Oops pictures, sorry

And from our little patio area, a head on view

Fortunately, they aren't leylands.

Unfortunately, it is a conifer screen being used in the wrong setting, and having been planted too close together.

Looks like 'Green Giant'. If you don't want it there take it out. With the close hedge style spacing it won't work to remove every other tree as the ones left will now have no foliage inside the existing outer shell. If you are going to replant soon after or don't want to look at stumps those will have to be removed, too, when the tops go.

there is no reason they can not grow together .... except your personal opinion ... ken

"there is no reason they can not grow together"

from my observations in suburbia around here...could be different in MI...the ones put too close together are sooner to have die-out at the bottom that opens up, creating visual gaps that defeat the whole purpose of the hedge in the first place. Granted I see that more with Leyland and hemlock; there aren't many hedges of Green Giant yet as it's relatively new on the scene.

OP is in Baltimore...if you decide to replace them, go to McLean Nurseries and buy some hollies which are eminently more suited to this task, can be kept at any reasonable height indefinitely AND can be cut to the ground and regenerated some day, if all else fails.

Thanks all!

...interesting that they aren't Leyland Cypress after all.

so the big reason to not let them continue to grow (after the die-out possibility, which doesn't sound lovely) is they are already getting way too big. Somewhere between 20-30' tall currently and like I mentioned, width-wise they are stretching onto neighbor's property. Mowing the lawn is getting to be a bit of a pain for him I'm sure, and his little stretch of grass that runs between his house and the trees is dwindling. Our thought process is, if something isn't done now it's only going to get more difficult later.

I suppose we could try hollies-- I've.been to McLean's and thought it a cool place... but I don't particularly like holly. So pointy! Kids run around there for hide and seek... though I guess them finding a different place to do that isn't necessarily a bad thing : )

I'll run it by the Mr though... that may be something worth checking into. I have some reading to do first, I know nothing about holly!

thanks again guys!

Nicole

Ooh really? I will, thanks!

I came across this thread, now 4 years old. njmjdkill - when I read your post I felt like I was reading my own situation to a tee. I too bought my trees as Leland Cypress but am now wondering if they are really Green Giants. Regardless, they are crazy big. with branches running into each other and encroaching on neighbors yard. I'm going to cut the bottom branches which are not producing green anyway and look bad. I think I'd like to remove them all but that will be a lot of money to remove 6 20' trees. I'm curious what you ended up doing, if you even read this.