The cherry laurel is characterized by its rapid growth and increases in height and width by around forty to fifty centimeters per year. If this is not the case with your trees, it could be a slow-growing variety. Care errors or the wrong substrate can also be responsible if the laurel cherry thrives poorly.
Why is my cherry laurel growing slowly?
Slow growing cherry laurel can be due to a specific variety, care errors or unsuitable soil. To improve growth, you should cut regularly, fertilize adequately, ensure adequate water supply and, if necessary, loosen the soil.
How do you recognize a slow-growing cherry laurel species after years?
After a while, the gardener often no longer knows which variety of cherry laurel was planted. In the case of cherry laurel, the size of the foliage can indicate whether the cherry laurel is fast-growing or rather slow. As a general rule, it can be said that the fast-growing varieties usually have larger leaves. But here too, as is so often the case, some exceptions confirm this rule.
Common care mistakes that lead to slow growth
Even though the cherry laurel is extremely robust, it still requires certain care measures so that it grows quickly and thrives.
Cut regularly
The leaves of the cherry laurel sit on canes that only branch moderately without cutting. To ensure that the hedge becomes nice and dense, you should cut the tree for the first time in the spring after planting. The cherry laurel then sprouts vigorously and forms numerous new shoots. For this pruning, use rose or pruning shears (€38.00 on Amazon), as electric hedge trimmers damage the leaves and make them look torn.
Fertilizer shortage
The strong-growing plant thrives best on permeable and humus-rich soil. Fertilize the cherry laurel in spring with horn meal, horn shavings, mature manure or compost. In this way, the tree can make full use of its resources and sprout vigorously after the rest period in winter. A second fertilizer application should then be made in May or June.
Too much or too little water inhibits growth
Despite the fact that the laurel cherry can cope with dry phases relatively well, the evergreen tree needs sufficient water to develop well. Due to the large leaf area, the cherry laurel evaporates a lot of moisture, which the plant has to reabsorb from the underground. Therefore, water the laurel cherry not only in summer when there is little rain, but also on frost-free days during the cold season.
Tips & Tricks
Heavily compacted, heavy soil can also be responsible for the cherry laurel's slow growth. Improve these soils by incorporating coarse sand and compost into the soil.