How to Plant Skip Laurel

3 feet apart makes a tightly growing Skip laurel hedge; use 5 feet for an informal hedge or 10 feet for an open row of distinct shrubs. Plant Skip laurel in a well-drained bed, set the root flare at soil level, mulch without covering the stems, and keep the soil evenly moist while the plants establish. Start by choosing a site with enough room for the hedge’s mature size rather than trying to confine it later with hard pruning.

Use these targets to choose the bed and lay out the row before digging.

Planting Decision	Target	What It Means
Climate	USDA zones 6 to 8	Skip laurel is cold-hardy in these zones.
Sun exposure	About 4 to 6 hours of sunlight	Partial sun supports dense, healthy growth.
Mature size	10 to 15 feet tall and 5 to 7 feet wide	Leave room for the shrub’s natural footprint.
Tight privacy hedge	3 feet apart	Plants grow together quickly into a dense screen.
Informal hedge	5 feet apart	Allows a more natural outline and better separation.
Open row	10 feet apart	Gives each plant room to develop as a distinct shrub.

Skip Laurel Basics

Skip laurel is the common name for Prunus laurocerasus ‘Schipkaensis,’ also called Schip laurel or Skip cherry laurel. It is a broadleaf evergreen shrub valued for its dense foliage, spring flower spikes, and ability to make a year-round screen.

It tolerates partial shade and several soil types.

Give the hedge a bed where its natural mature spread can fit.

Avoid sites directly beside heat-reflecting pavement, masonry, or solid fencing where summer sun is intensified. Those conditions can scorch foliage and weaken shrubs. A site with air movement is a better long-term choice.

The best planting seasons are early fall and spring, when the soil is workable. Avoid planting into frozen ground or drought-hardened soil.

How to Plant Skip Laurel

Step 1: Check the Site and Mark the Hedge Line

Confirm that the planting area falls in USDA zones 6 to 8.
Choose a site with about 4 to 6 hours of sunlight. Skip laurel can handle partial shade, but it generally fills in more reliably with some direct light.
Watch the area after a hard rain. Do not plant where water collects around the future root zone or where a downspout empties.
Mark the planting line with a hose, twine, or marking paint. Stand back and check that the row will not crowd a driveway, vegetable bed, fence, wall, or mature tree.

A straight hedge line is usually easiest to maintain, but a gentle curve can look more natural along a field edge or property boundary.

Step 2: Space the Plants for the Hedge You Want

Measure from the center of one planting hole to the center of the next.
Set a tight hedge row 3 feet from plant to plant.
Use 5 feet between plants for an informal hedge with more individual shape.
Use 10 feet between plants when you want an open row of separately defined shrubs.

Plan for the shrub’s mature dimensions. NC State Extension’s Skip laurel profile lists that mature size for ‘Schipkaensis,’ so avoid placing the row where full-grown branches must constantly be cut back from a structure.

Step 3: Prepare Each Root Ball and Planting Hole

Water container-grown shrubs before planting if the potting mix is dry. A hydrated root ball is easier to remove from the container and less likely to shed soil.
Find the root flare before digging. It is the point where the trunk or main stems widen and the first major roots begin.
Dig each hole only as deep as the root ball. Keep the hole depth matched to the root ball.
Make the hole wide enough to place the root ball without bending or forcing the roots.
Remove the nursery pot. For wrapped or basketed stock, remove plastic, wire, tags, ties, and other non-biodegradable materials that could constrict the plant.
Inspect the outside of the root ball. Gently loosen or redirect roots that are tightly circling the outside.

Keep the removed native soil next to the hole for backfilling. The goal is firm contact between the roots and the surrounding soil, not a soft pocket that holds water differently from the rest of the bed.

Step 4: Set the Shrub at the Right Depth

Lower the root ball into the hole and turn the shrub so its best side faces the direction you will see most often.
Set the root flare level with the surrounding soil surface or slightly above it.
Backfill with the excavated soil in stages, gently firming it with your hands to remove large air pockets.
Stop when the soil meets the root flare.
Build a shallow soil ring around the outside edge of the planting hole if needed to keep the first watering from running away.

A buried root flare is a common planting error. It limits oxygen around the base of the shrub, holds moisture against bark, and adds stress that can make Skip laurels more vulnerable to pests and disease. Set the flare at grade as recommended by the University of Maryland Extension.

Step 5: Water In and Mulch Correctly

Water slowly at the base immediately after planting so the soil settles around the root ball.
Add a mulch layer no thicker than 2 to 3 inches deep.
Pull mulch several inches away from the stems so bark remains uncovered.
Keep the mulch ring broad enough to reduce weeds and conserve moisture around the new roots.

