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 far can you cut back a laurel hedge?
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.
When should I cut my laurels back hard?
The best time to cut the plants back is in early Spring, well before the hedge is coming into growth (but provided the weather is not cold and frosty, if it is then wait until conditions improve).
How many times a year should you cut a laurel hedge?
A laurel hedge only needs trimming once a year. The best time to prune is late spring or early summer.
What is the best month to cut a laurel hedge? – Related Questions
Can I prune laurel in October?
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 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.
How many times a year can you cut hedges?
Formative pruning is usually carried out in winter or early spring. After this, maintenance trimming is carried out, usually once a year for informal hedges and twice a year for formal hedges. Some formal hedges may need three cuts a year. Maintenance trimming is generally carried out between spring and summer.
Does cutting laurel encourage growth?
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 do you maintain a laurel hedge?
Once you’ve planted your laurel hedging plants, you need to make sure they get enough water to keep them alive and growing well. Usually plants only need watering from March to October. During the winter months, they use less water and normally get enough from the rain.
How do you prune an overgrown laurel hedge?
Can you cut a hedge back too far?
Trimming hedges can be a tranquil and relaxing task. One that we enjoy in warmer weather and that keeps out hedges healthy and strong. However, it is possible for you to trim your hedge too much, and when this happens you run the risk of killing your hedge or causing permanent damage.
What kills laurel bushes?
Use a concentrated herbicide containing glyphosate or metsulfuron as the active ingredient if applying in late summer and early fall well before the threat of frost.
Can you cut a laurel hedge with a hedge cutter?
You can trim your laurel with shears, secateurs or a hedge trimmer. Many books will tell you to use secateurs because laurels have large leaves and the cut edges left by a hedge trimmer will leave them looking unkempt.
How long does it take for a laurel hedge to establish?
If left untrimmed, the hedging will reach this height in around 20-50 years. The shrubs can spread up to around 8m, so you need to take this into account when planting. Place Laurel plants in the ground with spacing of around half a metre between them.
Is a laurel hedge easy to maintain?
Prunus laurocerasus Rotundifolia will grow into a dense, bushy hedge but there’s no need to worry about the growth getting out of hand as this species is fairly low maintenance, only requiring a trim once a year. It is easy to maintain a neat hedge at around 1.5m to 2.0m.
What is the lifespan of a laurel?
It has a life span of approximately 50 years. Laurel Oak thrives in either full sun or partial shade. It grows in upland, sandhill, and dune areas with dry, well-drained, and sandy soils; it is also tolerant of wet and periodically flooded conditions.
How tall should a laurel hedge be?
Cherry Laurel is an easy hedge to transplant, and you can have a quick, evergreen hedge, by buying the plants at 5 foot to 6 foot tall. If you plant the smaller plants, and you maintain them well, they can grow from about 18 inches tall, to being a 4 to 5 foot hedge, in 3 seasons of growth.
Why do laurels go brown?
Frost damage during the winter months can cause brown patches on established Laurels of all types and is usually at its worst when there is a very cold wind with no protective cover of snow to protect the winter foliage.