If you're looking for how to plant a laurel hedge, look no further.
This guide provides everything you need to know in order to plant laurel hedges and get them off to a great start.
From choosing the right spot, to planting and spacing the hedge correctly, this guide has it all.
So whether you're a beginner or an experienced gardener, read on for the instructions you need to create a beautiful laurel hedge of your own that will bring all year round beauty to any garden.
In our hedge planting video tutorial, you'll quickly learn how to plant laurel hedging and the steps involved in creating a thick and healthly hedge.
The best time of year to plant laurel hedging is in the spring or autumn. This is because the ground is still warm enough for the hedge to get off to a good start, but it's not too hot or cold so the plants won't suffer. If you live in an area with a cold winter, it's best to wait until the spring to plant your hedge.
If you're planting a new hedge from scratch, choose a site that gets plenty of sun and has well-drained soil. Avoid sites that are too windy, as this can damage young plants. Cherry Laurel are the most hardy out of the laurel family of plants.
Once you've selected the perfect spot and are ready to plant laurel, mark out the area where you'll be planting. This will help ensure that your hedge is planted in a straight line.
The first step in how to plant a hedge is to prepare good quality soil. To do this, you'll need to remove any rocks or debris from the area, and then use a shovel to break up the soil.
Next, add some organic matter to the soil - this can be compost, manure, or leaf mold and will encourage laurel growth and a thick hedge. Mix everything together well, and then use a trowel to level off the surface of the soil.
Now it's time to plant your laurel hedge plants! Dig a hole for each of your laurel shrubs that is twice as wide as the pot it came in and just as deep.
Carefully remove the shrub from its pot and place it in the hole you dug - make sure that the root ball is intact and that no roots are sticking out of the bottom of the pot. Fill in around the root ball with soil, using your hands or a garden fork to pack it down tightly.
The general rule of thumb is to plant laurel 2 - 3 feet apart, depending on how dense you wish your mature hedge to be. When planting laurel hedging plants, it's important to use the correct plant spacing so they have room to grow. Laurel hedges grow at an approximate rate of 20-30cm per year, so its important to get the distance between each plant correct.
However, if you're using a smaller variety such as Compact Laurel, you may want to plant them a little closer together as they have less overall width and spread.
Once you've marked out the area where you'll be planting and determined how far apart to place each laurel, it's time to start planting.
The first step is to loosen the soil at the planting site with a shovel or hoe. Then, take a pot or garden trowel and dig a hole that's big enough to accommodate the root ball of the laurel plant.
Carefully remove the plant from its container and place it in the hole. Make sure the roots are spread out evenly and that the top of the root ball is level with or slightly above the surrounding soil.
Fill in the hole around the plant with soil, making sure to pack it down firmly so there's no air pockets. Water the planted laurel thoroughly, then continue filling in any remaining gaps around the hedge with additional soil.
Watering laurel hedging is important for ensuring that the plants get off to a good start and grow healthy and strong.
In the first year after planting your hedge, it's important to water the hedge regularly, especially if there is no rain or if the hedge is not in partial shade.
A good rule of thumb is to water the hedge once or twice a week, depending on how hot and dry the weather is.
To water the hedge, use a garden hose with a spray nozzle attached and aim the water at the base of the plants.
Be sure to wet the entire surface of the soil, not just the top. You may need to do this process more than once in order to provide enough water.
Once your laurel hedge is established, it will require very little care. However, there are a few things you can do to help keep it looking healthy.
Prune your laurel hedge regularly to keep it looking neat and tidy. Remove any dead or damaged branches and cut back any overgrown branches.
For detailed pruning advice, read our guide on how to trim and prune your laurel hedge.
Once or twice a year, you can fertilise your laurel hedge with a slow-release hedge feed and fertiliser. This will help keep the plants healthy and productive.
Applying a layer of mulch around your laurel plants each year can help to retain moisture with less regular watering and also reduce weed growth.
If you're looking for an easy-to-maintain hedge that will add some privacy and beauty to your property, laurel hedging is the perfect solution. We have many types of laurel in stock, including bare root, pot grown, root balled and instant hedging.
In this article, we've outlined how to plant laurel hedging, from preparing the soil to watering it regularly. We've also included some tips on how to care for your newly planted hedge.
So if you're ready to take the plunge and plant a laurel hedge of your own, just follow our simple planting guide!
Choosing the right laurel hedge species is important, as the laurel family of plants have different characteristics and growth rates. Popular species of laurel plants include, Cherry Laurel, Portuguese Laurel, Compact Laurel, Upright Laurel and Sweet Bay Laurel.
