How to Prune an Overgrown Laurel
The mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia), also called American laurel, grows wild in sandy or rocky woodlands throughout the eastern United States. They sometimes grow wild in yards within U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 9, but cultivars are available at garden centers. This evergreen shrub grows between 5 and 30 feet tall. It usually blooms in May, featuring large clusters of five-sided pink or white blossoms. Overgrown laurels become leggy with no foliage at the base of the plant, and benefit from renovation pruning to encourage new, healthy growth.
Step 1
Fertilize the laurel well in late fall before pruning in late winter of the following year; well-fertilized plants recover best from hard pruning. Skip this step if the laurel grows in fertile soil and appears to be healthy. No chemical fertilizer is required. Rake back any leaves or mulch from around the base and spread a 1- to 2-inch layer of finished compost or cottonseed meal over the ground. This layer will release nutrients slowly into the ground to feed the roots.
- The mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia), also called American laurel, grows wild in sandy or rocky woodlands throughout the eastern United States.
- Overgrown laurels become leggy with no foliage at the base of the plant, and benefit from renovation pruning to encourage new, healthy growth.
Step 2
Wash the blades of all pruning tools, and disinfect them in a 10 percent solution of chlorine bleach diluted at a rate of 1 part bleach to nine parts water. Use bypass pruners to cut branches up to 1/2 inch in diameter, lopping shears to cut branches up to 1 1/2 inches in diameter, and a pruning saw to cut larger branches.
Step 3
Remove one-third of the total branches in late winter around February or early March. Cut the branches to within 6 to 12 inches of the ground; this severe, renovation pruning encourages new branches to grow from the base. Remove all broken, diseased and dead wood first, then move on to the older wood if needed, until you have removed one-third of the branches. Use lopping shears or a pruning saw, depending on the thickness of the branches.
Step 4
Apply fertilizer again in late fall, one year after the first fertilizer application.
- Wash the blades of all pruning tools, and disinfect them in a 10 percent solution of chlorine bleach diluted at a rate of 1 part bleach to nine parts water.
- Remove all broken, diseased and dead wood first, then move on to the older wood if needed, until you have removed one-third of the branches.
Step 5
Cut another one-third of the old laurel branches to within 6 to 12 inches of the ground. Start with the dead, diseased and broken branches. Remove the oldest branches, as well as any rubbing or crossing branches. Continue pruning branches selectively until you have removed another one-third of the old branches, leaving the final one-third on the laurel to be removed the next year.
Step 6
Apply the finished compost or cottonseed meal fertilizer again in late fall, two years after the first fertilizer application.
Step 7
Remove the remaining one-third of the old laurel branches to within 6 to 12 inches of the ground. The plant should have some new branches now, but it can take some plants up to five years to recover from renovation pruning.
- Cut another one-third of the old laurel branches to within 6 to 12 inches of the ground.
- Remove the remaining one-third of the old laurel branches to within 6 to 12 inches of the ground.
Step 8
Deadhead laurel flowers as they fade each year to prevent the plant from going to seed and to extend the blooming period. You can use bypass pruners to cut behind the flower clusters, or pull them off with your fingers.
Step 9
Prune back the tips of long branches to control the height and shape of the mountain laurel bush. Wait until the end of the blooming period, usually in June, to trim the branches. Make an angled cut just above a leaf set or node on the branch. Remove no more than one-third of the total branch length each year.
Tip
You should be able to control the size of your mountain laurel well by trimming the tips each year after the laurel grows back from the renovation pruning. If it again becomes leggy and overgrown, repeat the three-year renovation pruning cycle to regrow the plant.
Tip
If you have a particularly healthy laurel plant and very fertile soil, you might be able to cut the entire plant back in one year rather than spreading it out over three years. However, some plants never recover from this severe pruning, while others can take up to five years to recover, and appear dead in the meantime.
Related Articles
References
- Missouri Botanical Garden: Kalmia Latifolia
- North Carolina State University Extension: Pruning Old Rhodies
- National Gardening Association: Overgrown Mountain Laurel
- Walter Reeves -- The Georgia Gardener: Mountain Laurel -- Fertilizing
- University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Pruning Shrubs
- North Carolina State University Extension: Kalmia Latifolia
- Sunset Plant Finder: Kalmia Latifolia
- Penn State Extension: Hacking & Whacking -- Dealing With Overgrown Shrubs
Writer Bio
A former cake decorator and competitive horticulturist, Amelia Allonsy is most at home in the kitchen or with her hands in the dirt. She received her Bachelor's degree from West Virginia University. Her work has been published in the San Francisco Chronicle and on other websites.
