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Laurel pruning in high summer
I'm concerned to manage a laurel hedge well, and now that we're probably entering the hottest part of the year (it's the end of June/beginning of July) is it too late to vigorously prune a new laurel hedge (6' plants)?
Also, to encourage bushy growth low on the plant is it worthwhile to secateur cut those stems that are growing from low - or is this unnecessary and I should just blitz them relatively indiscriminately with hedge trimmer?
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Nah. I think by-and-large Laurel is indestructable! You can pretty much trim it right back to the trunk and it'll come back nice and bushy.
If you don't want it to spread then it probably is worth removing the lower stems. It'll be more compact as a result if that's what you're hoping for.
Hi Paul. Don't use a hedge trimmer if you can avoid it as inevitably you will end up with half/part leaves going brown and ugly looking. Secateurs or loppers would be better.
6 foot plants will be very hard to get established so chop them well back, water thoroughly and mulch to retain moisture. It's why we always recommend that people DON'T buy big specimens - around three foot is the ideal. You can trim back the outward facing stems too.
Normally, you would use a pair of hand shears for laurel, rather than electric trimmers. The reason for that is the size of the foliage. Electric clippers slice through leaves and those cut leaves then go brown and look unsightly, but if it's huge (which many are!) hedge trimmers save a lot of time, and you can always go over the hedge, picking off the dead 'halves' with secateurs. As you have new plants, secateurs will probably be the only thing you'll need
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Please bear in mind that birds are still nesting.
I was cutting back my neighbours laurel last week when I noticed a nest with a blackbird in it - I stopped and will not return for a month
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.