How To Prune Laurel Hedges: 101
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- Опубліковано 16 чер 2022
- Laurel hedges beautify any yard, but they do require some maintenance. This video will show you how to prune and trim a laurel hedge to create a healthier yard.
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Extremely helpful! Well done! Thanks.
Glad it was helpful!
You’re a lifesaver. I have three massively overgrown cherry laurels, and I had no clue how to tackle them!
Thank you!
Thanks for showing the right way to do it, and also warning against doing it the wrong way.
Thanks for watching!
Thank you! Excellent video. Great explanation and helpful info.
Glad it was helpful Rita
Great video! Thank you.
Thank you, Tiffany!
Finished product looks great. Lots of people do this wrong. Pruning from the inside out is the way to go for a healthy laurel!
Thanks man!
Great video, thanks!
Thank you!
Thanks! Heading out to practice what you just taught me!
Rock on!
What a great video so useful - off to prune my laurel
Thank you!!! If you’re in this massive heatwave across the country I’d wait!
Great video! I live in Scandinavia and have some laurels in front of my house. I used to trim them a lot during the spring, take away basically all the brown branches and trim them down A LOT. I'll try your way as I am looking for rounder/fuller bushes
Thanks for watching!
Thanks very useful!🤔👍🏻
Glad it was helpful!
Best video I've found on this topic: thanks. Would be interested to see how they look over time! I'm eagerly trying to encourage my 3-year-old skip's to provide a privacy hedge.
Thank you for the kind works and I’m glad it was helpful! Mine were absolutely dominated by a hard freeze this winter. Much worse than I originally thought. So I’m anxiously awaiting spring to see if they still have a heartbeat.
Many in my area including my own have some browned out leaves on the outside of the shrub. Any suggestions for spring care to help them bounce back?
Thanks for the question! I’d leave them alone in terms of pruning. I stripped off the brown foliage a couple weeks ago and hit them with Hollytone by Espoma. I can see signs of life now at the base of the shrub. It’ll take a couple years for them to fully bounce back though. Unprecedented cold near Christmas was brutal for them.
@@TheLawnReview- where are you located? Also what zone?
Great show after 3 years growth
Thanks!
ive just followed your advice, thankyou. mine is just as you say very little leaves at the bottom and inside just hollow with now leaves, ive cut them right back. fingers crossed
It will get there! Thanks for watching!
Thank you for this. I just planted 20+ small laurels around my property perimeter. I will be referring back to this in a few years!
Glad it was helpful!
Wonderful! Glad it was helpful to you!
How is it growing after a year?
@@Vitroleaf they are small, but still alive. They were only 1-2 feet when planted but have grown to about 3 feet.
great video!
Thank you!!
Perfect, thanks for the video!! This is exactly what I was looking for. and I LOL'd at the popup from behind
I just bought a hedge trimmer and now wondering if I should just return it. I've got 30+ of these .. hmmmmm
HAHA! Thank you! Glad I could help! Ohhhh... 30's a lot... Might just deal with the ugly leaves until new ones push out. Just don't forget to take out a big one ever few years or so
@@TheLawnReview Hey Tyler, thanks again for this video. I boldly pruned out the center as shown here and my laurels have really started bushing out into the beginnings of the desired hedge! Awesome!!! 2 months later now, I've got one laurel that was drooping leaves on one side--on one branch; I though maybe the branch got diseased so I cut it off. Now on the same side, the next branch is drooping leaves...however the right side of the plant seems completely normal and healthy. Any ideas? ?
Thanks for the information. We have 4 of these that are at least 25 years old. They were here when we bought the house. The arms of these are extremely thick like trees and do not look well mist of the time. Already removed so many other overgrown plants. These are so large. Hard to remove. Maybe a good fertilizer will help. Wish me luck. Again, thank you
Good luck! Those are OLD
This life saver thank u!
So glad this video saved your life!!!
What if it's already leggy and hallow? Should I cut back to the desired length? For my situation, that would mean like 10 feet removed...
Hey! Thanks for the question! I would do it over the course of a few years so as to not shock the plant too much. It’d honestly be fine if you cut it all the way down to like 1 ft. But just to be safe. Make about 1/3rd of the cuts to a single bush this year. Second 3rd to that same bush next year and so on. For all your bushes. Does that make sense?
