Laurel Hedge - when to cut back?

Odelay

Hello,

I have a Laurel Hedge, it is fairly sheltered but needs a severe trimming, planted in 2006 and was never cut back by previous owner. I'm thinking of cutting back to old growth, about 3-4 foot to be cut off the top, 1-2 foot off the front and back.

When should I do this? I'm thinking end of Feb/early March but would like to do it sooner as it looks a mess right now and would like to sort it before new growth.

What do you think? If I cut it back will the frost affect it, or does it have to be a really hard frost like 2010? Will not be doing anything with it for the next three weeks.

Is it hardy - as in will grow back no matter what or when you cut, it will survive?

The Gardener

I've a similar job to do, not a hedge, but fairly large Laurel plants. I'll be holding off till February to avoid any chance of severe frost. Don't be afraid to prune Laurels hard, I've cut them to near ground level and they send up plenty of new shoots. If you want to get a good shape on your hedge, cut back to below the eventual height that you want your hedge to be and the resulting new growth later on in the Spring/Summer will be easier to clip.

Odelay

The Gardener wrote: »

I've a similar job to do, not a hedge, but fairly large Laurel plants. I'll be holding off till February to avoid any chance of severe frost. Don't be afraid to prune Laurels hard, I've cut them to near ground level and they send up plenty of new shoots. If you want to get a good shape on your hedge, cut back to below the eventual height that you want your hedge to be and the resulting new growth later on in the Spring/Summer will be easier to clip.

Sooo, they will spring new shoots/green leaves after a heavy trimming? Looking honestly at the hedge there will be very few leaves after I trim heavily, worried that it will look very sparse for the next 8 months. If I hit around Feb 1st should the hedge look green and fresh-ish around May? After trimming it will be around 5-6 foot tall and 3 foot wide but most likely with no/very few leaves. Will it look sick for the next four months or am I underestimating mother nature?

The Gardener

Odelay wrote: »

Sooo, they will spring new shoots/green leaves after a heavy trimming? Looking honestly at the hedge there will be very few leaves after I trim heavily, worried that it will look very sparse for the next 8 months. If I hit around Feb 1st should the hedge look green and fresh-ish around May? After trimming it will be around 5-6 foot tall and 3 foot wide but most likely with no/very few leaves. Will it look sick for the next four months or am I underestimating mother nature?

Yes, it will look sparse and being realistic you won't have a green and fresh hedge by May. But if you have patience a good hard pruning will be worth it, but it'll probably be next year before your Laurels start looking respectable. You should start seeing new shoots by early Summer and once they appear they'll grow quickly presuming growing conditions are good.

Colm R

I have an out of control Laurel as well, and I'm hoping to cut it back ASAP. I'm going to hold back until about mid Feb. Keep an eye on any long range forecasts over in the weather forum.

If there is a chance of a deep freeze, which they are hinting at, for the end of this month, hold off.

Oldtree

I would hold off any severe pruning of laurel until early summer, we had frosts here in May last year. The new shoots as a response to the pruning and the less hardy newly exposed old growth will both be more susseptable to frost damage should you prund in feb/march/april.

Arsenium

Hello,

I am planning on planting a laurel hedge. It's about 60 yards long. I am trying to understand how much the plants will cost. One plant every 18 inches or so is that correct?

Roughly how much would the laurel plants cost?

keltoms05

Arsenium wrote: »

Hello,

I am planning on planting a laurel hedge. It's about 60 yards long. I am trying to understand how much the plants will cost. One plant every 18 inches or so is that correct?

Roughly how much would the laurel plants cost?

heres one site http://www.readyhedge.ie/products.php?start=3, ring up a few garden centres and nurseries to get more prices. Bare root laurel hedge would be the cheapest option but AFAIK its too late in the year to plant bare root

monkeynuz

Arsenium wrote: »

Hello,

I am planning on planting a laurel hedge. It's about 60 yards long. I am trying to understand how much the plants will cost. One plant every 18 inches or so is that correct?

Roughly how much would the laurel plants cost?

2lt pot 2foot high plants of portuguese laurel at future forests is currently €7 per pot so 120 x €7

common laurel 1-2 foot is €5 per pot

KetchupKid

Hi,

Planting 60 yards of laurels every 18 inches is about 120 laurel plats, so root-bare plants are the way to go. If you buy the root-bare laurels in bulk 50 or 100 or more, they are pretty resonable. I bought 100 from a local garden centre about 4-5 years ago and I think I paid about €100, I collected them myself, it would have been more to have them delivered. The plants were about 3 feet high and they were all very healthy, I think only 1 died. My hedge is now over 7ft high and they give great privacy on that side of my garden. I just wish I would have gotten more and completed the full garden. The only problem is, as said before it's too late now, you shouldn't plant root-bares in the summer, winter or very early spring is ideal, I planted mine in March, Paddy's Day weekend. Unlike root-bare, your supposed to be able to plant potted plants almost anytime, but about two years ago I bought a few potted laurels in the summer to fill in a few gaps and almost half of them died. The place where I got my root-bare laurels has since closed, but if you keep an eye out, I've seen them advertised in local papers, the Buy&Sell and Adverts.ie at good prices.