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Portuguese laurel hedge
Hi all. I've just planted 20 metres of portugese laurel. 40 plants at about 2 to 2.5 feet high. They aren't bushy plants currently and predominantly are one main stem. I know they need trimming back to encourage them to fill out and over time the height will come but with better screening. Not envisaging a hedge for a good few years yet but want to give it he best chance of establishing well. Most the plants have started getting the new light green leaves shooting out from the top. Ideally this would be wanted lower down. Should I be waiting a couple of months to let the plants settle before pruning them back? And how far down should I go?
Added some fertiliser too which I've raked into the soil around the plants as suggested at the nursery.
Added some fertiliser too which I've raked into the soil around the plants as suggested at the nursery.
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Cut the tops off and they'll bush out lower down. Just about all plants do this. It's their hormones, you know.
i would cut off all that new growth on the tops, I planted mine five years ago, cutting six inches off the tops at planting.
Dont underestimate the growth rate, they will be up very quickly, once cut down, pinch out the tops and side shoots, as you see them.
i think they are a bit close to the wall, in a few years the trunks will be touching the wall and the green will be over the wall into the street, where you will need to cut them back, that will make it very near to the trunks.
Heres mine last year, after just four years of being planted. They've been cut several times and pinched out. It's about three foot in depth and six foot high.
Is yours cherry laurel lyn? What size was yours at planting? I've read the portugese variety is slightly slower growing but just wondered how yours compared size wise to mine when planted?
If I cut the new growth off, do the new ahoots come back from where the cut is or does it encourage growth further down?
Nice gardener here also but what is meant by pinching?
Theres not a great deal of difference in the growth rate, I don't think.
Mine were about two foot but I chopped the tops of straight away. They then shoot right out from the bottom. Picking out just means nipping of the new growth of every shoot as you see them form, just use your thumb and finger. Sounds drastic as you're waiting for them to grow, but it pays off in the long term, you want nice thick growth at the bottom.
What is that accross the road to you, there's a big gap at the bottom of it.
No idea what the hedge over the road is. Looks but ivy like from a distance though obviously isn't. Street view shows it right to the floor about 7 years ago so presumably has been cut to be like that at some point.