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Propagating / grafting a Cherry Laurel

notVeryGreenFingerednotVeryGreenFingered Posts: 15
in Plants
Excuse my lack of understanding of the terms "propagating" and "grafting" plants, however I have seen some videos where people cut a branch of the plant or tree and join it with a cut branch of another similar plant and it joins and grows from there.

I am not sure on the exact term for this, but is this possible on a Cherry/English Laurel? If so, any advice how to do it?


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  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    Laurels are easy to propagate, just cut bits off about 8 to 10 inches and push right down into a pot of compost round the edge is best, water well and leave in a sheltered spot in the garden. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • notVeryGreenFingerednotVeryGreenFingered Posts: 15
    Lyn said:
    Laurels are easy to propagate, just cut bits off about 8 to 10 inches and push right down into a pot of compost round the edge is best, water well and leave in a sheltered spot in the garden. 
    This sounds like creating a new laurel off it. Maybe the term I have used is wrong but what iv seen is branches cut off and rejoined onto an existing branch by cutting a notch in the existing branch.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Why would you want to do that? What effect are you trying to get ?

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    notVeryGreenFingered said:
    Lyn said:
    Laurels are easy to propagate, just cut bits off about 8 to 10 inches and push right down into a pot of compost round the edge is best, water well and leave in a sheltered spot in the garden. 
    This sounds like creating a new laurel off it. Maybe the term I have used is wrong but what iv seen is branches cut off and rejoined onto an existing branch by cutting a notch in the existing branch.
    Have a go then if that’s what you want to do. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    What tree do you want to graft onto the Laurel? 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Not sure I'd fancy grafting something onto a laurel.

    Grafting is usually done for putting something slow growing onto a faster growing rootstock, or vice versa @notVeryGreenFingered. Or for propagating things that can be unreliable in some way.
    Apple trees for instance, are a classic example for grafting, to give smaller, more reliable, productive trees.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • notVeryGreenFingerednotVeryGreenFingered Posts: 15
    I am trying to "graft" another laurel onto it near the bottom, so that I can grow it a bit wider from the bottom without having to cut branches right down and lose privacy.

    Before trying it I wanted to check will it even work with Laurels and any tips on how to do it.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Just layer it then. Much easier  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • notVeryGreenFingerednotVeryGreenFingered Posts: 15
    Fairygirl said:
    Just layer it then. Much easier  :)
    What does this involve :)
  • notVeryGreenFingerednotVeryGreenFingered Posts: 15
    I just googled it, if I was to layer it by cutting it at the bottom and wrapping it well. After some roots/shoots have grown, can I just take the wrapping off and will those new roots/shoots turn into branches eventually if I left it as it is? Or will I then have to replant those elsewhere? I'd like those roots/shoots to grow in the same part of the same branch so it continues off the original plant, rather than a new one.
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