I am told that laurel hedges should be cut with shears or a mechanical cutter. Is this true.?

Question

I am told that laurel hedges should be cut with shears or a mechanical cutter. Is this true.?

Answer 1

Heavens to Betsy! If you listen to your fellow answerers, you are going to be a) whipping the servants round the clock, or b) out there yourself, flogging  your own hide.

GET Yourself that mechanical cutter. In a moment of unparalleled foolishness, and sick to death of my nosy neighbors, I planted an 800 foot long Laurel Hedge, and spent the next 17 years a slave to its whims and fancies, all because I wanted that perfect showpiece with the uncut leaves, etc.

Oh, for PITY"S SAKE, the dang plant grows so fast you will hardly have time to grieve over those poor mis-snippen leaves before they're all covered up again with fresh growth you will then be out whacking off.  

Get over it and get that hedge pruned. You have better things to do, like hand-pack grit around those precious Androsaces in the rockery, and meditate 20 years about pruning that sprig off the bonsai quince. .

Answer 2

No, you can cut them with anything you want to use.

Answer 3

I have a massive laurel hedge in my front garden, which I tried to cut with an electric hedge cutter when we first moved here and it went brown all over, as I had bruised the leaves. I have cut it each year with hand shears ever since, even though its hard work and time consuming. It looks lovely and green now. My hubby who is a horticulturalist went bananas when he saw what I had done to it. Shan't be making that mistake again. lol.

Answer 4

practically wises yes,but proper gardening wises no.you get loads of leaves cut in half by using shears.instead secateurs should be used to individually cut out stems

Answer 5

Laurel hedges can be cut any way you like. But if you want it to look good, it needs to be finished with secateurs to remove the leaves cut in half by shears or trimmers. If you don't mind it looking c**p, use hedgetrimmers,  a thrasher on a tractor or a goat! Personally i do it all with secateurs. Its much more satisfying and quite relaxing.

Answer 6

No the only thing to remember is to cut individual leaves because they will turn brown if you cut across a leaf.

Answer 7

Not sure what else you could cut them with.. Seriously, Hedges made of Laurel can be huge, I had four hedges of them and did it 4 times a year and it was a full days job.. I wouldn't of cut them with anything else other than electric cutters, just because of how big the job is.

And you can get some wonderful straight edges with it!

Answer 8

No, because the leaves will be unavoidably  cut in half by those methods, and will turn brown. Eventually this damage may weaken the hedge, as such leaves will fall. Although rather laborious, it is better to use secateurs and cut stems individually. Glad I haven't got one of these hedges.