How do you take care of young, one foot tall laurel “privacy” hedges if you want them to get about six foot? Do you need to trim them in between the time? If yes, what’s the best way to approach it?
What a beautiful garden. What type of small tree full of green leaves is that located in the front left side of the garden? It is shaped like a lollipop.
Thank you! I'd have to go out and look - I made this video a long time ago!
I tried to take out 3 laurels once I even burned and hacked the stump to ground level. I couldn’t get them out and two years later it all came back healthier than ever. Glad it survived. But I own it now instead of it owning me.
Hahaha! They’re honestly insane. I had to rip out like 10 one time with my truck. No other way.
Great video. Thanks! Can you limb up schip laurel so that the growth starts a few feet from the ground? I have a lowish wall that I’d like to plant the laurels in front of for some privacy up top, but I want to still be able to see the wall underneath. In other words, can you limb a schip laurel up similar to the way you’d limb up a ligustrum? Thanks for your experience.
Hi Mahlon, yes. You can be pretty rough with them and they should rebound. Definitely wouldn’t try that right now though. I’d test a bush this spring if you don’t mind the imbalance for a little bit just to make sure. But you can take a laurel pretty low (like 1.5’). It’ll look funny for a little bit but just know that it’ll be fine. I always like to test this stuff out on a bush or two first though
@@TheLawnReview Thanks for the info. These will be new plantings so I'm putting them in now and will prolly wait a couple of years to try the limbing up. The ultimate goal is to have them bare on the bottom three feet with canopies above that. Like you say, Laurel is tough and with a little patience, they can probably take pretty much any shaping you want to do. Thanks again.
Thanks for the useful video! My laurels have become shells because I always pruned them wrongly 😮 Do you have any recommendations for getting foliage on the inside again? Should I prune them back rigorously?
Hey Axel! Thanks for the questions and sorry for the delay. Did your laurels take a beating this winter like mine did? If so, leave them alone this year. If not, Yes, you can prune them down very rigorously and they'll bounce back fine. Or just do it like I did in the video for a more gradual approach.
Great video! Is it okay to trim after frost with winter burn damage? I'm primarily focused on growth and don't particularly care for flowers because they are for privacy, but debating if I should wait until it flowers or If I should proceed when it gets warm and no danger of cold snaps.
Most of us with laurels were hit pretty hard with the frost back in December. I wouldn’t mess with them until after they flower this year depending on where you are!
Im in Utah, zone 6b-7a. I have a row of Otto Luyken Laurel bushes that are 2 years old and received heavy winter burn this year. Should I cut them way back or allow new growth to come in and cover up the burn? I believe there is life in each of the plants, but some are mostly brown.
Hey Vicki! I'd wake a few weeks then cut back to about a foot or foot and a half off the ground if you're able to stand some nubby looking bushes for a year or two!
Thanks so much for this video.
My 3 yr old hedge was decimated by the winter and looks almost entirely dead.
I am so disappointed.
I will trim them in the manner that you described, and fertilize with bonemeal in a couple weeks.
Fingers crossed that they survive!
Most of the twigs aren’t dried and don’t snap off, so I’m hopeful.
Thank you for your comment! I’d wait to prune it this year. Mine were dominated in the winter too. Better to leave them alone and not cut them until perhaps the fall. Definitely fertilize in the next week or so though!
@@TheLawnReview ok, I will. Thank you!
Your pruning created distinct bushes. What do you do to create one hedge without gaps between plants?
Hi Sue! I appreciate the question! I see what you’re saying but that’s only temporary. Where I cut should promote more growth. It should be a more dense single hedge. In about 2 to 3 years there will be no space.
Hi! Thank you for your video! How do we prune a Laurel in order to grow tall and thick? Emphasis on tall!
The a-frame structure will support continued height growth.
Hello Tyler, what an excellent video -
Will I get more growth for the whole season if I trim before flowering in early spring ?
If I trim after flowering, will the skip laurel grow as vigorous and Fast In THIS Season as trimming Pre-flowering?
I'm going for height and they are in hedge form, and I would like to keep that and gain as much height this season. Thank You!
I learned so much fromyour videos 🎉
I'm ready to finally trim my Lou Rawls after five years.
