Laurel Hedge Plants – Prunus Laurocerasus Rotundifolia

Description

Properties of Laurel Hedge Plants

• Laurel hedge plants are Fast Growing Hardy Evergreen Hedge with Large glossy green leaves and can potentially grow up to 2 foot 6 inches per year.
• Evergreen hedges such as Photinia Red Robin, Portuguese Laurel hold their leaves and colour all year round.
• It is a very common choice for the Irish gardeners as it is Ideal for most soil types and locations and can withstand cold conditions in Winter months and still retain their colour and foilage.
• These hedges can be easily pruned in late summer or Autumn to create a neat hedge. Trimming a hedge actually encourages growth of the hedge itself.
• Laurel hedging can be sown as bareroot plants in Winter months from November through to March or from pots all year round.
• It is ideal in the garden and a popular choice as it provides screening, privacy, shelter from the wind and also road noise. It is a popular choice in properties built along main roads for it’s noise reduction qualities.
• As with all newly planted hedges, the first year of planting is the slowest in relation to growth. Once the plants have bedded in, the growth rate will increase.
• Laurels can be pruned in Autumn but care must be taken to check the hedge for nesting birds before cutting commences.
• When pruning a hedge, it is best to leave the hedge of the first year or two of growth. Then, trim the sides of the hedge only. This will encourage bushiness in the hedge. Once the optimum height has been reached, the top of the hedge can then be pruned and trimmed to give the ideal shape.
• White flowers will appear on more mature plants over time.

Characteristics of Laurel Hedge plants.

Type: Fast Growing Soil: Moist, well drained, fertile
Status: Hardy in cold weather
Position: Sun or light shade
Flowering: White flowers in spring on more mature plants

How to Plant Laurel Hedge Plants

• Bareroot plants are to be planted in Winter months, from November to March
• Potted Laurel plants can be planted all year round as the root system is well established in the pots.
• Bareroot plants are usually planted 2 or 3 per metre in a single row.
• Laurel hedge plants from pots are strong bushy plants and so can in fact be planted 18 inches apart, therefore 2 per metre.
• It is best to dig a trench about 9 inches deep, place the roots of the plant in the trench and cover back in with loose soil.
• It is important to keep laurel hedge plants well walked in to prevent them blowing around in the wind.
• It is recommended to walk the laurel hedging plants in every few days until they anchor into the ground and begin to grow.
• When planting hedges, it is advisable to walk them in well enough that the air can’t get in at the roots but the moisture from rainfall can.
• It is also very advisable to keep newly planted hedge clean of weeds and competition. A great way to tackle weeds in an organic manner is to clean off the grass and apply a layer of bark mulch. The bark mulch provides a barrier against weeds whilst also keeping the moisture in at the root.
• If planting is done late into Spring, for e.g April, then it is advisable to keep the plants well watered over the Summer Months, especially in times of hot weather and reduced rainfall.
• if planted in Winter months, keep plants well walked in, especially after windy conditions.
• We recommend planting our strong bushy 2L potted laurels 18 inches apart, so 2 per metre.

You can view our Laurel Hedge Plants grown in our County Carlow Nursery.