover than Leylandii.

The Thuja plicata care and trimming guide covers the August trim window and coastal position notes in more detail.

Side-by-side: the factors that decide

Factor	Leylandii	Thuja plicata 'Atrovirens'
Growth rate	Fast	Moderate
Regrows from old wood?	No. Brown stays brown.	More forgiving, but do not rely on it.
Trims required per year	2-3 (to stay in green wood)	1-2 (August main + optional May tidy)
Best main trim window	Late May-Jun, Aug-Sep (before mid-Sep)	August (single main cut)
Maximum practical height	3-4 m (brown-wood risk above this)	Taller (more forgiving of hard cutting)
Salt/wind tolerance	Moderate (sheltered positions only)	Moderate to good (handles exposure better)
Upkeep over the years	Higher: more visits, platform access as it grows	Lower: one main cut a year

The long-run cost comparison

Leylandii is usually the cheaper plant to buy and the dearer hedge to keep. It needs two or three trimming visits a year to stay in the green zone, and the cost climbs further once it is tall enough to need platform access. Thuja plicata costs a little more to plant and takes longer to reach the same height, but one main cut a year keeps it manageable, so over a handful of years the total cost of ownership is usually lower for a standard residential hedge.

A routine hedge cut typically costs £120 to £400 depending on length, height, species and access, and heavier reductions on overgrown screens run £300 to £900. I quote a fixed price after seeing photos. A taller hedge, or one where Leylandii has already reached the stage of needing specialist access, widens the gap further in Thuja plicata's favour.

Ramsgate and Thanet conditions: what changes locally

Manston averages about 1,800 hours of sunshine a year (Met Office, 1991-2020), so Thanet is one of the sunnier parts of England. Both conifers grow vigorously in a warm Thanet summer, and for Leylandii that strengthens the case for three trimming visits rather than two.

Thanet's chalk subsoil drains freely and is alkaline. Both species tolerate chalk without difficulty. The first-summer drought risk is real for both: Manston averages around 615mm of rain a year. Newly planted conifers on chalk need regular watering through dry spells in their first growing season or establishment will be patchy.

On the salt exposure question, the practical answer for any Ramsgate plot close to the coast is to position either conifer as a secondary screen, behind an outer row or belt of olearia, tamarix or griselinia that takes the direct spray. Both conifers in the sheltered secondary position will perform well; Thuja plicata will handle occasional salt wind better if the outer screen is incomplete or thin.

Which to plant: a working verdict

If you want the fastest possible screen and have a reliable annual trimming arrangement in place from planting, Leylandii delivers the height quickest. That arrangement needs to hold year after year: the old-wood constraint means there is no catching up if you miss a year.

If you want a conifer hedge that is manageable on a single annual August trim, that will tolerate an occasional missed year without permanent damage, and that tends to handle North Sea salt wind better on moderately exposed Ramsgate plots, Thuja plicata is the stronger choice. It costs a little more to plant and takes longer to reach the same height as Leylandii, but the total cost of ownership is usually lower for residential hedges and the maintenance burden is meaningfully lighter.

For the East Cliff, West Cliff and town-garden rear plots of Ramsgate and the inland Thanet villages, either species works in a sheltered position. The recommendation here is Thuja plicata for new plantings: the slower growth is not a problem in practice once you adjust the expectation from "screen by next summer" to "reliable hedge for the next twenty years."

Want this looked at?

If you have an existing Leylandii or Thuja plicata hedge that needs assessing, send a couple of photos and your postcode to hello@ramsgatehedges.co.uk or call 07763 100 477. We cover Ramsgate, the East and West Cliff, and the villages of Thanet.

Sources: RHS Thuja plicata and Cupressocyparis leylandii plant profiles (rhs.org.uk); Met Office Manston 1991-2020 climate averages; RSPB and GOV.UK nesting guidance; Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, s.1; Ramsgate Hedges & Tree Services own pricing.