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Hedge questions

nicklowe52nicklowe52 Posts: 6
in Plants
Hi everyone,

I have a couple of questions about a hedge we have in our garden (along our boundary). Firstly I'm hoping the collective knowledge of this forum can help me identify the hedge, I think it might be a bay laurel(?).

Secondly, the hedge is along a pathway with a swimming pool on the other side of the path and is now impacting on the width of the path (and therefore the safety too). My question is how much can I cut it back without killing the hedge and when should I do this? I'd like to be able to cut it back fairly significantly to regain space on the path but also don't want to kill the hedge!





Thanks in advance. 

Nick

Posts

  • PalustrisPalustris Posts: 4,307
    edited 5 January
    Another tough old shrub that may be cut back as much as you want without killing it. Unlike most conifers it will shoot from old wood. Best cut with loppers etc. rather than a hedge cutter. Half severed leaves will eventually die on the shrub and look ugly. Does look like Bay. Now is as good a time as any, birds,insects etc. should be less impacted. Wear gloves as Bay can cause skin problems if you are susceptible to it.
  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,742
    Easy to confirm if it is Bay (edible) as the leaves will be pungent when you snap one in half.  
    They are tough shrubs but can suffer in very exposed conditions depending on your location. Pruning any time now/in the next few weeks should be OK.  
    Wood pigeons love the ripe berries so if you have them about, watch out for seedlings popping up all over the garden - simple to pull out when small.
  • nicklowe52nicklowe52 Posts: 6
    Thanks, it does smell so I think it is bay. Would I be able to hard prune it now, or should I wait a month or 2? Think it needs to go back probably about 2-3ft!
  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    edited 14 January
    I usually cut mine in late spring/early summer but if it was getting out of hand like yours, I'd cut it soon, perhaps waiting for the next cold spell to pass.  As said, they are tough! An established hedge like yours will be more resilient than a young or topiarised Bay laurel.
    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • StephenSouthwestStephenSouthwest Posts: 635
    edited 14 January
    I take a slightly random approach with our bay hedge:

      I cut the longest shoots back about a foot, leaving the shorter ones to become the new 'front'...

    ...and then now and again, I just take a big hedge trimmer to the whole thing, and get reminded just how wide the path used to be...
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