We just had a 6' fence installed and the back of the fence is by a road.

The property is on a slope and the back of the fence is next to a road. We'd like to plant the hedge next to the fence so that it will grow taller than the fence eventually creating a screen.

This is our first time doing this so I wanted to ask some advice.

How far apart should we plant them?

Since it's being planted by a fence, do I need to leave room between the fence and he hedge in order to prune the back or will the fence being there be enough to take care of the back? If I need to leave room, how far away would you suggest planting them from the fence?

I've seen some people mention digging a trench as opposed to just holes in the ground, is this a better method?

Thank you for any help you can offer,

Marc

Our shrubs were 4-5' B&B and we wanted quick coverge so we planted them about 6 ft apart.
Are you planting the dwarf or the 'normal' English Laurel...........also, how tall are you wanting the hedge to be?

From what I've seen locally of mature Laurel, I would worry that if left untended they could overtake or push over your fence. I would leave several feet between them and the fence.

We have the open space to grow English Laurel and we really want a barrier between us and the road, but I often worry about how large this hedge will get!

A lot depends on if you care how the hedge looks like from the road side and whether the fence is solid or transparent.

If you want the hedge to get really tall and look nice from the road, plant at least 5 feet inside the fence.

The trench makes sense only with power equipment.

English laurel becomes a tree, when permitted. One at the Seattle center flag pavilion is over 30 feet high and wide. Another, belonging to the bigleaf cultivar 'Magnoliaefolia' was over 60 feet across at one point--before it was removed from the Seattle arboretum.

"In its garden range, this is a common hedge plant. But the planting of an English Laurel hedge is an act of aggression against one's neighbor--against oneself as well. It is the fightingest of hedges, pushing outward and upward as soon as you turn your back. English Laurel is one of the greatest goads to giving up on the yard and moving into an apartment--in a very real sense, this shrub is a real estate agent." - Schenk, COMPLETE SHADE GARDENER (Houghton Mifflin)

The main thing is we'd like it to grow relatively quickly and be a feasible screen within a few years of a height of 7-8'.

I am completely new to all of this so if anyone has any suggestions to a less invasive plant/tree that would accomplish a nice thick screen that would also help block out road noise, I am all ears :).

Many of the hedges I have researched have sounded like they take a very long time to grow tall and that's the main reason the laurel's caught my eye.

Viburnum tinus

Myrica californica

Those would all grow taller than 7-8' but could be easily kept at that height with some pruning. I think trying to keep English Laurel 7-8' would be a not very fun, constant battle.

The cons, Laurel is very susceptible to shot hole fungus, which leaves tiny holes throughout the leaves. For me, this is not a problem since I'm willing to live with Mother Natures imperfections and I can only see the damage when I'm right up close (and It still doesn't bother me).

I would plant them 6-8 feeet apart (depending on how fast you want them to grow together) and 6-8 from the fence.

They may be overused, they maybe out of fashion, but they will give you quick growth with fairly low maintenance. I'm a fan!

I'm doing that in my back yard. Or, actually, my DH is. I design, I don't build. One Clematis is already almost to the top of the six foot fence and I pruned it hard when I planted it.

Could you use some variety of Japanese Holly?

1. Ivy

2. Holly

3. Laurel

Hedging or shearing into a formalized shape does take a lot of maintenance and fast growing plants can easily get out of control. And, the larger the leaf, the less attractive the plant looks immediately after shearing.

There used to be more English Laurel hedges in this area. The old guard, the upper crust in the west hills, used to plant them extensively.

One of the most beautiful hedges I've ever seen was a western red cedar hedge, grown thick and luxuriant and trimmed well, at the Palatine Hill Convent. That would grow quickly and afford privacy.

I have done battle with this "beast of a shrub" (English Laurel) and lived to tell about it--hardly. It is a monster among monster species. I have an 80 foot long section at the back of my lot, it is about 10 feet wide and 30 feet tall. Whoever said this was a hedge is wrong, it is a tree made of iron, like Medusa’s head of snakes—surviving anything, everything. The stumps on my "hedge" (many of them) are almost as thick as my waist. Sometimes I think about pulling this "hedge" out, but then I ask myself, how does one simply "yank" a grove of oaks or maples??? I can’t imagine what machine would be capable of such a feat, what poison could suppress this marvel of nature—and my back yard is inaccessible to power machinery. Perhaps a jackhammer with an axe could do it, or how about that muscular green Hulk with his temper? Not likely. . .my "hedge" is supernatural.

