With their lush green foliage and dense branching habit, laurels make a beautiful evergreen hedge. However, laurels are relatively slow growing compared to other hedging plants. If your new laurel hedge seems to be taking its sweet time establishing or an older one is stalling out, there are things you can do to accelerate growth. Follow these tips to invigorate your laurel hedge and achieve faster, healthier growth.
Test and Amend the Soil
Laurels thrive in slightly acidic, well-draining soil amended with plenty of organic matter. Test the soil pH in the hedge bed with a kit. The target pH for laurels is 5.0 to 6.5. If the soil is too alkaline amend it with elemental sulfur or cottonseed meal to lower the pH. Mix in several inches of compost or well-rotted manure to improve moisture retention and nutrition.
Provide Regular Watering
Consistent watering is vital for robust laurel growth. Drought stressed laurels will barely grow at all. Provide deep watering weekly for new hedges and established hedges during dry periods. Soak the entire root zone, not just the surface. Add a layer of mulch to retain soil moisture. Avoid overwatering as laurels hate soggy soil.
Use a Balanced Fertilizer
Laurels need certain nutrients to fuel rapid growth. Apply a balanced fertilizer like Growmore in early spring and again in midsummer. Follow package directions for correct amount. Alternatively, use a seaweed based organic fertilizer. Work the fertilizer lightly into the top few inches of soil and water it in well.
Prune Properly
Judicious pruning improves laurel growth. In spring remove any dead or damaged branches. After the main growth spurt trim hedges to keep their desired shape. Never remove more than 20% of growth at one time. Avoid hard chopping hedges as this causes stress. Always use clean, sharp pruning tools.
Control Pests
Spider mites, scale, and other sucking insects can infest laurels and impede their growth Check for telltale speckling or stickiness on leaves Use insecticidal soap or neem oil to control light infestations. For heavy infestations, choose a systemic insecticide. Ensure proper coverage for full effectiveness.
Check for Disease
Laurel wilt disease causes dramatic dieback in infected plants. Look for off-color or wilted foliage and black streaking in affected branches. Prune out infected wood well below signs of discoloration to stop disease spread. Disinfect tools after every cut. Destroy all diseased material promptly. Apply a fungicide as a protective treatment.
Stimulate Established Hedges
Older laurel hedges that seem tired and slow growing likely need rejuvenation. Cut bare branches back to just above live wood to stimulate regrowth. Use a specialized hedge fertilizer to encourage root and shoot development. Add evergreen tone to improve leaf color. Mulch well and give weekly deep watering until growth accelerates.
With the right growing conditions and care, it is possible to achieve 36 inches or more of new laurel growth per year. Pay close attention to soil preparation, irrigation, pest prevention, and proper pruning. Your efforts will be rewarded with a luxuriant, healthy laurel hedge that provides beauty and privacy for years to come.
Planting and Growing
Container-grown plants (those grown in a pot) can be planted at any time of year. Plants put in during the growing season (March to October) will need more water than those put in late fall, winter, or early spring.
Rootballed plants can be planted from November to March when the plants are not growing.
All types of laurel should be planted between 2 and 3 feet (60-90cm) apart. If you need a screen quickly, plant your laurel hedge plants 2 feet apart. If you can wait a little longer, planting them 3 feet apart will give you a hedge that is just as dense. Often a good compromise is 2’6″ apart.
Planting your laurel hedge properly is essential to ensure they survive and grow quickly. See our page on Planting Laurel for detailed guide of how to do it.
The rate at which all plants grow will depend on where you live in the country, the type of soil you have, whether the plants are in sun or shade, windy or calm, and other things. For the best growth conditions, like a protected spot in full sun with good, rich soil and lots of water, the different kinds of laurel will grow in the following ways:
Cherry or Common Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus ‘Rotundifolia’) can grow up to 2 feet tall each year. Portugal Laurel (Prunus lusitanica) can grow up to 45 centimeters (18 inches) each year. Bay Laurel (Laurus nobilis) can grow up to 40 centimeters (16 inches) each year.
We achieve the above growth rates when growing laurel on our nursery.
Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) and Portugal Laurel (Prunus lusitanica) are likely the best plants for shade to grow as hedges. They tolerate shade well and are often planted under tree canopies in large estate gardens. All types of laurel will also grow well in full sun.
Plant 3 to 4 feet (90 to 120 cm) away from a wall or fence if you have the room. This way, you can reach the other side of the hedge to trim it if you need to. If you don’t have much room, you can plant as little as 18 inches from a wall or fence. However, you may need to cut off branches on the fence side as the plant grows so that it doesn’t damage the fence. The hedge will stop growing and block light from getting to the fence side once it gets too thick. This won’t be a problem. If there is a hedge that sticks out over the wall or fence, you may need to cut it back because it will grow over the fence or wall and into your neighbor’s garden when it gets enough light.
Larger laurel plants take well if planted properly and will form a hedge much quicker than smaller plants.
You can keep your laurel hedge as narrow as 18 inches (45 cm) wide if you trim it once a year. Portugal Laurel (Prunus lusitanica) is easier to keep narrow than Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus).
Yes, as the hedge grows, you can cut a few inches off the tops of any branches (shoots). The laurel will grow three or more new branches for every one you cut off. Laurel likes being trimmed and bushes out as a result of trimming.
Bare-root laurel is grown in the ground in a field and is dug up in the winter when the plants have stopped growing. The soil is then shaken or washed off the roots. We don’t suggest planting bare-root laurel plants because they usually don’t do well. Bare-root laurel hedging plants can only be planted from November to March (i. e while the plants are dormant over the winter).
