Replacing a Leland Cyprus

We lost a beautiful 30'+ leland yesterday during the ice storm. It completely uprooted. We do not have the means to stand it again as it would require a come along and would have to be pulled from the opposite side which is a fenced neighbor's yard. There is no way we can save this tree so am wondering what we can replace it with that is fast growing?
We planted the cyprus about 25 years ago and it has grown to provide wonderful privacy from the neighbor's view. Unfortunately we don't have another 25 years to await growth to provide cover now at our age.
Any suggestions on a really fast growing evergreen that might get at least 12' in a couple years?
Thanks,
Candee

I am thinking Thuga 'Green Giant' Arborvitae?

Why not replace it with the same thing? I'm not sure you'd be gaining anything by switching to a Green Giant.

Do you need 365 day screening or just during the summer?

This message was edited Feb 6, 2014 12:56 PM

We have more shade down there now than we did when we planted the young trees so am a bit afraid there won't be enough sun for a small cyprus? We planted a whole row of them 25+ years ago and they had plenty of sun, but not so much now that the others are grown?
And I heard that Green Giants can do better with less sun and grow 3'+ a year?

Yeah, that would be good then. Either way you could have the same problem down the line if another storm like this happens...it's just the nature of the beast.

Leyland Cypress ;-)

This is a common problem, as they are usually sold pot-bound with coiled roots by nurseries. This makes for a weak point in the roots very liable to fail in later life when the trees are large enough to catch the wind.

When replanting a new specimen, it is important to make sure that the roots are uncoiled and spread out when planted - this applies just as much to 'Green Giant' or other plants, as it does to Leyland Cypress.

Resin

Many years ago on The Victory Garden they replaced a Leyland cypress hedge with arborvitae after a heavy snow broke most of the limbs. Something to consider.

Lots of good information thanks everyone. We have some time until spring, but leaning toward arborvitae and will spread the roots this time.

Haighr, I just drove through MD on Thursday and saw all the tree damage. I'm sorry for your loss and everyone else that lost trees.

Resin...incredibly important info for anything growing in a pot, but especially critical for trees. The specimen doesn't even need to pot-bound to continue to grow in a circular pattern once the roots hit the constraints of a pot.

Deep watering less often is better than often shallow watering for the first year after planting, this also encourages a deeper, more robust root system...every little bit helps.

Four years ago when I planted our Blue Atlas Cedar it was in a 15 gallon pot and heavy as all get out. I was planting it by myself and way more ignorant about plants back then than I am now. It had circling roots but I didn't cut them or anything. It's grown nicely since but I hope everything under the soil is doing well.

I've seen the root system girdling itself after the demise of a Rhododendron from someone that just planted as is. True; the more pot-bound the plant the more trouble you'll have down the road. There's always a possibility your Blue Atlas Cedar roots ventured out from where it was contained, I hope its the case for you anyway. 15 gallons is a good size pot, odds are in your favor.

The Leland's we planted and the one lost we dug ourselves when small from a nursery so being root bound was not a problem, just think it was I. The wrong place at wrong time when this ice hit.

Yeah, it's always a thought in the back of my head in regards to our BAC. The plus is that it's a solid tree in terms of ability to take a snow load and its pretty open aired.