When I first moved into my house the laurel was about 30 feet tall—an omen. Time for a trim, I thought. I felt manly as I climbed the individual stalks--that’s right, I was able to climb them to 12 feet high inside the plant—like people climb trees—but this is just a "hedge" right? I sawed by hand at anything, and everything—even breaking some branches with my hands, or feet—in short, I did battle with this beast. But a hand-saw was nothing—it broke quickly. I bought a 12 inch chainsaw and pulled a hundred foot extension cord. I sawed for 4 days, trimming the top 10 feet off—severing the head of this "beast"—or so I thought (I nearly cut my neck three times with the chainsaw, and almost tumbled 12 feet onto my head--twice). When I was finished I had a pile of debris that took 3 people 1 entire day to haul out and dispose—but the hedge was beautiful and the ultimate barrier for privacy. . . at least for now.

That was two years ago. It is now almost as tall as it was, and I am weary and weak, and (at 35 years of age) just unable to risk the injury of battle again. Now I walk about the yard and eye it from afar, worried at it’s recent advancement--small "baby laurel beasts" popping up from roots that are near the surface 4 feet away--just like that other "friendly plant"does--bamboo.

I was bested by the English Laurel, I am determined to let it grow as nature intended, but I am worried, worried that this battle has only just begun.

Plant an English Laurel you say?!?!!!

Somebody at a nearby garden center may be able to identify a representative specimen or a good picture. Or you might look around a bit and find they have it for sale.

With over 300 trees in a not-so-big yard pruning will be the order of the day. I want the laurels to grow to tree height and trunk thickness but will prune them along the way to keep width in bounds. It is right next to our compost pile and worm bin so eventually its roots will tap into awesome fertilizer.

Planted all sorts of vines and trees to try to get a natural barrier around my house for privacy and noise reduction and screening out the ugliness all around of ppl who don't care about their yards or plants at all.

I'm a newbie gardener, started Dec05, and the more I work outdoors, the more I like it. Learning a lot as I go and have benefitted tremendously from GardenWeb forums.

One thing to keep in mind -- if you prep your planting area well, turning the soil in a bare area and digging the trench and holes and composting and if necessary at first buying a bunch of 4-way blend topsoil, and putting a slightly bermed well around each plant -- these preps pay off big-time in the long run and are well worth the effort.

Be sure to water regularly and deeply the 1st 3 years so the plant can establish its root system enough to become more independent. It doesn't rain much anymore in Oregon from mid spring to fall.

We live on a corner lot and this hedge is on the side we share with our neighbour. We expressed our desire to find a way to get the hedge out of there, and our neighbour was thrilled, as it is encroaching on their property as well.

There's a laurel hedge on the other side of the property as well, but it's spotty, not solid like the other side.

Either way, we'd like to be laurel-free all around! A fence is a viable option on the side we share with our neighbour, but a fence on the street side will only mean trouble. We have A LOT of problems with kids "tagging" the fences, and with the size of our lot (a little over a quarter acre) that big long fence would be akin to a massive gas-station-bathroom wall. No thank you!

And so, we too are trying to come up with options. And like Marc who originated this post, the street and sidewalk alongside us are higher than our property, and we're looking to make things a good deal more private. My hubby has said we should plant Emerald Green Cedars. I don't know enough about them to know if this would be a good option. So, I too am all ears for suggestions.

Thanks for all the posts. Good to have people to commiserate with.

Everyone is welcome to come and cut the neighbor's laurel hedge back away from the north side of our house.

Again.

We had a 40 foot strip of laurel hedge for 25 years. It was planted for quick separation between the duplex next to us that had a series of bad renters. It was a successful planting for a number of years (approximately 20 years) with the plants one foot to eighteen inches apart. We did hedge it yearly fairly hard, keeping it narrow (2 feet deep) and tall (approximately 10-12 feet). We have a wire fence that is approximately five feet tall that also provided a barrier. If you want quick results and are willing to prune at least yearly and after it gets going twice yearly no problem. We had an old lawnmower that we chopped the clippings with and used as mulch on the other beds. We never had a problem with seeds/flowers until we started taking it out (a two year job, because we got rid of the debris as we went and weren't as dedicated as we should have been) and stopped clipping it. Laurel can fill a need if you want very quick results.

