To revive the plant, remove all the brown leaves and stems, as they are dead and will not recover. There is no need to worry when harsh winter conditions have damaged your skip laurel. When the sun reflects on snow, it damages the leaves not covered by snow, causing them to turn brown and wilt. The salt sludge can get into the skip laurel and cause damage. Salt sediments from the salt sprayed on roads prevent slippery road conditions in snow. The damage occurs when the wind hits the plant and can affect evergreen and perennial plants. This condition, known as wind desiccation, is when the water from the plants evaporates into the atmosphere much faster than the plant can retain moisture from the roots due to wind. While skip laurel is an evergreen tree, the leaves can turn brown, which could be the cause. Damage Caused by Winter ConditionsĪlthough skip laurels can survive all weather conditions, the plant is significantly damaged in winter. Pruning, however, removes the berries, which will have an impact on the birds that use your hedge as a source of food. When the plants are young and without using shears, trim the branches to produce thick foliage and when the plant is older, remove branches at the top to expose the lower parts to sunlight. It is best to prune the skip laurel twice a year, in early spring and then again in summer. While pruning is not necessary due to its natural oval foliage, skip laurels will thrive when pruned. While it’s unnecessary, you can fertilize the skip laurel, preferably in spring, with a slow-release fertilizer, organic compost, or rotted manure. Skip laurels will perform in over-watered soil conditions as they are drought resistant, so always water the plant only when the top soil is dry.Īdding mulch to the soil will also help with water retention and provide nutrients to the plant. Skip laurels will need daily watering in the first week when planted and then adjusted to weekly or every ten days, depending on the moisture conditions of the soil. While the plant is pest and disease-resistant, it is susceptible to diseases if it does not get sufficient sunlight. Skip laurels will thrive in direct sunlight or partial shade. Skip laurels are best for hardiness zones 5 to 9, representing most of the weather in the United States of America. The classifications range from one to thirteen, one being extremely cold areas and thirteen being hot areas. They will also flourish in sandy, clay, alkaline, and acidic soils.Ī hardiness zone is how a specific region is characterized by its temperature as developed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Skip laurel is a low-maintenance plant that can grow anywhere and withstand various conditions, including drought, shade, and sun. Soi composition: All soils as long as they are well drained. Sunlight requirements: Full sunlight with a slight shade. Appearance and Other InfoĪppearance: Small dark green foliage with showy white flowers in spring and red berries which turn black in winter. Skip laurels bloom fragrant white flowers in spring, making your garden pop, and the berries that come out in summer are food for birds. When maintained correctly, they are green all year with small compact leaves that give a neat beautiful finish. Skip laurel makes great privacy screens, keeps unwanted animals like deer out of your yard, and can survive urban conditions. The leaves have an almond smell when crushed, as they contain cyanogenic glycosides and amygdalin, which are toxic chemicals harmful to humans and pets. In fall and winter, they produce a red berry which turns black when ripe and is food for birds. In spring, the plants will bloom and produce white flowers. Skip laurels have smaller leaves that are glossy throughout the year. The plant has a natural cape-like shape with a round crown and grows at a moderate growth rate of 2 feet (0.61 meters) annually. Skip laurel is a fast-growing privacy hedge growing 10 to 18 feet (3 to 5.5 meters) tall and 7 feet (2.1 meters) wide and has an evergreen brush.
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