How do I look after a laurel hedge?
Why a trimmer ruins a laurel hedge, the shot-hole and yellowing problems that look alarming and mostly are not, and the renovation laurel will happily take.
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Time
- 2 hr
- Read
- 4 min
Short answer
Cut laurel with secateurs or loppers rather than a hedge trimmer — a trimmer slices the big leaves in half and they brown at the cut edges for months. Cut in mid to late summer after checking for nests. Laurel regenerates readily from old wood, so it can be cut hard back if it gets away.
Cherry laurel is the default fast evergreen hedge across suburban Britain: cheap, shade-tolerant, undemanding and quick. Its two weaknesses are that it is bulky and greedy, and that it is the one common hedge species genuinely spoiled by the tool most people use on it. Portuguese laurel, with much smaller leaves, avoids the second problem entirely and is worth knowing about before planting.
What you'll need
- Secateurs and loppers
- Hedge trimmer for large hedges (optional)
- Gloves
- Mulch (optional)
Step by step
- Check for nesting birds before any cut.Laurel is dense and heavily used for nesting. Check thoroughly, whatever the month, and leave any section with an active nest.
- Cut with secateurs, not a trimmer, where you can.A hedge trimmer cuts through the middle of large laurel leaves, and each cut leaf browns and dies back around the wound. The hedge looks scorched for two to three months. Cutting individual shoots back to a leaf joint with secateurs leaves whole leaves showing and looks immaculate.
- Accept the trade-off on a large hedge.On a long or tall run, secateurs are unrealistic. Use the trimmer and accept the browning, or cut in early summer so the hedge grows out through it faster.
- Cut in mid to late summer.July to August is the main window. Growth is complete enough that the hedge stays tidy, and there is still time for a flush of new leaf to cover the cuts before winter.
- Keep a proper batter.Wider at the base than the top. Laurel is vigorous and will happily shade its own base out, and once the lower branches die back the hedge is bare-legged for years.
- Feed and mulch, because laurel is greedy.A general fertiliser in spring and a mulch of compost along the base, kept off the stems. A laurel hedge impoverishes the ground beside it, which is why the border in front of one is always disappointing.
- Renovate hard if it has got away.Laurel regenerates freely from old wood. Cut one side back to the main stems in mid-spring, wait a full year, then do the other. It will look shocking and it recovers well.
- Recognise the harmless problems.Small round holes in the leaves — shot hole — is a common bacterial or fungal issue that looks alarming and rarely matters. Yellowing older leaves shed in spring is normal. Yellowing across the whole hedge with poor growth usually means waterlogging, drought or hunger.
- Know that laurel is toxic.The leaves and berries of cherry laurel contain cyanogenic compounds and are poisonous to people, pets and livestock. Keep clippings away from animals, do not shred large volumes in an enclosed space, and think carefully before planting it alongside a paddock.
Tips
- Portuguese laurel takes a trimmer without the mutilated-leaf problem, is neater, more refined and better for a formal hedge. If you are still choosing, choose that.
- Laurel roots run wide and greedy. Do not plan a herbaceous border tight against a laurel hedge and then wonder why it fails.
- Cutting a laurel in early summer rather than late means the browning grows out within the same season.
Common mistakes
- Cutting with a hedge trimmer and then wondering why it looks burnt — Sliced leaves brown around the cut. It is mechanical damage, not disease, and it is entirely a consequence of the tool.
- Cutting laurel in autumn — New growth stimulated late has no time to harden, and the cut leaves stay brown all winter with no regrowth to cover them.
- Letting it grow to 4m and then trying to narrow it — Laurel does regenerate from old wood, but a huge hedge is a huge job. Two cuts a year at a sensible size is a fraction of the work.
- Composting large volumes of fresh laurel in a closed bin — Wilting foliage releases cyanide compounds. It is not a serious hazard outdoors, but shred and compost it in the open, not in an enclosed shed or a sealed container.
If it doesn't work
Brown-edged half-leaves all over the hedge
Cause: Cut with a hedge trimmer — Fix: It grows out in two to three months. Cut with secateurs, or cut earlier in summer, next time.
Small round holes in the leaves
Cause: Shot hole, usually bacterial — Fix: Mostly cosmetic. Improve vigour with feeding and mulching, clear fallen leaves, and avoid cutting in wet weather.
Whole hedge yellow and thin
Cause: Waterlogging, drought or nutrient shortage — Fix: Check the drainage first, then feed and mulch. Laurel on wet clay is a common failure.
Bare at the base
Cause: No batter, or shaded by its own top growth — Fix: Reduce the height and cut a taper. Laurel will reshoot from old wood, so this can be recovered, unlike a conifer.
Questions people ask
When should I cut a laurel hedge?
Mid to late summer, roughly July to August, after checking for nesting birds. Avoid autumn, when the cut leaves will stay brown all winter.
Can I cut laurel back hard?
Yes. It regenerates readily from old wood, so a badly overgrown laurel can be cut back to bare stems. Do one side at a time, a year apart, and feed, mulch and water through the recovery.
Is laurel poisonous to dogs?
Cherry laurel leaves and berries contain cyanogenic compounds and are toxic if eaten. Most dogs are not interested, but keep fresh clippings out of reach and do not leave a pile of cuttings where an animal can chew them.