Feeding & Pruning a year old Cherry Laurel hedge.

Well based upon good advice received here & elsewhere, last spring I planted row of 3-4 ft Laurel plants at intervals of about 1 ft. The closer than normal spacing was to provide privacy cover for a long stretch opened up by an inconsiderate neighbour. I watered them weekly during the spring & summer, but didn't feed them based on advice that this would encourage their roots to go deeper. I also didn't prune these establishing plants in year one.

Well, one year on and they're doing well, having visibly grown in the months after planting. They're around 5 ft tall now, they're bushing sideways a bit too, though the closeness & partly shaded location is sending most of the growth upwards.

I've read that spring/summer (June?) is a good time to prune. If I understand correctly, cutting back branches (does this include highest/vertical one?) by about 4 to 6 inches, just after a leaf, will encourage more branching and so a thicker lateral growth. In privacy terms, it's more important they grown sideways than upwards. Is this pruning advice correct?

In terms of feeding, I gather Laurel doesn't need much, but given I'd like to regrow some privacy quickly, what do forum members recommend? Amazon sell a concentrated feed specific to Cherry Laurel with NPK of 5.3/2.4/3.2. I'm not sure if this is overkill however, i.e. is there some more general fertilizer (I have some Tomorite which some recommend for general purpose) that would be fine?

Unconnectedly, I'm also encouraging the growth of some privet hedge areas (one is a 3 year old row of plants about 4ft tall; the other is an ancient (50 year?) privet where one side is regrowing after years up against a shed left it leafless). Is there a product that would suit both Cherry Laurel and Privet hedges? I know plants have different NPK preferences, but don't know how important this is?

Any advice on pruning, fertilizer products & timing is gratefully received.

 

I can't see how feeding them would encourage roots to go deeper, it's usually pruning that determines how they grow and it's more inclined to make them spread not go deeper but that happens with all plants. Have you decided on what over all height you want Roy? If you trim the growth on the top of the shrubs that will encourage the plants to put out side growth and also start to give your hedge some shape. Any side growth can be trimmed to and that will also create new growth and help the individual plants fill out. The pruning can be done now or in autumn.

Most shrubs including your Laurel and Privet will be happy with a general fertiliser. I feed Hebe hedging by scattering some chicken manure pellets around the base of the plants, in fact I use these all round my garden now including my roses. You could also use blood, fish and bone as an alternative.

 

Hi Sheal,

The comment re roots & feeding, picked up somewhere or other, was that feeding in the early stages gave nutrients too easily to the growing plant, risking more superficial root development. I held off from feeding in the first year on that basis.

I'd like it to reach 6 or 7 ft, to keep up with an established hedge that it's patching in for. Should I trim the leading vertical stem to encourage branching out more? I'm assuming side growth trimming is definitely needed to that effect?

If I prune now, as it's been a dry April here, should I water (or feed) first or afterwards?

 

Being as the plants are still young I'd only give them the one feed this year. It doesn't matter which side of pruning you feed and water but if you use a dry feed then it will need watering in. Give the ground a soaking first then put down the feed and water in.

You speak about the leading stem, is that the only stem you have on each plant, or are there other shorter ones? Is there any chance you could provide a picture please as it will be easier to guide you with pruning.

 

Hi Sheal,

Thanks for the advice. I've taken some pics, as you say it makes things easier. In doing so, it clarified the fact that things weren't quite as I remembered (!). Many of the plants seem to be branching in several directions right from the ground, rather than a single lead stem. Is that a good thing? Also, they're densely planted (1 foot spacing) to achieve a rapid screen, but this and the fact that there's an adjoining Forsythia hedge, all in a narrow passageway, made it quite hard to 'see the wood for the trees' and get sufficient photographic distance/perspective to make it clear. Anyway, please advise what you'd do.

 

Yes, it's natural for the stems to spread in different directions. With trimming these will all eventually form your nice neat hedge.

I think I would locate the tallest and shortest stems and trim the tops to the middle of that measurement unless there's a great distance between them. Another way would be to take off six to twelve inches right across the top, the shorter stems will eventually catch up.

Any shoots growing sideways towards it's neighbouring plant can be left but any growing out of line at the front can be trimmed back a little to create what will be the hedge face. All the pruning top and front will encourage the plants to produce further shoots. The more it's trimmed the more the hedge shape will fill out and form. Remember to allow the top of the hedge to put on some good growth in between trimming it.