Poorly laurel hedge

Good afternoon. I wonder if anyone could help us with a problem we have with our laurel hedge. For the second year running it has started to shed leaves which first turn yellow and then drop.

The hedge is east-facing and doesn't get a great deal of sun. It's put on a reasonable amount of growth this year. I pruned it a week ago and just exposed more dying leaves. We have given it water this week, it being so dry and hot; but normally we don't water it because I'd heard that yellowing leaves is a sign over over-watering. The border in which they are planted is about 14" wide and the hedge is against a larchlap fence.

While writing I wonder if anyone has any advice on how we can bush the plants out at gthe top to make a continuous screen.

Many thanks.



Andrew Staton

 

Hi
Mine does the same thing at this time of year I just think its the old leaves falling off ,just like a autumn tree but as we both know its a evergreen , looking at your photos , the tip to get a good dense hedge is regular pinching out the outward facing buds and only letting the top of the hedge grow about 6 inches then cut them all level this makes it produce more side shoots and then do the same again and again until it has reached the height you want and doing this helps keep it dense rather than allowing just a couple of branches , 14 inches does sound very narrow to grow a Laurel hedge though ... just a thought

Spruce

 

Hi
Totally agree with spruce ........... But I wouldn't be pruning mid summer... Whilst the weather is so hot ..... Just a thought .....