Cherry laurels are flowering evergreen shrubs or small trees, which are commonly used in the landscape as hedges, privacy screens, or windbreaks. In order for cherry laurel to perform well in the landscape, it does require maintenance such as regular pruning and fertilizing. In this article, we will discuss properly fertilizing cherry laurels. Continue reading to learn how to fertilize a cherry laurel shrub.
Do Cherry Laurels Need Fertilizer?
Cherry laurels have many benefits to the landscape. They tolerate full sun to shade, drought, and salt spray. Cherry laurel plants are also resistant to many common pests and diseases. However, they are not so tolerant of overfertilization. When fertilizing cherry laurels, it is important to follow all fertilizer labels and instructions carefully to avoid burning cherry laurel roots and significantly damaging these plants. That being said, cherry laurels will benefit from an annual application of fertilizer. Fertilizing once a year will help keep cherry laurel foliage green and lush, and also maintain prolific white, fragrant blooms. Cherry laurel feeding can be done with fertilizers formulated for ornamental trees or evergreen fertilizer. Since cherry laurels prefer slightly acidic soil, evergreen fertilizer oftentimes releases acid into the soil to meet the requirements of acidic-loving evergreens. It may be wise to alternate between evergreen fertilizer and ornamental tree fertilizer to meet all of cherry laurel’s nutritional requirements.
How Much Fertilizer Do Cherry Laurels Need?
Determining how much fertilizer cherry laurels need can seem tricky. However, using a granular slow-release fertilizer when fertilizing cherry laurels can reduce stress on you as the grower and also reduce stress to the plant from overfertilizing. Slow-release fertilizers usually have easy-to-follow printed instructions on how much fertilizer to apply based on the plant’s trunk or drip line diameter. When fertilizing anything, it is very important to follow the product’s directions. Slow-release fertilizers allow low doses of fertilizer to slowly seep into the plant’s root zone over a period of time. When using slow-release fertilizers for cherry laurel feeding, it is recommended to apply the fertilizer along the plant’s drip line in the fall. While cherry laurels are evergreen, they do go through a dormant period in winter when the plant rests, stores energy, and does not produce any growth. By fertilizing cherry laurels with slow-release fertilizer during this dormancy period, the plant’s energy stores are boosted for optimal spring growth. In a bind, water soluble instant fertilizers can be applied in early spring, if fertilizing in fall was not an option.
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