Cherry laurel can be propagated by cuttings without any problems. In this way, you can pull the trees for an entire hedge yourself and, since the laurel cherry is not one of the cheapest trees, save a lot of money.
cut cuttings
If you need a large number of sprouts, you can very well get them from pruning a healthy and strong laurel cherry. You can be quite rude and simply separate the cuttings from the branch by tearing them off. Then shorten the small bark flag at the foot with sharp and clean rose scissors.
Alternatively, you can separate the cuttings directly from the mother plant. Cut a branch deep in the old wood from the mother plant and tear off shoots from this, where the flag at the foot is also slightly shortened.
Tearing is better than cutting
Tearing off the offshoots has the advantage that a smooth wound surface is created that heals very quickly. Secateurs (€17.82), on the other hand, crush the wood, so you have to reckon with large losses due to rot.
plant cuttings
Since the cherry laurel evaporates a lot of water through the leaves, it is important to reduce the leaf surface of the cuttings. Leave only two to three leaves on the shoot and cut them in half. Then proceed as follows:
- Fill the growing pots with special growing soil.
- Put the cuttings about halfway into the ground and press down lightly.
- To create a greenhouse climate, put a clear plastic bag over the jars.
- Air daily to avoid mold growth.
- Place the seed pots (€16.68) in a warm but not full sun spot.
As soon as the small sprouts start to sprout again, they can be separated into pots that are not too small. Take care of the small laurel cherries in the house or in a sheltered place on the terrace for the first year until they have developed into vigorously growing young plants.
Driving roots in the vase
Alternatively, you can place cherry laurel cuttings with two to three pairs of leaves in a vase on the windowsill. The sprouts will take root within four to six weeks and can then be transplanted into a sufficiently large planter or directly into the field.
tips and tricks
A trace of orchid fertilizer in the water stimulates the root formation of the laurel cherry and the sprouts often sprout new shoots in the water.