- Which plants to choose for the laurel hedge?
- What should a good location for a laurel hedge look like?
- How should the planting of the laurel hedge be done?
- How can the real laurel be propagated for planting a hedge?
- When is the best time to plant a laurel hedge?
- When can leaves and branches be harvested from a laurel hedge?
- What planting distance should be maintained for a laurel hedge?
- tips and tricks
The real laurel or spice laurel (Laurus nobilis) should not be confused with the inedible cherry laurel. While the latter type of plant is very often planted in the form of dense and evergreen hedges, laurel hedges can only be planted in suitably mild locations and overwintered outdoors.

Which plants to choose for the laurel hedge?
If you want to have a man-high hedge with opaque growth within a few years, you are sometimes better off with the cherry laurel than with the real laurel. However, the real laurel (Laurus nobilis) has the advantage that it does not have to be cut as often and can also be harvested for use in the kitchen.
What should a good location for a laurel hedge look like?
At an ideal location for the real laurel, the following conditions should be met:
- only a few sub-zero temperatures in winter
- lots of heat and sunshine
- a humus-rich and well-drained soil
How should the planting of the laurel hedge be done?
When planting the laurel hedge, make sure that the roots can branch well in the loose soil. If necessary, you should remove areas with loamy or stony substrate and fill them in again with loose soil.
How can the real laurel be propagated for planting a hedge?
The easiest way to propagate the real laurel is to use cuttings that are about 10 to 15 centimeters long and cut half-ripe. You have to keep them evenly moist in a semi-shady place in a loose substrate for about 6 months so that they can root.
When is the best time to plant a laurel hedge?
Laurel trees can be planted and transplanted in spring and autumn if the weather is not too hot and dry. Plants with fresh shoots tend to yellow or brown leaves and drought damage after transplanting.
When can leaves and branches be harvested from a laurel hedge?
In principle, bay leaves can be harvested and dried almost all year round. This can often be combined with an already planned pruning.
What planting distance should be maintained for a laurel hedge?
You should keep a distance of about 60 to 100 centimeters between the individual plants, as the real laurel sometimes also reproduces via root suckers.
tips and tricks
Like any other hedge, a laurel hedge should be well watered after planting, but the plants do not particularly like waterlogging.
WK