Laurel can be trimmed or pruned to the height you require and, if it grows too big, it can be cut back as hard as you like – right back to the stump if necessary – and it will re-grow quickly into a new hedge.
Should I prune laurel bushes?
Yes, prune it hard back in late spring or early summer and it will re-shoot quickly. You can reduce the height and width of all types of laurel. Don’t prune it back hard if the soil is very dry or the weather is very hot.
What is the best month to cut a laurel hedge?
To encourage laurel growth, trim the hedge in July or August. But bare in mind that this hedge has large, tough leaves and is best trimmed using secateurs. Pruning of Laurel hedges can be performed at any time up until the end of summer. However, it’s best done in spring.
How do you thicken laurel bushes?
To prune laurel to encourage growth, we’d recommend trimming the branches and cutting them back several times a year (depending on how fast it grows) by up to a quarter. This makes the bush come back bushier and thicker than before more rapidly.
How far back can you cut a laurel bush? – Related Questions
Can I prune laurel in September?
Laurel hedges may be trimmed at any time during the season but its best to avoid the coldest months of the year as the cut edges may be susceptible to frost damage. Many text books advise trimming Laurel hedging plants with secateurs to avoid cut edges to the large leaves, it really isn’t necessary.
When should I cut my laurel back hard?
Late spring or early summer is the best time to trim most hedges including laurel and leylandii hedges. You can prune a laurel hedge with secateurs – which is not as labour-intensive as it sounds – or with a hedgetrimmer.
How can I make my bushes grow thicker?
Young shrubs should be pruned lightly to make them grow fuller and bushier. With hand pruners, trim long, unbranched stems by cutting just above a healthy bud. This type of pruning, called heading, encourages lower side branches to develop and enhances the shrub’s natural form.
How do you encourage a hedge to thicken?
Formative pruning
- On planting, cut back leading shoots and side shoots by one-third, cutting to a well-placed bud.
- Repeat this in the second winter to prevent straggly growth and thicken up the hedge base.
What is the best fertilizer for laurel?
When you are planting a new Laurel hedge we always recommend using bone meal, this is a natural organic fertiliser that should be well mixed with the soil. One kilo of bone meal will be sufficient for a 15 metres of hedge planting.
How do you thicken a thin hedge?
How to Grow Thicker Hedges, Techniques and Tips
- Plant Your Hedges at the Appropriate Time.
- Provide Adequate Care to Your Hedges.
- Prepare the Soil for Your Hedges.
- Provide Proper Spacing to Your Hedges.
- Prune Your Hedges Properly.
- Give Established Hedges a Specific Trim.
- Use the Right Tools to Trim Your Hedges.
Will hedges grow back if you cut them down?
Remove up to one-third of the thickest stems down at the base of the plant, stimulating new growth; repeat the next year, and the year after. This will leave you with a healthier shrub that’s reduced in size.
How do you fill a gap in a hedge?
The narrow gap can be easily hidden with the branches of neighboring plants in the hedge. To do this, you just need to tilt the shoots, tie them to sticks and pegs, place supports, directing individual branches so that neighboring plants close and eventually close the hole.
How do you fix a sparse hedge?
Pull back the outer branches to access the inner growth pattern and structure of the hedge. Step 2: Remove any dead and diseased plant material. Step 3: Nominate poor performing and affected branches and cut them back hard. Ideally, make these cuts where healthy shoots join the branch.
How do you revive dying laurels?
The Laurel hedge plants can be trimmed, removing the affected leaves, or you could treat the plants with a mildew fungicide, in all honesty neither is necessary as the plants will recover on their own.
When should you not cut hedges?
We recommend avoiding hedge cutting during the main breeding season for nesting birds, which usually runs throughout March to August each year. This can be weather dependent and some birds may nest outside this period, so it is important to always check carefully for active nests prior to cutting.
When should a hedge be cut back hard?
Late winter or very early spring is best, to avoid trimming the hedge during its peak growing season. Always try to cut a hedge back after the flowering season. Getting the timing right will ensure that when you do cut the hedge, the shape will remain visible for longer.
Can you cut hedges in October?
The right time to trim a hedge
Best is to wait for these growth periods to slow down, so that the shape you give them will stay for a longer period of time. Consequently, from the shrub’s point of view, hedges need trimming in April-May and September-October.
What month should you trim bushes?
Winter is usually the best time.
Dormant pruning is usually done in late winter, six to 10 weeks before the average last frost in your area. You can prune shrubs at any time of year if it’s necessary—for example, to remove broken branches or dead or diseased wood, or to remove growth that is obstructing a walkway.
Is it better to trim hedges in spring or fall?
Late winter to early spring or mid- to late summer are some of the best times to prune hedges more drastically.
Can I trim shrubs in September?
Pruning shrubs in August or early September may encourage a late flush of growth. This new growth may not harden sufficiently before the arrival of cold weather and be susceptible to winter injury.