The cherry laurel is characterized by its willingness to grow and increases in height and width by about forty to fifty centimeters a year. If this is not the case with your shrubs, it could be a slow-growing variety. Mistakes in care or the wrong substrate can also be responsible if the laurel cherry thrives poorly.

How can you recognize a slow-growing cherry laurel species after years?

After a while, the gardener often no longer knows which cherry laurel variety was planted. In the case of the laurel cherry, the size of the foliage can provide information about whether the cherry laurel is fast-growing or rather slow-growing. In general, it can be said that the vigorous varieties usually have larger leaves. But here too, as is so often the case, there are a few exceptions that confirm this rule.

Common care mistakes that lead to slow growth

Even if the cherry laurel is extremely robust, it needs certain care measures so that it grows quickly and thrives.

Cut regularly

The leaves of the cherry laurel sit on rods that branch only moderately without pruning. In order for the hedge to be nice and dense, you should cut the wood for the first time in the spring after planting. The cherry laurel then drives out vigorously and forms numerous new shoots. Use pruning shears or pruning shears for this pruning, as electric hedge shears (€77.00) damage the leaves and make them look torn.

fertilizer shortage

The strong-growing plant thrives best in well-drained and humus-rich soil. Fertilize the laurel cherry in the spring with horn meal, horn shavings, (32.93€) ripe manure or compost. In this way, the wood can draw on plenty and sprout vigorously after the dormant phase in winter. A second application of fertilizer should then take place in May or June.

Too much or too little water will stunt growth

Despite the fact that the laurel cherry puts up with dry phases relatively well, the evergreen wood needs sufficient watering to develop well. Due to the large leaf area, the cherry laurel evaporates a lot of moisture, which the plant has to absorb from the ground. Therefore, water the laurel cherry not only in summer when little rain falls, but also on frost-free days during the cold season.

tips and tricks

A heavily compacted, heavy soil can also be responsible for the fact that the cherry laurel thrives only hesitantly. Improve these soils by incorporating coarse sand and compost into the soil.

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