Conifers planted too near border

Hi all. Recently moved into my current home and I am trying to sort out the garden. I do not have much experience at gardening and I have a problem with the neighbours conifers. They seem to have been planted too near the border and have been left to just grow and grow. They must be at least 40 feet high and the trunks have actually grown past the boundary and onto our side. The trunks are bare from the ground up to about 8ft so do not provide any privacy. I have spoken to the neighbour who does not want to remove them and is reluctant to trim the height. My question is, is there anything I can plant which will grow to about 6ft which will at least give us some privacy. I am worried that things will not grow there because of the roots of the conifers and the shade. I do not want to put a fence up as I would not be able to treat it on the neighbours side and not sure if it would be stable anyway because of the roots. Any suggestions would be gratefully received.

 

Thanks for the reply. I will try the climbers and fingers crossed they will grow. The trunks have definitely grown onto our side as they have pushed the flimsy border wire fence out of shape. I am trying not to fall out with them if I can find a solution to the privacy issue. I will trim the branches back which are on our side.
Thanks once again for the advice

 

I have a similar problem at the end of my garden.

I think the law stinks that it is the person being invaded by the troublesome trees that has to foot the expense

 

Im in the same boat. We are going to trim hard any overhanging branches to allow in light and air to dry the lawn.
We could go down the border dispute legal route but then the only winner is the feral lawyers.
You could always hammer in a few iron nails into the trunk or roots as this is meant to be a way of killing the tree.Not something im going to do but its an option?

 

My advice to the 3 of you is to report the hedges to your local councils. They should then issue demands for the trees to be reduced to a reasonable height. The law on conifer hedges changed last year.

 

Wasn't the law changed fairly recently, to say a row of closely planted trees constitutes a hedge, and is therefore subject to local bylaws on hedges. The national guidelines being that hedges over 8ft need planning permission?

Regardless, the law says it's trespass. You can cut off anything on your side, as long as you offer the pieces back (otherwise it's theft).

At my last house, I dug a trench to a depth of about 4ft all along the boundary, cutting off all roots in encountered. Stuff grew after I'd done that.

 

I'd look at it a different way..to turn the situation to your advantage.

The trunks are bare up to 8ft and a portion of the trunk is on your side of the boundary - why not use the trunks as supports and install some willow screening?

Fence panels last a fair few years - treat them before you install then (if you don't want willow screening) - in any case it looks like they will be on your land so you can remove and re treat them as you see fit.

This will provide instant privacy; the means to support climbers etc. and avoid any conflict with the neighbours.

A couple of screws to hold up the panels/screening, won't harm trees.

It sounds like you neighbour also values privacy - so they would probably be quite pleased if you blocked up the bottom of the trees.

There's more than one way to skin a cat as they say (sorry Alfie!)

 

Just one snag with that idea clanless, Mrsc doesn`t own the trees. If she were to fix anything to the trees it could, possibly, be construed as causing criminal damage.

 

My understanding is that any branches etc which flop over onto your neighbours property can be lopped off and chucked back over the fence. I'm sure a couple of screws into the trunk, which can't be seen, won't be considered malicious damage.

Taking it to the extreme :rasp:- are you entitled to shave off a couple of inches from the side of the trunk and hand that back to the neighbours?

What do you think mrsc?