Severe prunus laurocerasus pruning

gondor

Didn't intend on doing this, was only planning on cutting off the branch that was obstructing the shed (circled in black).

Would you remove all of the green growth back to the main branches or just leave it? Does it now need a feed? A high nitrogen liquid feed is available, as well as a "rose feed". Effusive thanks in advance for answers to those questions.

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Fairygirl

I frequently hack them back to almost nothing. They just grow back - no food or anything else 
I just did one a few days ago. It's already got new growth appearing. 

gondor

Maybe I hacked it back at the wrong time because it still isn't doing anything. I wonder if stripping off all those green leaves on the branches will make it grow new ones. I also wonder if feeding it would make it grow back faster. I was hoping it would grow back before the winter hit.

Lyn

Anytime will do,  thing is, if you leave it like that it will shoot out from the cut ends, leaving the trunks bare.  If you cut it right down to about a foot from the ground it will shoot out from there.
Don’t  bother with feed, they don’t need it and as it’s well established it will have deep roots that will find water. 
Don't worry about it’s growth this year now,  but next Spring it will romp away.

As @Fairygirl says, they can be hacked right back and will shoot out again.

gondor

Guess I'm just impatient.

Lyn

Honestly, it will come back if you cut it right down,

gondor

Thanks, but I'm not planning on cutting it any lower than the fence behind it.

parrotfeather*

Your shrub, your choice, but it really will look much better if you cut it right down close to the ground.  My neighbour has cut his down to about two metres  and it still looks awfully bare up to the  the top with just a few sprouts coming out of the tips of the cut wood.  I cut down mine almost to the ground and it grew back very well furnished with leaves from a low level.  These are really tough shrubs and can take a hard prune.

gondor

The purpose of the plant is to screen above the fence line. It shall not be gazed upon.

Dovefromabove

It doesn’t need feeding, but I’d give it a good soaking at the roots … I bet that even with the wet summer we’ve had it’s bone dry 12” below the surface where it’s roots should be. It’s up against a fence and a shed so probably in a rain shadow. 

Let the hose trickle slowly on the roots for an hour now … and then in early March, just as the days are getting longer, do the same again twice … a week apart. 

That’ll wake it up and get it going. 😊 

Fairygirl

There's a phrase about leading a horse to water....