When is the laurel pruned?

One of the very, very slow growing trees is the laurel. It is considered a tree that you plant but you do not see grow and, according to the saying, it grows so slowly that the person who plants it cannot see it in its splendor. But that does not mean that you do not have to carry out a little maintenance. For example,Do you know when the laurel is pruned? Or how do you make it look like a tree?

If you have a laurel tree, or are going to have one, and you want to shape it or ensure that year after year its growth is noticeable, then we are going to give you all the keys to achieve it. Go for it?

Why is a laurel pruned?

There is a saying that goes something like: "Whoever plants a laurel tree does not see it grow." This is because it is so slow in its growth that the years go by and the person who has planted it reaches old age and at the end of his days without the tree having changed much.

Laurels are plants that take many years to reach their "adult" appearance. That is why they are so appreciated and important.

So it is possible that you wonder why prune it if it takes so long to grow. The truth is that There is a reason for this: to keep it nice and clean. Over time, it can have broken, dry, diseased branches... which will make the tree look ugly and that will make it not look pretty. In addition, they are a source of infection for diseases and pests and it is more than enough reason to spend a little time to get it cleaned up.

In reality, a drastic pruning is not necessary, in fact it is not advisable. But it is necessary that can be pruned to a maximum of one third of its size since that will activate the development of the plant.

When is the laurel pruned?

Once you know the reason why you should prune the laurels, the next thing is to know the best time to do it. And in this sense, the best is always wait for autumn and winter. In these two seasons, the plant completely stops its growth, and this allows any pruning to be carried out without suffering.

Of course, keep in mind what we have told you before, that you should not prune it more than a third of its size because it is one of the plants that suffers a lot with pruning.

In addition, you have to control the weather a bit. We explain to you. If you live in an area where it is quite cold in winter, it is not advisable to prune the laurel in that season. Not even in the fall. It is better to wait until the end of winter to do it because that way you ensure that it will not freeze (due to the scars that are produced) or contract any disease or plague that ends with its health.

Apart from that pruning, some experts recommend that, in spring, a small cut is given to the top of the tree. In this way, it will be able to produce new branches and will make it take on the shape of a tree.

How to prune the laurel

Now that you know when the laurel is pruned, it only remains to know what are the steps to take to do it. And for this, we have made a small guide that can illustrate you about everything you have to do (don't worry, it's not much).

laurel pruning tools

What do you need to prune a laurel? You may think that some scissors and maybe some gloves to protect you. But is it enough? Yes and no.

Depending on how the laurel is, you may think that with scissors and gloves it is enough, but what if it is already quite tall? Don't you need some stairs or scaffolding to prune it?

It can also happen that the branches are quite thick, and that with the scissors you will not be able to cut, so you will have to have one at hand. chainsaw. And if we talk about high cuts, a helmet and goggles they are also very important.

Actually, all the tools that we have told you about are the ones that you would use in any situation. Obviously, if your laurel is small, a pair of scissors is more than enough. But we wanted to give you the complete list because it may be that you have a laurel in different phases.

Types of laurel pruning

Next we want to talk to you about the different types of pruning that you could carry out on your laurel.

Maintenance pruning

It is the most common and the one you will do practically every year. Consists in remove branches that are diseased or dry, damaged, etc. Those branches that get in the way or that prevent the air from penetrating well throughout the laurel would also enter here.

Formation pruning

It is one of the first that is done to this tree because it is responsible for giving it shape (hence its name) and for it to grow in a healthy way.

To shape it, all you have to do is determine how you want your tree to be and follow it to the letter, cutting those branches that come out of that design.

In the case of reducing the size of the laurel, you will have to mark a certain line or space of your laurel and cut what is out of that area.

Plan the pruning

You already have the tools, you have decided the type of pruning. Now what remains is to get down to work and this is where you should not "fly in the dark." That is, you have to have planned in advance the cuts that you are going to give. This way you make sure you don't prune too much and at the same time know which branches to remove and which to keep.

Start with the root shoots. These take a lot of energy and, unless you want it to keep its original and usual shape, it is best to remove them.

Then continue with the diseased, weakened, dry branches... These will not give you much trouble and will cut easily, although, if they are thick, you should have a healing ointment on hand to prevent bacteria from entering and damaging your health.

Behind these branches the next thing would be the training pruning itself, in case you want it to have one form or another.

For example, if you want it as a tree with a tall crown, you would have to cut a part of the crown so that it branches and, when it does, remove the branches from the lower part to leave the trunk bare.

On the other hand, if you prefer it in a low ball, you will have to make sure that it does not grow too long and that it has a ball shape, trimming those branches that leave that circle.

As you see, it is not only important when the laurel is pruned, but also the way in which it is carried out and the reasons why certain branches of this plant are cut. Do you have a laurel and want to do it? Surely our recommendations will help you succeed.