Thank you for the kind words! Your best bet for maximizing your grow this year will be to use a bonemeal fertilizer. I’d recommend you cut it now and fertilize in the next couple of weeks as well. Did your laurels brown very badly during the December freeze?
Thanks so much for your reply, it means a lot !
I wanted to trim them this week, but I was waiting for your reply.
So I will trim them today 🥳😁
I did get some browning, but not too bad. I have a company that sprays them with their organic "Wilt proof" leaf guard.
They also inject fertilizer in the spring not sure if it's got Bonemill, but it's their own proprietary organic fertilizer that they put all around my property ..
Is bonemeal something like holly tone?
If I cut today, is it OK if they do not fertilize till mid April?
So helpful! In this video, what is the yellow shrub in front of the laurels? I’m looking for yellow shrubs to plant in front of my laurels. Thanks!
Hey! Thank you for the feedback! It’s called a golden mop cypress but be warned it can get big on you if you don’t keep it pruned back every couple years
Thanks! Good to know
Very helpful, mine are place in a triangle pattern so looks like a round bush. Do you still try to get in and make the “A” from each angle?
Hi Carolyn, thank you for the kind words! Yes, I try to make the “A” from all angles. This enables the whole bush to get light. Keeps them healthy and covered in leaf. They will grow from where they’re cut. So keep that in mind.
If you want to use them as a hedge for privacy would you still cut the A shape?
@danielletauriello8289 yes just for their health and ability to grow taller
My Skip Laurel hedge still has 1 to 2 foot gaps between each bush. Should I wait to prune till the gaps fill in, or just prune from the center and wait to prune exterior. Or....
I’d wait until after it flowers this spring/summer then do a normal pruning. Where you cut is where you can anticipate new growth coming from! So I try to cut with that in mind. If I want encourage a fuller shrub I’ll cut pretty aggressively there. Feel free to shoot any pictures of the hedge to tyler@thelawnreview.com
Cutting the A shape... Do you do that every time or just until they fill in?
I do it every year and let them fill in over time
Great informative video. Is it possible to keep these maintained at a height of 5ft max or is it such a vigorous grower that I’d be better off with a different type of evergreen shrub? I’m looking for a somewhat informal looking hedge about 15ft in length. If they can easily be maintained at a height of 5ft, how many do you think I would need to cover a 15ft span? Three shrubs spaced 5ft on center? I like the overall look of how you trimmed them so they are lightly touching. Would that be something hard to maintain since they are so vigorous?
Yes these definitely can grow to that level. I would space each one about 4-5 ft apart and let them grow more together
I've got some otto luyken laurel that are leggy at the bottom (bottom 12inches). How can i stimulate growth when there isn't anything down there to cut off?
Thanks for the question! You’d need to cut it off down where it’s leggy to get growth there. I ripped the bandage off this year on a few bushes. It’ll look rough for a year and a half or so! Or you can do it as a progression
I have two small plants and they have been damaged by hard freezes. A lot of the leaves are curled and brown and the plants look terrible. Can I cut them all the way down?
You can but I’d wait until you see life. You should see something in a few months. Cutting them now will just add additional stress
Hi what shall I do with a small laurel ?I planted them last may and they haven’t grown at all, the actually have holes in the foliage, some of them seems having new leaves…
Please help
Patience! Those holes are called shot hole. Pretty harmless but you should apply the product below. It’ll cover everything and ensure the new growth comes in good. Have you fertilized?
www.homedepot.com/p/BIOADVANCED-32-oz-Ready-to-Spray-3-in-1-Insect-Disease-and-Mite-Control-701287/100658967
Hi I have purchased a property with 5 full size Portuguese laurels, which the previous owners let get out of control. They are now blocking the light to the gardens around them and causing other shrubs to reach for light. Is there any way I can deal with the trees without cutting them back to the stump? If I prune the limbs will it look ugly? (Thick trunk and thin branches?). Am willing to pay for consultation if you are available.
Hey Aria! Thanks for the question! Sorry for the delay! New baby. Laurels can handle a heavy prune honestly. So I’d cut it back to as far as you’re okay with and allows the rest of the bed to still get light. They’re grow back from where you made a cut.
I have 32 of these!! 😅😅😅
Get after it!!
😂😂brilliant, can the cut bits be replanted ? Thanks.
