Many laurel hedges under ideal conditions quickly grow over the head of their owners and reach an impressive size. The shrubs form an attractive green screen in a short time but should be trimmed at least once a year so that the hedge does not take up too much space in the garden.
The final growth height of the laurel depends on which variety you plant, online you can 7ft, 6ft, and 5ft laurel hedging for sale, as well as how often you cut the shrub. However, growing freely under ideal conditions, over the years shrubs can develop into impressive woody plants with a height of up to 10ft.
Tall and slender or bushy?
Laurels are available in both upright-growing varieties, such as the Rotundfolia cherry laurel and more spreading varieties, such as Prunus Herbergii. Species such as the Mount Vernon bay cherry, on the other hand, grow creeping and only reach heights of about 1,5ft. You can use these species to underplant trees or add greenery to unsightly garden corners. These groundcovers are also popular as evergreen decorations, though they should be pruned regularly to prevent them from growing too sprawling.
A laurel shrub can grow up to 1ft in height in a year and thus reach its final size within a very short time. However, since the shrubs usually grow as wide as they do tall, this can also become a problem in small gardens. Therefore, choose a laurel variety with a growth height that fits the size of your property.
Do not forget to trim
To keep the size of the cherry laurel within the desired range, the shrub should be pruned at least once a year. The best time for this is in the spring, just after flowering. Since motorized trimming tools and hedge clippers make the laurel’s handsomely shaped foliage looks like it has been plucked, pruning should always be done with rose or lopping shears. If desired, you can trim the laurel back a second time in late summer.
You do not have to dig up and destroy a laurel that has grown too large. The shrub tolerates severe pruning well and can be cut back to the old wood if necessary. It will willingly sprout again after this.
