Hedge help

wolfyboy555 · 14-08-2022 10:55pm #1

I planted a new Portuguese Laurel hedge nearly one month ago in a new build garden at the front boundary. When digging the holes I got the usual builders rubble all below so removed most of that and planted each plant with mixture of topsoil and compost.

Some of the leaves have started to go yellow which has me worried and looking for advice on if it's a cause for concern or how to remedy. I have attached photos below. I've been trying to water every 2/3 evenings.

Also what to do in between plants where there is grass/clover/weeds appearing. I was thinking of throwing decorative bark on top all the way across but do I need to kill of grass and weeds first or will bark prevent them from growing up?

Thanks for any info.

Jim_Hodge · 15-08-2022 8:38am

I wouldn't be overly concerned considering the scorching sun recently. Continue regular watering and really soak them when watering - nothing worse than only wetting the top of the soil.

wolfyboy555 · 17-08-2022 9:50am

Many thanks. Will keep up the watering and see if any improvement. Would you say 5ltr of water per plant would be a good soaking? Also any advice on the use on in-between strips. I would be hesitant about using round-up or the likes for fear of killing the hedge. Would chucking some bark down do a similar job of suppression?

Still stihl waters 3 · 17-08-2022 10:19am

Use brown cardboard and cover in mulch between plants to inhibit weed growth

Jim_Hodge · 17-08-2022 10:49am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119484067#Comment_119484067

As Still said, cover the grass to inhibit it. I know it's too late now but I always dig out the entire strip before planting a hedge rather than dig holes for individual plants, then I just need some mulch or weeding.

barneygumble99 · 18-08-2022 3:45pm

Planted Portuguese Laurel just under 3 years ago, I did the same as you, just drilled individual holes for each plant. It’s a slow grower alright but has come on loads in the last 12 months. I also trimmed the grass underneath them which is time consuming but I think it helped. We constantly have yellow leaves but none died out of 350 plants. The only time I watered them was during the real good weather at the start of lockdown 2020.

3 years ago v today

18-08-2022 3:50pm

I'd dig out a border of about 2 feet, add some manure and compost, cover in layer of cardboard and then a layer of about three inches of mulch. This will keep down the weeds and the mulch will retain the moisture.

wolfyboy555 · 22-08-2022 5:24pm

Thanks for advice I have given the cardboard and mulch a go and will keep an eye to see how it goes.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119489837#Comment_119489837

Good to know you've had similar issues regards yellow leaves. That's some good progress in your pics. Do you do any pruning back on yours at all?

barneygumble99 · 22-08-2022 8:05pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119506327#Comment_119506327

i haven’t pruned it back yet but will top it next year. I don’t want to let it get higher than my shoulders. I had thought about the mulch idea but my neighbour said he was sick of dried out mulch blowing across his lawn. We are exposed where we are though.

looksee · 22-08-2022 9:14pm

It continues to be recommended to start trimming the top of a hedge early, but it is counter-intuitive to a lot of people who want the hedge to be the size they want before they trim. It really is better to trim as the hedge is growing to get good leaf cover and shape rather than waiting.

barneygumble99 · 22-08-2022 9:18pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119507621#Comment_119507621

When do u recommend cutting and would you trim sides and top together. I’m no Gerry Daly by a long shot. I just wanted a hedge for privacy. Hedge is down since autumn 2019 and hasn’t been trimmed at all yet.

looksee · 22-08-2022 9:29pm

Now would be a good time, just take off the new whispy little branches at the top - if you look at your second photo of 5 bushes, take the two little new bits off the middle one then bring all the others down to the same level. You will be taking more substantial branches off some and just sprigs off others. Look along the sides and do much the same, take off new bits that are beyond the bulk of the shrub, and again in a few places you might have to take back a bigger bit - there appears to be a random low branch on the left hand shrub that could be cut back. That is quite conservative cutting back but it should improve the bushes.

Overall, attempt to take off the leading buds as much as possible. You won't do any harm and will do a lot of good, cutting off tips of the branches will produce more side shoots and thicken up the bushes. You will not slow down the growth of the bushes, in fact you will encourage them.

barneygumble99 · 22-08-2022 10:42pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119507741#Comment_119507741

Maybe you’re mistaking my photo for wolf boy??

looksee · 22-08-2022 10:49pm

Oh yes, I did. I didn't realise there were two hedges in the discussion. The information stands, your hedge seems to be doing very well but can you see down at the bottom there are bare gaps? You need to cut the hedge back a bit and encourage it to fill in at the bottom. The more you trim the top and sides, the more it will produce new growth and fill in the gaps.

23-08-2022 8:28am

As above, it has to be cut back from the top and the sides to encourage new growth and to thicken and fill out. I take some of the new growth back every May, cutting by about a foot at the top and some off the sides, and it really takes off by the summer. If you don't do it, the hedge gets very spindly and won't fill out.

barneygumble99 · 23-08-2022 8:49am

Is it too late to cut this year or will I just wait til next year?

looksee · 23-08-2022 10:43am

This is a good time to do it.

10-10-20 · 24-08-2022 5:11pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119509560#Comment_119509560

May I confuse matters more by adding in photos of a third P. Laurel hedge? lol

What are your thoughts around how I should deal with three leaders such as in the photo below. I'm aiming to have a tall hedge (circa 3m) so I'm unsure if I should have three main branches or just trim it back to 1 or 2. I have already trimmed back the side-branches from each of the three leaders since this photo.

As you may see from the bark, the leaders split about three seasons ago (before I bought the 1m plants) and I didn't deal with them then as the plants were only establishing.

standardg60 · 24-08-2022 7:59pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119516276#Comment_119516276

As said above you really need to ignore the ultimate height you're hoping to reach, all hedge plants need trimming in their early years to encourage branching and density, it's never a good idea to just leave them until they grow that high and then start to trim.

I'd be more concerned about the openess and laxness of the plant in your pic than the three leaders, it needs trimming. Start at the bottom and trim back the branches to where they're sturdy and not drooping, then work up sloping inwards. This needs to be done at the sides too even if it means creating a gap between the plants, better to have them fill in with dense growth than long drooping branches.

Then reduce the leaders across the top to where they're sturdy too, with a hedge you're looking to establish dense growth, so in reality the more leaders the better.

10-10-20 · 24-08-2022 9:06pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119516970#Comment_119516970

Well thanks for the explanation. I suppose it's a leap-of-faith as I have invested time and effort in planting and 'maintaining' the hedge since planting it in 2020, so to hear that much of the new growth needs to be taken back - appears to be a retrograde step.

But I went out and trimmed it back as you said - took off the leggy hanging branches and took the leaders back to sturdy and more dense growth. Gave it a water and prayed to St Anthony in guilt. ;)

standardg60 · 24-08-2022 9:56pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119517260#Comment_119517260

Well done, as i often explain to clients it's a cruel to be kind approach, rewards will be reaped in the long run

10-10-20 · 24-08-2022 10:26pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119517569#Comment_119517569

I appreciate your assistance. 👍️

looksee · 24-08-2022 10:39pm

Glad to hear you have given it a haircut! I would have taken it down to about the height of the wall - long thin leaders are really not what you want in a hedge bush, as standardg60 says, you have to be cruel to be kind - and in the long run you will not lose any time in achieving height, cutting it will encourage it to grow.

Hedge help

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