Without pruning, Etna grows about as wide as it is tall, making it ideal for planting under other plants. However, the vigorous growth of this laurel cherry can quickly lead to other plants being suffocated or crowded out. Therefore, make sure that the tree does not take up more space than you would like to allow for it through targeted pruning right from the start.
When and how should you cut the Etna cherry laurel?
The optimal time to cut the Etna cherry laurel is spring, directly after flowering. Use sharp rose or pruning shears and trim the leafy branches above a pair of leaves. If necessary, a second pruning can be carried out in late summer or early autumn.
The cutting time
When you cut the Etna laurel cherry depends on whether you want to shorten the tree once or twice a year. The optimal time for pruning is spring, directly after flowering. A second pruning can then be done in late summer or early autumn.
In principle, Etna can be cut back all year round. You should only not use scissors when temperatures are below zero and at the beginning of the growing season. Since Etna is poisonous in all parts of the plant and can cause allergies, you should wear gloves when carrying out any work.
The right cutting tool
Hedge trimmers, especially motorized ones, are taboo when pruning the Etna cherry laurel. These cutting tools damage the beautifully shaped leaves and make the bush look torn. It is better to use sharp rose or pruning shears (€38.00 on Amazon), which leaves a clean, smooth cut
Procedure for pruning
So that the laurel cherry thrives with rich branches and produces many new shoots, there are a few points to consider:
- First remove all dead branches.
- Short the leafy branches above a pair of leaves and thereby shape the shrub.
- In order for Etna to form half-height hedges, the new growth must be shortened by about half.
Bare bushes tolerate heavy pruning
Despite the fact that Etna is one of the frost-hardy cherry laurel species, the evergreen tree freezes back badly in harsh winters without winter protection and is therefore only hesitant to sprout. In spring, cut off all frost damage down to the he althy wood so that the plant recovers quickly. In areas where temperatures often fall below zero, you should give the cherry laurel winter protection to avoid this damage, which will weaken the tree in the long term.
Tips & Tricks
How you cut the cherry laurel Etna depends on what you want to achieve with the cut. Since Etna grows quickly but rarely exceeds two meters in height, you can initially let a solitary plant grow unpruned and only occasionally remove annoying branches.