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Laurel vs Photinia red robin
Lou Footitt
Posts: 1
in Talkback
Hi. I am trying to decide whether to plant a laurel or a Photinia red robin hedge. but can't decide which would be better. Any advice gratefully received.
Thanks
Lou
0
Posts
I think it depends how 'tidy' you want it to look. Someone up the road has a photinia hedge and it looks beautiful when it all turns red but they can't keep it trimmed or they would lose the colour.
Laurel on the other hand can be kept quite tidy.
Portugal laurel, Prunus lusitanicus, might be better than either. Nice dark green, smaller leaves that looks much better trimmed that P. laurocerasus.
In the sticks near Peterborough
might I add to the great advice above, that ultimate height is also a factor.
Photinia won't get to the same height as laurel, but then again, if you didn't want it so tall, photinia wouldn't such a problem to keep under control.
Laura for me too of these two, but as Verd. says have a look at some others before you decide.
If you trim a laural hedge, prune each branch individually to a leaf joint. Long-winded, but a hedge trimmer, though quick, will leave lots of half cut leaves which will go brown and look dreadful. Same for Photinia too probably.
Red Robin can look spectacular but it can also look very scruffy so I wouldn't use it as a complete hedge.
Also my photinias are gradually giving up on me, while laurel goes from strength to.....
Have to be honest if I had a real choice I would go for a native mixed hedge, far more interesting and the wildlife love it.
And can be trimmed annually to the shape you want Yvie, always avoiding nesting time.