Will removing lower branches of a Portuguese Laurel make it grow faster?

Bendy_House

Hi all.

I'm about to plant a couple of PortLaurels to provide some screening. They are currently around 5-6' tall, with quite a few branches coming off, and are a tapered, Christmas-Tree, shape.

Since they aren't the prettiest of trees, I was thinking that I'd like them more 'conventional' tree-shaped - ie a trunk with wider branches in the top half, and ultimately around 15' tall. This would then allow me to plant a much prettier shrub/bush/small tree in front of them, to provide the attractive fill-in part that I'll mainly look out on.

My Qs are:

1) Is it ok to trim off the lower branches? When should I do this? Any cons?

2) Will doing this even make them grow more quickly?!

3) Any ideas for a nice contrasting bush/ small tree to fill in under and in front of them, say 2m tallish? Ideally a nice foliage contrast, and with some interest. Basically, anything, as long as it provides a nice feature.

The Port Laurels were chosen for being evergreen and 'cos they are fast-growing:

Thanks.

twopenny

This is purely my own inclination.

Don't prune anything until their roots are established - especially not the bottom which is where the leaves are that make the food to enable them to grow healthily.

Plant now, water the pots by immersing them over the top until any bubbles stop coming out - tease the roots out some because they will be going round and round in the pot - plant in a hole a few inches bigger than the root ball - fill, firm down with your foot, sprinkle the suggested amount of bonemeal on top and water again so the soil goes into any air holes left.

The roots should grow in the autumn.

The only part I'd prune is the top whippy one down to just above the 4th branch down. That whippy bit could rock the plant in winter storms.

OR

Stake it would be an idea and just take out the top bobble to encourage side shoots to grow further up for fullness at the top.

I wouldn't trim from the bottom up for the first 2 years when it has got established.

If you try to take the bottom ones off now they won't be able to provide the food for growth upwards and the top has a dearth of foliage. You need more branches higher up is my thinking on this so that you can take the bottom ones out for your idea.

Very little will grow under them because the roots are vigourous and will drain the soil of moisture and food.

I've got a Euronymus silver low lying shrub that needs no water, glows winter and summer and needs no pruning.

The gold I found was a sensitive soul that was never happy

You could try a Daphne with it's winter scented flowers. Just prune to size when it grows. It's not fast so it seldom needs it and easy to do.

Bendy_House

Thanks 2'penny.

Yikes - the exact opposite of what I was considering, then!

I always assumed that trimming the top would restrict/slow its growth, but then I know now't about plants.

Thanks for the planting advice - I should be ok with this, as I moved the trees into larger pots when I got them, so the roots should hopefully not be balled. But, I'll tease out the outer ones if they are.

So, plant and give them at least a year before interfering

That Euronymus is nice, and would be a great contrast. How big do they grow?

[Deleted User]

Bendy, these are tough shrubs, you could butcher them and they'll bounce back !

@twopenny holds 1 view, my view is that i'd have a go !
You can plant them up, give them a trim where you're thinking of and let them rest until the spring, you could then carry on your original idea.

With these there's no right or wrong.  

Euonymus come in various types, some grow to a couple of metres, differing colour leaves too... e.g variegated and non.

Bendy_House

Thanks Catsacor.

I have since seen this vid, which seems to suggest it's very doable - these must have been trimmed like this? Ie, all the lower branches snipped off?

I'd start carefully, and remove only the ones that are pretty much touching the ground...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIs4xXWlMSk

[Deleted User]

Yes, those lower ones would have been snipped off as soon as they appeared.
Your plan is do-able.

Re: the image only (not the content)..... in high winds those plants would blow straight over as top heavy 😂😋

twopenny

The silver leaved plant (can't spell it again!) Is about 2ft and spreads to around 3.
It often roots into the ground for free plants  but isnt a thug. It's a good one.

You can get some that grow upward eventually to 3 or 4 ft. But stick with the silver for vigour.

Your photo of the trees you may notice have a lot more fluff on the top and that comes at a price. But you can achieve that eventually. Follow your sensible instincts more than the' i want' ones.
One thing is sure, they are tough plants and will recover from most things so ideal for learning on.

Bendy_House

Fab - thank you both :-)

Now, where's my snips...