We bought and planted our cherry laurel hedge 3 years ago. It had to grow fast because we needed it as a screen against a nasty neighbor. Therefore, I cherish and care for it like my own child (hope that does not sound crazy). I wanna share some of my little secrets, hope they help you if you get yourself a hedge.
Trimming was the hardest thing I had to learn in quite a while. I hope I do it right, have googled sooooooo much about it: at the beginning I cut only on the sides, so it should just shoots up in height. Not sure that it’s the right way but it worked for me, so I can recommend it if you want a higher hedge.
The ideal time to trim laurel hedge, it turns out, is in the spring before it blooms, but it can also be done right after it blooms, such as in June or in the fall. Actually, the trimming of the hedge is all year round thing, except in case of severe frost or constant heat and strong sunshine. This is one of the reasons we got a hardy evergreen laurel hedge, other plants are much more demanding.
Funnily enough, after each trimming, our hedge becomes even bushier. Besides, it is high enough now (approx. 6-7 feet). It should not really become much higher, but now can really go more in the width.
I am also testing and trying different fertilizers now. I tried that before with a scattered fertilizer but somehow I’m not happy about it. It is very difficult to spread an exact amount around the closely grown plants. I will go back to watering with liquid fertilizer, it is the easiest way in my opinion.
Do not forget to check your hedge for snails. We got some colonies in ours and it is amazing how fast they are eating the plants. While getting rid of the snails is not a very nice process, I don’t want our hedge eaten away like 2 years ago. Check it regularly and do what must be done.
Also, sparrows seem to have colonized the hedge. Unlike the snails, they just make nests and do not seem to do much damage. More than that, I think birds are good for the hedge, they eat some of the insects.
We like the hedge quite well as it is right now – not so stiff and straight, but loose.
Hope my experience and tips will help you at some point. Just want to add: getting a laurel hedge is a great choice if you do not mind taking care of it.
