Laurel Hedging

[cris r]

Hi I am researching growing a Laurel hedge, there are so many and it has become a bit confusing. I want to grow the hedge along a brick wall that is sixteen meters long and I would like the laurel to be 1.5 meters high when I plant it. I would like to plant it as soon as possible. Any tips or advice would be appreciated Many Thanks Christine :)

[boxtops]

this might help, lots of hints on Google

[Chipchopper]

Hi cris, By far, the most popular laurel and most commonly planted for hedging is the (cherry laurel) which is actually a form of evergreen cherry but is widely known as laurel, maybe this is where it becomes "a bit confusing"
It is fairly fast growing and can become a dense hedge with regular pruning, best results are achieved by pruning with secateurs rather than shears.
Left unpruned, it can reach about 16ft.
It is not fussy about soil type, as long as its free draining.
Prune it in late summer/early autumn but never in winter.

[piemeister]

Personally I would avoid laurel. It needs to be trimmed with secateurs- an arduous job to say the least, especially 16 metres of it. Why not consider beech hedging, whilst not evergreen it does retain it's lovely russet leaves until the new green shoots appear in spring. You only need to trim once a year, it's tolerant of most conditions, it can take very hard pruning in it's stride and is easy to control. I've even used mine for topiary!

[rowanwitch]

plant a wildlife hedge instead mix hawthorn blackthorn berberis with some denser shrubs like viburnum some privet for the flowers and maybe some rugosa roses.. let honeysuckle grow through it and enjoy the extra dimension it brings