Cherry laurel is one of the most vigorous shrubs. With growth of up to forty centimeters a year, freshly planted laurel cherries quickly develop into magnificent trees that form dense, evergreen hedges. In order for the cherry laurel to thrive so well, it needs cyclic fertilizer applications in addition to the right location.

Regular fertilizing increases resistance

Unlike other shrubs, hardy cherry laurel does not shed its leaves and therefore has a high nutrient requirement. The shrub reacts to undersupply with brown leaves and leaf shedding. In addition, laurel cherries that are sufficiently supplied with nutrients are far less susceptible to diseases.

When to fertilize cherry laurel?

A first application of fertilizer takes place in early spring, even before the actual growth period begins. In this way, the laurel cherry receives enough nutrients to gather new strength after the hard winter months and drive it out in a healthy way.

One-off fertilizing is sometimes not enough for the fast-growing shrub, even if long-term fertilizers such as horn shavings (€32.93) or compost have been used. Therefore, supply the plant again with a suitable fertilizer in early summer at the end of May or beginning of June.

From the end of July, the newly formed wood must be able to mature so that the laurel cherry does not freeze back in winter. Therefore, do not apply fertilizer in late summer and autumn. The plant then no longer develops fresh shoots and gets through the cold season well.

How is fertilized?

  • Only fertilize the soil when it is moist. Moisten dry soil well before applying the fertilizer.
  • When it comes to fertilizing, less is more. Dose compost, manure and other fertilizers moderately. If necessary, you can fertilize the laurel cherry a second time in early summer.
  • Mulch the soil around the cherry laurel after fertilizing. If you use grass clippings for mulching, you must ensure that no rot develops. This danger does not exist when covering with bark mulch or wood chips.

Which fertilizer is suitable?

You can fertilize the laurel cherry with different means. Which includes:

  • Damn
  • compost
  • horn shavings
  • blue grain
  • finished fertilizer

How to use each fertilizer

natural crap

Well deposited cow or horse manure is well suited for fertilizing the laurel cherry. Alternatively, you can purchase manure in pellet form from stores. These fertilizers are also purely biological. Manure pellets usually have a depot effect, which makes a second application of fertilizer in early summer superfluous.

Compost from your own garden

Well matured compost is the ideal fertilizer. It contains sufficient nitrogen and all other important nutrients and trace elements in an optimal dosage and easily usable form. Spread the compost in a layer about an inch thick around the laurel and work it into the soil with a hoe. Make sure the compost is ripe, otherwise it will pull nitrogen from the soil, which the shrub needs to grow.

Horn fertilizer: Very good organic nitrogen fertilizer

Horn meal, horn shavings and horn meal consist of the crushed horns of slaughtered animals. While horn meal can quickly be dissolved in the soil and absorbed by the plants, horn shavings decompose slowly. They are decomposed by the microorganisms and provide the cherry laurel with nutrients over a longer period of time.

Work the fertilizer into the slightly damp soil with a hoe. Since over-fertilizing with horn shavings (32.93€) is practically impossible, this fertilizer is also suitable for enriching compost or soil when planting young laurel cherries.

blue grain

Blaukorn is a mineral NPK fertilizer containing nitrogen (N), phosphate (P) and potash (K). Blaukorn works very quickly and is very inexpensive compared to many other fertilizers. However, there is no organic matter in blueseed and therefore the fertilizer does not improve soil quality.

Work the blue seed spread around the cherry laurel well into the moist soil and water the plant thoroughly after fertilizing. Dose blue grain very precisely, otherwise there is a risk of over-fertilizing the soil. As a result, nitrogen gets into the groundwater in the form of nitrate and the soil structure suffers.

Ready-to-use organic fertilizers: Convenient and easy to use

Ready-to-use fertilizer contains all nutrients in an optimal composition. You can very well fertilize the cherry laurel, for example, with rhododendron fertilizer or a compound fertilizer (NPK fertilizer). Apply these fertilizers in the dosages indicated on the package so you can be sure that the bay cherry is well supplied with all the necessary nutrients.

The following applies to all fertilizers: Strictly observe the manufacturer's instructions regarding quantity and frequency of application. Although the danger of over-fertilizing laurel cherries is rather low, too much fertilizer can slow down growth and cause serious damage to the plants, including death.

tips and tricks

Sometimes it happens that a bush of a laurel hedge dies and the resulting hole needs to be filled with a young plant as quickly as possible. In the second year after planting, you can achieve a major growth spurt with liquid flower fertilizer (€1.95).

Category:

Trees