Root-balled laurel are dug from the field with a ball of soil around the roots. The soil ball is then wrapped in hessian or jute, which keeps the soil and roots together. Laurel hedging plants are great for rootballing because their new leaves don’t come out until late spring. This gives the roots time to get established in the soil again before the plants’ tops start to grow. We pot up hundreds of rootballed laurel plants each year and rarely lose any of them. Rootballed laurel hedging plants can only be planted from November to March.
You can plant container-grown laurel plants at any time of the year because they were grown in pots. Sometimes they are grown from cuttings in pots and potted up every year as they get bigger. Some plants are dug from the field and potted into a pot. The plant is “containerized” once its roots have grown through the pot. It can then be planted at any time of the year, as long as it gets enough water during the growing season.
Laurel and Portugal Laurel are great evergreen hedges and screens, but if you’d rather see what else is out there, please visit our page on Alternatives to Laurel.
If you use a hedge trimmer, you should trim your laurel hedge in late spring or early summer. This is when new shoots will grow quickly to cover up any leaves that look “tatty.” You can use secateurs on a small hedge or a hedgetrimmer on a larger hedge.
Do not prune your hedge during hot or dry periods.
A laurel hedge only needs trimming once a year. The best time to prune is late spring or early summer.
We suggest that you either use a safe platform like a Henchman Hi-Step or prune the hedge down to a manageable height in late spring or early summer.
Yes, prune it hard back in late spring or early summer and it will re-shoot quickly. You can reduce the height and width of all types of laurel. Don’t prune it back hard if the soil is very dry or the weather is very hot.
In general, you can cut Cherry Laurel, Portugal Laurel, and Bay Laurel all the way back to the stump, and they will grow back. If you just want to trim the sides back hard then this will also re-shoot. For best results, do it in late spring, when your Laurel is just beginning to grow again. Any brown branches will soon be covered in new shoots.
A cherry laurel maze at Glendurgan Garden in Cornwall got too big and tough, so a few years ago they cut it back to the ground. It has now grown back to be a fresh looking maze of laurel.
That is possible, but you will need to use a digger to remove the conifers, including the stumps, and then dig a 2ft wide by 2ft deep trench. The trench will need to be filled with good topsoil because the soil that is being dug up will be full of roots and nutrients.
All varieties of laurel are long-lived and will survive as a hedge for hundreds of years.
These are classic symptoms of drought. If you water your plants too much or too little, this can happen. Also, leaves can turn yellow after just a few days of drought. No other reason will make the leaves turn yellow so quickly.
Not enough water (drought conditions)
If you don’t water newly planted laurel enough during the growing season (usually March to October), the leaves will turn yellow and fall off pretty quickly. Every few days, put your hand in the soil or the plant’s root ball to see how wet it is. It should be moist at all times but not soggy. Water the soil around your plants with enough water so that it soaks down if it starts to dry out. Many times, it’s best to water the plants once and let the water soak into the ground before giving them another drink. If the plants are dry, repeat this several times. Never allow the roots to dry out or the plants can die quickly in a hot spell. Laurel planted in late fall, winter, or early spring will have had time to grow roots before the soil dries out in the spring, as long as they were planted correctly. Laurel planted in late summer, early fall, or late spring, on the other hand, needs to be watered often during the first growing season (March to October).
Too much water (waterlogging)
If you leave the roots of a laurel plant in water for a while, they will rot. You can normally smell a stagnant, rotting smell if you dig one up. If the roots rot, the plants won’t be able to get water to their leaves, making it look like they are in a drought. Conditions can become waterlogged if the soil is packed down and doesn’t drain well or if you give your plants too much water. If the soil is packed down below the plant, you may need to dig the plants out and open up the hole’s bottom. You could then add some good topsoil and/or gravel to the hole.
If you have been over-watering your plants, then stop watering them so much. Before you water the plants, push your hand deep into the soil to see how wet it is. If it’s wet, don’t water the plants; if it’s getting dry, water them.
It sounds like they are be struggling to get their roots established. This might be because they weren’t planted right or because they haven’t been watered enough or too little. If things are bad, some plants will die before the others, even if you treat them all the same. It is important to identify and rectify the problem before more plants die. See our page on Establishing a Laurel Hedge for more information.
This sounds like a disease called powdery mildew. It is not a major problem and will not kill the hedge. See our page on Diseases of Laurel for more information on Powdery Mildew.
The most likely cause is a disease called Honeyfungus that attacks most plants. On the other hand, if the plants’ roots are squished, they might not get enough water as they get bigger.
See our page on Diseases of Laurel for further information on Honeyfungus.
How To Prune Laurel Hedges: 101
FAQ
How long does laurel take to grow?
How do you make laurel spread?
Can you use Miracle-Gro on laurels?
Can you over water laurels?
How to grow a laurel?
To grow the best laurel, you should give it plenty of water and fertiliser as well as keep it from competing with weeds which will steal its nutrients – do not forget to prune regularly too. I hope you have found our post on how to make your laurel grow faster useful.
Can laurel make a hedge?
Laurel can make a hedge or living screen that will: Laurel is best pruned once a year to keep it to the height you want. To see how and when to trim your hedge, see our section on How to Prune a Laurel Hedge. Welcome to our website on Laurel Hedging.
Do laurel trees grow faster?
Not only will trimming dead and damaged branches help your laurel grow faster but pruning into green growth every couple of months will help your laurel grow faster and thicker too. This may seem counterintuitive but pruning your laurel will encourage it to grow back bushier than before at an even faster rate.
How fast does a laurel hedge grow?
Depending on the species, laurel hedges grow between 15-60cm per year, but if your laurel isn’t growing quick enough for your garden, there are some ways you can speed up the process. You can see more about how fast laurel grows here. There are many tips and tricks that can be used to make laurel grow faster and encourage laurel growth.