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.
Where do you prune laurel?
Cut back one-third of your flowering shoots.
To make things easier, count your laurel boughs in groups of 3. Prune back every branch that lands on the number 3.
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.
When should laurel be pruned? – Related Questions
How can I increase my laurel growth?
Use a Fertiliser
Using fertiliser is a great way to encourage laurel growth. Established laurels grow better with the help of balanced fertilisers such as Rootgrow fertiliser, whereas new laurels struggling to establish and grow prefer a natural, organic fertiliser such as Bonemeal.
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 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.
When should you not cut a laurel hedge?
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.
How much can you cut back 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.
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.
Why is my laurel hedge not growing?
Although laurel are very quick growers they don’t start growing properly until they have established themselves. This can take a year before they are comfortable. As with the other advice above, don’t feed anymore but keep them well watered. It takes a while to establish a good hedge as a barrier.
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 long does it take for a laurel hedge to regrow?
Here are the expected growth rates for the different types: Laurel, Bay – slow growing – 15/30cm per year. Laurel, Caucasica – fast growing – 30/60cm per year. Laurel, Common – fast growing – 30/60cm per year.
How long does laurel take 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.
How often do you water laurels?
Ongoing care for your laurel hedge
Your hedge will need plenty of water for the first two weeks so make sure you water them at least every other day or set up a continuous watering system.
How can I make my hedges grow faster?
To make your hedges grow quickly, water them quickly during the first year of growth. Water well near the roots to give the plants sufficient hydration.
Does pruning stimulate growth?
Pruning stimulates growth closest to the cut in vertical shoots; farther away from cuts in limbs 45° to 60° from vertical. Pruning generally stimulates regrowth near the cut (Fig. 6). Vigorous shoot growth will usually occur within 6 to 8 inches of the pruning cut.
When should you not trim 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.
Does trimming a bush make it grow faster?
Pruning shrubs or trees helps to stimulate and encourage new growth and gets rid of branches that are either dead or dying. It also helps shape plants and revitalizes them, keeping them healthy.
Does trimming a hedge make it grow thicker?
Hedges are formed from upward growing plants, so to encourage a thick hedge the growth tips need to be removed. This encourages the laterals to develop. And clipping the laterals encourages them to also become dense with foliage.