How quickly do Laurel grow?

I'm looking to buy a bulk load of laurel to provide privacy in along one side of my garden (South facing) and on a slope so plenty of water.

The laurel are 1.5-2ft and root ball,

How fast will these grow and what spacing should they be, if it will take years to gain just a foot then I'll need to consider something else, maybe leylandii.

 

Too fast - you can almost watch them, be careful that you stand back! They will grow very thick so keep them well spaced.

 

You have no desire to get along with your neighbours then?

 

I inherited a laurel hedge along the eastern side of my garden. It is currently about 20 ft high and that is keeping it in check professionally each year, I get about 4-6 feet off the top and a fair bit of the sides each year - it is far too unweidly to do myself and the garden bloke has to take a chain saw to some of it. I think mine looks like it was originally planted about 6 feet spacing between each. Once established, it has a long growing season and it grows quickly both in height and width.

I also have a short hedge of laurel which I keep at about 6ft which divides two different parts of the garden - also inherited. It looks planted about 3 ft spacing. It is very tough to keep in check. Two good cuts a year. The trunks get a good girth on them quickly.

I would not have chosen to have it in my garden but since it was inherited I have kept the side hedge as it is good privacy hedge and would be a massive job to remove and then replant. The smaller hedge is going to get dug up as soon as I can grow enough spinach to get some Popeye muscles going.

Yes there is the attraction of a quick growing hedge. For the first few years it should be easy but if you let it take hold it's a toughy to keep decent looking without a fair bit of heavy duty care.

Somebody may be able to comment on rate of growth on smaller plants such as you have.

Sorry didn't mean to sound so negative, but it is a fair old bit of work.

Good luck.
GG

 

Your negativity is a positive thing.

I want a fast growing hedge because I have untidy niebhours on all sides and I'm planning to move in a few years, I'm planning ahead and I don't want my niebhours untidyness to put off buyers.

Laurel is sounding perfect, unless there is an alternative that gives the same effect and quickly? The main attraction to laurel is price.

 

Hawthorn as an alternative, is it as fast growing and growing as high?

 

I was going to add a few things.

1. If you are thinking your garden may be a selling point to gardeners, they may spot the future issues with a laurel hedge all the way around. Selling houses is tricky though I know and finding a balance a tough one.

2. In the short term, what you plan may be ok in a rather large garden, but would not work I don't think in a small one.

3. How big is your garden? And how long are the edges where you want to put the privacy hedge? And how high would be enough for the privacy to kick in?

4. Also because once established they need a good bit of trimming, they don't look the most handsome things for parts of the year as they looked sheared. Not good if you are showing your house.

GG

 

90ft x 90ft, one side is covered with 2 sides are covered with lilac the back will be where the laurel will go.

Would hawthorn or leylandii be s better option and give the same speed of growth?

I don't want to plant them now only to find in 2 years that they've not given me the desired effect.

 

They do establish quickly and sometimes do cause disputes with neighbours. My neighbour planted one only about 6 years ago and it now needs regular professional cutting. he erected a fence on my side (about 6 ft) which is no longer strong enough to retain it.I must say that he does maintain the laurel but quite honestly it doesn't look nice as he let the boughs get too thick before he started cutting. I also find the dropping leaves a real pain as they're so thick and leathery that they won't just rot down and have to be swept and gathered. I'm not sure that every neighbour would put up with it and I certainly know people who don't and there are arguements about who pays for the lopping etc.

As to Hawthorn, I personally prefer it, co-incidentally I have a Hawthorne hedge too and it can be fairly easily maintained. Slower growing but the thorns are a pain (literally) and it gets straggly at the bottom, you can do it annually with something like a basic electric trimmer if you don't want it too high.

Birds nest in both, I see lots of Finches in the Hawthorn, bigger birds like Blackbirds in the Laurel. Does that help? probably even more confused now.....how about a wall.........How about Blackthorn? very cheap, will thicken up on its own and you may get fruit. Not too difficult to keep in check if you have good gauntlets for the thorns. With both of those it depends on whether you're likely to have children running close to them, there again Laurel is poisonous!

 

Hawthorn will grow quickly,. but will not be as dense as laurel. In my opinion, as a hedge, leylandii has little to recommend it.
Privet and Lonicera nitida both grow quickly and form a dense hedge. Also having smaller leaves they look less "shorn" after trimming.

 

Thanks Nigelj, I went with the Lonicera nitida, I've just ordered 60 x 40cm high bushes.

Any advice on spacing?

 

How about Griselinia? It's fast growing but not as rampant as Laurel. The leaves are light green in colour which will bring light into the garden.

 

Lonicera nitida is a good choice. Regular fertilising will help to maintain the greenness. I'd advise around 40-50cm spacing.

 

when we say Laurel, do we mean Bay Laurel (a true laurel species), Cherry Laurel, Portuguese laurel (both in Prunus family?).. the type can vary and hardiness varies too.

Griselinia is as fast growing as Bay Laurel here, but is more attractive in my opinion. There's a few large trees around town (of Griselinia)

 

I was going to suggest Portuguese Laurel which is more attractive than Cherry Laurel, but see you've already ordered.