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Hedging for Shade, Discover Why Laurel is a Great
Choice
By
James Kilkelly
 Sizes and uses
Prunus laurocerasus is commonly known as the Cherry laurel or English laurel.
It is quite often confused with Laurus noblis (bay laurel or Grecian laurel),
which is the victory laurel of ancient Greece.
A hardy evergreen shrub native to Asia and Europe, It is often planted as a
large ground cover or under-planting beneath forest trees. I once did some work
for Newtown house in Abbeyknockmoy (an old estate house with a forest attached)
and witnessed first hand how large and rampant it can grow. In some cases, its
mature stems were growing serpentine-like, through and around the surrounding
plants and trees. In cases such as this a single laurel plant can grow to the
extremes of 7 metres wide (21ft), with a similar height. Within the garden, we
gardeners tend to grow this laurel as a formal hedge or screen with much smaller
dimensions due to pruning.
Growth rate, leaves, flowers and fruit
It is a hedge that will grow in conditions other hedges dread. Whether the
situation is full sun, partial shade, deep shade, damp soil or dry soil, laurel
will do well. Space laurel plants at 2ft centres in a row to run the length of
your hedge. This hedging plant does not exactly possess the "Formula 1" growth
rate of the Leylandii, you can realistically expect it to grow 1ft a year. With
large, leathery, dark green leaves, Prunus laurocerasus foliage is superior to
that of the Leylandii, It is more attractive and will reflect extra light into
your garden due to sheen on the leaves upper surface. Each spring, white flower
spikes are displayed amongst the glossy leaves, masses of these slightly
fragrant flowers will bloom on loosely clipped plants. Small black coloured
fruits form after flowering, these are actually inedible cherries. True to its
name, the Cherry laurel is a member of the cherry family, the same as the plum,
peach, apricot and almond.
When and how to prune
I am often asked when is the best time of year to attempt the pruning of your
laurel hedge. Well, anytime from April to the end of August is a good time to
prune your laurel hedging plants. The earlier they are pruned within this
timescale, the earlier they will put on fresh growth to cover your pruning cuts.
Try to prune laurel during a dry spell, as a bacterium know as Pseudomonas
syringae can enter through pruning cuts created in damp weather. This unpleasant
bacterium leads to the laurel dieback disease called bacterial canker. Pruning
laurel with petrol or electric hedge-trimmers can lead to rough jagged cuts and
unattractive half leaves; make your pruning cuts with secateurs instead. Do you
need to transplant some Laurel? Well, Laurel plants tend to tolerate
transplanting better in early spring.
James Kilkelly runs a professional garden design service in Galway, Ireland.
He has a regular gardening column in an Irish regional newspaper. Visit his
website at
http://www.gardenplansireland.com/ He also regularly posts his expert advice
on a gardening forum at
http://www.gardenstew.com/
Article's original location:
Marvelous May Plant Color
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Kilkelly
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