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Pruning laurel bush
Poly-anthus
Posts: 155
We had a couple of big conifers removed recently and the man who we employed to do it offered to come back around now to prune down a very large laurel bush. It certainly needs cut back drastically, but I'm wondering whether it's a bit late in the year to do it now. (North of Scotland where the winter is predicted to be a harsh one 
). Should I tell him I'll leave it until the Spring?
0
Posts
Depends how much you like it I guess. I've just cut one down to the ground as it was swamping a lovely oak tree, but as I don't care if it dies it will probably come back out of contrariness if nothing else
The roots will be impossible to remove, all entangled as they are with the oak's and on stony soil and there are probably tiny dormant buds that will survive the winter - and that can be harsh here too. I'm fully expecting to have to cut it down again in future
Hi Poly-anthus
Re your Laurel bush, why not go one step further than "cut back drastically" and uproot it entirely.
My personal opinion (shared by many others) is that Laurel bushes are a disgrace in the landscape, grow to unwieldy sizes, and can or rather should be replaced by other hedge species such as Portuguese laurel, Eleagnus, etc.
See this discussion: http://www.gardenersworld.com/forum/talkback/shrubs-and-trees/720637.html
Papi Jo, a member of the anti-laurel league.
Papi-Jo, not all laurels are nasty. I have a crem/white leaved one with green spots which lightens up a dark area. (can't remember the name)
It might be ugly, but it's there and it's obviously happy there and a great shelter / nest site for birds I'm sure.
Not sure I'd dig it out just to replace it with another shrub. Clearly , the choice is yours.
I'd wait until Spring and then cut back as hard as you like. As others have said, it's bound to regrow.
Thanks for your replies folks. I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, but it's actually quite a nice shape - we've kept it pruned iourselves each year to keep it tidy. Quite apart from the fact that it would be almost impossible to get it out, we quite like it - it's a good screen from the neighbours. But it's quite tall now and we're getting a bit long in the tooth to be climbing up a ladder to do the top
. As Verdun says, it seems to be very happy where it is and the birds do like it too! Perhaps we'll leave it till the Spring and get it a good haircut then, lol.