Keeping it away from the stems helps discourage borers and reduces the risk of bark damage and rot.

Step 6: Maintain Even Moisture During Establishment

Check moisture below the soil surface regularly, especially during hot or windy weather.
If rainfall is less than 1 inch per week, water thoroughly.
Apply water at the base of the plants rather than over the foliage.
Continue this attention through the first two years of establishment, when the root system is still expanding into surrounding soil.
After the hedge is established, water deeply during prolonged dry periods rather than giving frequent light sprinklings.

Aim for soil that stays evenly moist while draining well enough to keep oxygen available around the roots.

Deal With Poor Drainage, Heat, and Winter Wind

Moving the planting line and protecting new shrubs can reduce stress from saturated soil, reflected heat, winter wind, and deer browsing.

Poor Drainage and Reflected Heat

Move the planting line before installation if the site has persistent puddling, runoff from a roof, or saturated soil after ordinary rain. Skip laurels can tolerate many soil textures, but choose a different planting line if the soil stays saturated after ordinary rain.

Heat can also be a hidden problem. Give the hedge enough distance from buildings and solid fences for air to move around it.

If foliage begins to yellow, scorch, or thin out, check drainage and heat exposure before assuming the problem is insects. Cherry laurel problems are often tied to site stress.

Winter Wind and Deer Browsing

In an exposed planting, reduce winter burn by placing a temporary burlap-type wind barrier about 18 inches from the plants on the windward side. Leave space between the barrier and foliage so air can still circulate.

Water deeply during mild dry spells before the ground freezes. Evergreen leaves continue to lose moisture in winter, and a dry root zone makes wind damage worse.

Deer may browse Skip laurels during winter when other food is limited. If deer pressure is common in your area, use a physical barrier around new shrubs until they are well established.

Check Establishment and Prevent Common Problems

A newly planted Skip laurel should gradually settle in, hold most of its leaves, and produce new growth when conditions are favorable. It may not look dramatically larger in its first season because it is putting energy into roots.

Check these points during the first growing seasons:

Soil is moist beneath the mulch.
Water is soaking into the root zone.
Mulch remains off the bark.
Lawn equipment and string trimmers cannot scrape the base of the stems.

Small holes or dark spotting on leaves can occur on cherry laurels, especially when plants are stressed. Address site conditions before reaching for a spray. Remove branches that are clearly dead or badly damaged, but do not repeatedly cut healthy foliage in an effort to force a weak plant to fill in.

Prune Skip Laurel for a Dense, Manageable Hedge

Skip laurel can be left to grow naturally or pruned into a more formal hedge. Let young plants establish roots and produce a framework of healthy branches before trying to force a precise shape.

For a natural-looking screen, remove only dead, damaged, crossing, or excessively long branches. If you want to preserve the spring flower display, do your shaping after flowering.

For a more formal hedge, make selective cuts on young plants rather than removing too much foliage at once. Keep the base slightly wider than the top so lower branches receive light and do not thin out.

I use bypass loppers for individual branch cuts because they make a clean cut without slicing through a broad swath of leaves.

Do not try to maintain a hedge much narrower than its natural growth habit. Crowded shrubs are more likely to develop sparse interior growth and stressed outer foliage.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is the Best Time to Plant Skip Laurel?

Early fall and spring are the best general planting seasons because the soil is usually workable and plants can begin rooting without extreme heat or frozen ground. Choose a day when the soil is moist but not muddy, and avoid planting during drought or when the bed is holding water.

Can You Plant Laurel Cuttings Straight Into the Ground?

Do not rely on unrooted Skip laurel cuttings planted directly in the hedge row. Cuttings need a protected rooting setup with steady moisture before they can handle normal garden conditions. For a dependable privacy hedge, plant rooted nursery shrubs.

How Deep Do Skip Laurel Roots Go?

Skip laurel roots do not have one fixed depth because root growth changes with soil texture, drainage, compaction, and available moisture. Most of the working roots will occupy the soil where oxygen and moisture are available, so the important planting rule is to keep the root flare at the soil surface rather than burying it deeply.

Are Skip Laurels Deer Resistant?

Skip laurels are not deer-proof. Deer may browse them in winter, especially when other food is scarce. Protect young plants with a physical barrier where deer regularly travel through the planting area.

Can Skip Laurel Grow in Shade?

Yes, Skip laurel tolerates partial shade, but about 4 to 6 hours of sunlight helps it develop denser growth and remain healthier than it may in deep shade. Before buying plants, observe the proposed bed through a full day, then mark the row and plant when the soil is workable.

What growing conditions does Skip laurel need?

Grow Skip laurel in well-drained soil with full sun to partial shade; four to six hours of sunlight a day is enough. It is cold-hardy in USDA zones 6 through 8.