How to prune bay laurel

How to prune bay laurel

1. 01

   Choose what to remove

   Topiary cuts target new shoots. Shrub-shaping cuts go back to a lower leaf or bud. Lightly damaged leaf tips and dead or damaged current-season growth can be removed.

   Pruning keeps a topiary or shrub dense and balanced, controls size, and removes winter-damaged growth. These are garden and patio-pot tasks rather than routine indoor leaf care.

2. 02

   Prune at the right time

   Trim topiary new shoots in summer, shape shrubs in spring or summer, and remove winter-damaged leaf tips in late spring. Spread extensive renovation over two or three seasons in late spring.

3. 03

   Make one clean cut

   For topiary, prune new shoots back to a bud facing the desired direction. For a shrub, cut back to a lower leaf or bud. For winter damage, lightly shorten affected tips. Stage mature hard pruning rather than completing it in one cut.

4. 04

   When pruning will not help

   Mature bay tolerates hard pruning but is slow to recover and regrow, so spread it over two or three seasons. Cut in stages rather than to a set percentage, and expect that a neglected indoor plant may respond differently from a mature outdoor bay.