Forum home› Problem solving
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Help needed with laurel

and.willand.will Posts: 2
in Problem solving

Hello! I need an advice with my laurel trees. They suffered quite a bit last August when we were on vacation for two weeks and could not water them regularly during the heat season. And now with the spring in full mode they do not seem to be getting much better. There are some occasional new leaves coming out but many of the branches remain empty. Only 2 bushes out of 15 are blooming.  I started watering them last week after the winter brake but it doesn't help much. I did not do it earlier since the spring in Switzerland (this is where I am) turned out rather cold and the night temperature stayed around 0 degrees Celsius well into April. I am really worried that there is something irreversible going on and would very much appreciate any advice.


Posts

  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    I don’t think there’s anything wrong with them at all except that they’ve never been pruned properly,  should have been done from the start of planting. 

    The only way to do anything with them now would be to drastically cut them down,  reduce by a half for now,  they will then grow thicker.  You can take more off later.

    If they were mine I would take them down to a foot from the ground but I know you wouldn’t do that,  thinking it’s to drastic🙂
    They grow extremely fast after a good cut and make quite a few feet in the year. 


    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • and.willand.will Posts: 2
    Thanks for responding. Actually they have been pruned last July just before I moved into this apartment. Do you think I should just cut away the empty branches?
  • steephillsteephill Posts: 2,841
    @Lyn is offering good advice, hard pruning is needed.
    This long thread might be of interest


  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    To make a good hedge they need pruning from the start, so the previous owner has let them get out of hand, I can see no alternative than to be ruthless and saw them down to promote new growth.
    Don't just cut away bare branches, cut the whole lot across at about 3’ from the ground. 

    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

Sign In or Register to comment.