If you aren't in quite such a hurry ivy takes approximately 3 years to reach six feet with support and training (first year sleeps, second year creeps and third year leaps). We must have 800 feet of ivy hedges planted around and bisecting our city lot. They are 27 years old. These I would not trade for any other type of fencing for providing a barrier to neighbors and keeping our dogs in while looking great. All are on old wire fencing that is supported with metal posts. Some is on chainlink fencing. The front fence is only 3 feet tall and I clip it hard once a year. The back yard is six feet plus in height. It is 6-8 inches in depth. I love it as the easiest hedge to take care of. I don't clip the back fencing but every other year or so. It doesn't get out of control, and we mow along the edges. For neighbors that don't take care of their yards or areas that are not taking care of, ivy keeps down the blackberries (which were big rat infestation areas in our neighborhood)and most other weeds. I haven't had a problem with the ivy going to seed either unless I don't trim it for more than three years (flowers on old wood). Ivy clippings make the best mulch for garden beds. We run over the clippings with our old lawnmower and use them in the vegetable garden and flower beds. Green gold as far as I am concerned.

Whatever you plant make sure you like it, and are willing to maintain. When we had our lot enlarge (purchase of additional yard from neighbor) taking out the ivy fencing was just as troublesome as the laurel.

Oh yeh, I've also planted golden bamboo (clumping form). Believe it or not this is also a great hedge if you are willing to harvest the canes yearly for garden stakes. It wasn't until this year (I didn't harvest canes for five years) that I have had to do any hedging and severe cutting back. It takes much longer to establish and have a nice stand, but it does get to be 20-25 feet tall. The clumps have gotten wider that what I would normally keep a hedge (approximately 2 1/2 to 3 feet), but having the stakes for decorative supports around the yard and garden would cost me a small fortune to purchase. And yes I use the old lawnmower to chop the leaves from the stalks for composting.

The problem is that these do not stay in the garden. Birds spread them onto undeveloped property and natural areas, as well as the gardens of neighbors.

If everyone kept all their plantings of these closely sheared or otherwise prevented flowering, then they would not seed out.

Everyone does not do that by any means.

>I've also planted golden bamboo (clumping form)<

There is no clumping form of golden bamboo. Like other running bamboos grown in our dry summer climate it may remain in a tuft for years due to lack of optimal soil conditions.

I've had a shoot of the 'Koi' cultivar pop up about 15'-20' away from the parent plant, with no other stems between.

two owners ago they really let the hedge go, volunteers all over the neighbor's property turning into small trees. one very old volunteer about 30 feet tall, 30 feet wide. its actually a very attractive tree when you let it go.

but still, the point is that hedges don't just magically disappear when you sell/move. YOU may keep it in check, but 3 owners from now? how do you know that person is gonna prune it correctly to keep it from fruiting?

I hear all of the cautions but our yard backs up to the town library and they have recently placed a dumpster near the back corner of our yard. I would love to put in a fast-growing hedge. Does anyone have english laurel growing in deep shade? The back of our yard is wooded. It will get some light in the winter but very very little in once the leaves come in.

Also - I hear it's poisonous?

Yes, it is poisonous, as are good many other very common garden plants. You weren't planning on eating it, were you? :-)

there are 125' along the back yard here, with a rather moderate slope, down to the house.
I HAD 15 fir trees, lined up, along the fence line.
a 4' chain link fence, that was sturdy and safe enough, with the trees as my backup, in case a car should leave the road..it would have hit a tree.
well, urban growth and greed, changed all of that.
with a multi million dollar project to build close to 400 houses, up in the area of what used to be meadow, deer, raccoons, pheasant, natural beauty and peacefulness...on a dead end road, became a free for all...
construction crews, working round the clock, to widen the roads, strip yards of years of personal care, were destroyed.
months of upheaval, due to utility pipes being hauled in..
water, gas, electricity, phones, cable, ...mud in the winter, dust in the summer...

the day they brought in the tree removal trucks, I went ballistic....
they started in the early morning...
I had supervisors on the phone, crew had to wait...but not for long..I was a mere, simple, insignificant bystander, to them...
15 freaking trees, just cut down like toothpicks...
I stood by, in my yard, with grandkids close to me, to stay out of harm's way..with a lump in my throat and a hole in my heart.....