Actually yeah they can. Just use a rooting agent powder
Is it possible to take cutting from the trimmings? If so do you have a video about that? Thanks
What do you mean by “cutting”
@@TheLawnReview to propagate I suppose is the correct terminology. We’d call it cutting in Ireland.
@ballygarran oh yeah you definitely can. It’s best done right before the cool season
Great presentation.
Used to be in the business of contractual horticulture in the city. So know little about deserts and mountains!
A cousin of ours have recently moved to the high desert elevation about 3000 ft above sea level, where a common summer heat can reach as high as 110 and as low as 23 degrees Fahrenheit. They are interested in using a Carolina Cherry tree/hedge for a privacy screen.
(The reason we are conveying this, is because they do not as yet have a communication network set up and have asked us to do this on their behalf)
They have about 5 acres to screen off.
First off, would you say that these plants would do well in the high desert or poorly?
(Second) Should they in being about 30 yards away from the house, even be pruned or maybe prune them for the first 3 years and then when they're taller let them go (so to speak)?
(Thank you for any help you can suggest)!
Sorry for the delay!
Skip Laurel (which is in this video) are “relatively” drought tolerant and hardy.
If you don’t mind me asking, where are they located? Northern or southern region of the state is fine. It will help me provide a better recommendation!
Also is there any concern about height? Like can they grow as tall as you want (approximately 40/50ft)? If they have 5 acres to screen they’re going to have to put A LOT of laurels down which would be sooo expensive.
What if the purpose of it is for like a privacy boundary then leaving it to form a wall shell is perfect isn’t it ??
It is good for a short term solution but if it becomes too shell-like it will become unstable and prone to breaking
Would this be the same for portuguese laurel?
Yes!
Hi mate, thanks for the video. Our laurels recently got hit pretty hard by wind/rain/ice and the leaves have browned quite a lot unfortunately. I have no clue about gardening but we bought them pre grown so they are quite tall. We live in North west england and not too far from the sea so i think we underestimated the power of the sea wind. Any idea what we can do to give them the best chance of regrowing?
Mate - I would focus on really making sure the base is strong in that "A" shape I mention in this video. Then narrow the top as much as possible, even trimming it down a bit if you need to. Best of luck!
Hey Aaron! Is this your first year of having them in the ground? Snap one twig off to see if it’s still alive, if it bends you’re good. If it’s snaps you might be in trouble (not 100% though - I’ve seen them come back from the base). In either case, don’t do anything until you see significant growth on it. You don’t want to shock it until it’s rebounded. Same thing happened to me last year
@@TheLawnReview thank you for getting back to me so fast. It's our first year, they seemed to take pretty well when we planted them. They got some new growth on which I thought they'd be all good but then we got cold weather from nowhere and it's wrecked them. I'll check them out tomorrow and see if they snap or bend like you say and then go from there. Thank you for your advice
Thanks for watching!@@aaronm51921
How do you prevent while cutting to let it boom flowers
I’d cut it right after if blooms!
Have you ever pruned Portuguese Laurel? Is it the same approach?
Hey Michael - yes same approach!
Would you class this as a hedge 🤷 a bush
I think a hedge?
Hi I need some advice on cutting laurels is it best to cut laurels with gloves and is it ok to compost the leaves
Hey Danny, yes to both! I always recommend wearing some yard gloves to avoid getting poked. And of course, composting the leaves is safe as well.
@@TheLawnReview thx for the quick reply
Danny Boy - Just don’t put freshly cut limbs/leaves into a car or confined space. They release cyanide for a period of time after they’re cut
Mine are very big and twiggy on the inside.
Hey Poppy, are they old? If so, you can be very aggressive with them and cut them down to about a foot above the ground in the spring if you’re okay with them looking weird for a couple years. Otherwise periodically (once a year) and go in and take a 2 big branches out of the middle. Cut them down to about a foot above the soil too.
I always trim my laurels the wrong way. It explains a few things
Hope it is helpful for you! Thanks for watching
Great video! My only suggestion is to pronounce foliage correctly. It's fo-lee-ej, not fo-ledge.
Depends on where you live :)
Just watch 8:24 The rest was waste of time.
Thanks for the feedback! I’ll be sure to cut my future videos down to the nitty gritty
Aww... You'te responding to comments. Now I feel like such a bitch for criticizing the video. Have a great day anyway.