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Laurel hedge

Pam300Pam300 Posts: 4
in Problem solving
laurel hedge. About three years old...parts are green and parts are now turning yellow ..was very healthy before this winter ...is in a sunny place in front of neighbours fence....and about 30foot in length. And 6foot high...do I feed it.?If so what do I use that is dog friendly and easy to use...If so something that goes straight to soil with no mixing  etc as i,m not too agile ...

Posts

  • 2oaktrees2oaktrees Posts: 160
    Bumping up! Hopefully someone can give good advice. 
  • WaysideWayside Posts: 845
    I can't offer advice, but I have yellowing this time of year.
  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,700
    edited April 2018
    It might be best to post a photo of your hedge. Laurel could be a few types of plants and yellowing can mean different things.

    The odd bright yellow leaf is unlikely a big issue, but if your leaves are dull and pale, it may just be waterlogged or the roots are not able to take up nutrients. You need to know your soil first to see if this is the issue. If you had very wet soil all winter, that might mean you will need to dig holes around the base and work in grit and lay heavy layers of compost/mulch to help. 

    Sometimes, in sudden hot spells, a growth spurt can mean new leaves growing out are dull and yellow/brown colour. This is also normal, once the leaves age a bit, they will catch up and turn green.
  • Pam300Pam300 Posts: 4
  • Pam300Pam300 Posts: 4
    Added to original post
  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,700
    Pam300, they don't look too bad at all. In fact, I believe many of the paler leaves are newer and younger leaves. As they age, they will darken like the ones just underneath them. But, you can scatter a feed like Fish, Blood and Bone around the base, and mulch a nice thick layer of compost etc. But on the whole, the shrub is looking very strong and healthy as far as I can see. Cherry Laurel leaves are really light to bright green in colour. New growth are paler and often with a brownish tinge that changes as they age.
  • Pam300Pam300 Posts: 4
    Many thanks for your help Borderline...will give it a go.
  • LynLyn Posts: 22,873
    It looks fine, I would say to cut those long straggly branches off level with the top of the fence then the whole hedge will grow up together. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

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