oh, I got promises....nothing in writing....trying to pacify me...it would be fine..we'll build a privacy wall, a secure replacement for the trees...
yeah right.

soon after the road was finished, the road crew left, the dust settled....some teenage boys went roaring down the road...smashed into the 'cement block wall', on the other side of the road...one like they talked about making for my side of the road, but didn't.....luckily,
no one was hurt, nothing was said, no apologies were made.
they simply got the workers to hurry up, that next morning and had that wall repaired so not a sign of damage showed up.
what if that had been on my side of the road and my grandkids had been out in the backyard, playing?
the chain link fence wouldn't have held back a speeding car!

to add insult to injury, I was told that since they had poured a sidewalk, that was in effect a buffer enough, to call it safe.

and you talk about laurel being invasive!
then, that's EXACTLY what I plan on planting out there.
I came to this site, to only see how the plant can be started from cuttings..and now I read all of this...
OMG!...I have my answer.

125' of English Laurel will be going in, this very season.
there won't be any pruning, or planting too close, or too far apart...it'll be so there won't be any light showing through...at all.
I'll leave up the chain link fence and plant it 3' on the inside.
I'll dig a trench and do all the prep work, to insure it grows as healthy, vigorous, fast and thick as I can possibly encourage it to grow.
if I ever prune it..it's to be so I can have enough cuttings to have another 125' of it, 3' on the outside of the chain link fence. It's about 5 feet, from the fence, to the sidewalk, most all, being my property.

and then, I'll plant 125' of cute little "Forget-Me-Nots", along that sidewalk.

Unless you have terrible soil any preparation other than the standard wide, shallow planting hole is quite unlikely to be necessary. And if the soil is somehow unsuitable after initial preparations wear off the hedge will have to be able to grow in the existing soil anyway.

how about replacing the doug firs?

we have a community meeting, later this month, to discuss the speed limit..
going from 50, down to 35, because of that development is probably going to come and go, with little resolution.

in the meantime, I will do what I can, to insure something is at least started, to help in cusioning the back hill.
My place happens to be the closest to the road...
all others were built many feet further back from the road.
that was just happinstance for construction, at that time.

the trees lined all along the chain link fence, where all the bark is. the road used to be where the sidewalk is now.
it was a quiet, country road, to a public fishing launch and lake, on down to the open meadow.

that nice sturdy block wall across the street, is what they promised to make on my side.
I've been to the county and they did a walk about the road.
it was the sidewalk that ousted the chance of a block wall. they consider it a safe buffer.
that slope behind my house is no place for kids to play now.
I wouldn't be so adament about it, if it hadn't been for the wall across the street being run into, for speeding.
there's no guarantee cars will always stay on the correct side of the road.

I need something that will protect my side, ASAP.
call it invasive.
my options are limited.
best part is, is that laurel is a beautiful, full hedge.

"Occurs...on very dry to moderately dry, nitrogen-medium soils" and it "Inhabits exposed mineral soil in early-seral, non-forested communities on strongly drained, water-shedding sites"

Some native shrubs with ornamental value placed by the book in the same soil moisture indicator group are

Arbutus menziesii
Arctostaphylos columbiana
Holodiscus discolor
Mahonia aquifolium
Ribes sanguineum

Indicators of nitrogen-medium soils lists along with the broom include

Amelanchier alnifolia
Ceanothus velutinus
Holodiscus discolor
Juniperus scopulorum
Mahonia aquifolium
Philadephus lewisii
Ribes sanguineum
Shepherdia canadensis

improving a road like that, putting in nice wide sidewalks on a nice straight stretch-- this is going to encourage speeding. lowering the speed limit is not particularly effective at slowing traffic. this is especially true for the people you want to slow down- the reckless, the drunk.

basically, the street will be sending mixed signals. the straight line and wide feel say HIGHWAY 55mph. a 35mph sign will say RESIDENTIAL ROAD.

i would push for traffic calming measures as well. bumps, islands, etc.

also, doug fir grows nearly as fast as english laurel and will eventually be a much more effective barrier.

I would not expect attractive, vigorous growth from either English laurel or western redcedar on the site shown, as it has been described - without some additional coddling to make up for the soil conditions.