What affects the cost of maintaining a Portuguese laurel hedge in Ramsgate?

An established Portuguese laurel hedge usually needs just one trim a year, with an optional lighter second tidy-up in summer. The price depends on the length and height of the hedge, access, and how long since the last cut. I quote a fixed price after seeing photos. Portuguese laurel grows more slowly than cherry laurel and is easier to trim because of its smaller leaves.

How often should a Portuguese laurel hedge be pruned in Ramsgate?

Once a year is sufficient for most Ramsgate gardens. The main trim should happen in late May or June, after the small white flowers have faded and before the summer growth flush hardens. For a neater appearance on a formal boundary hedge, a second lighter trim in late July or August tightens the outline without affecting the following year's flowering. Between 1 March and 31 August, check carefully for active bird nests before trimming.

Does Portuguese laurel grow well on Thanet chalk soil?

Yes. Portuguese laurel (Prunus lusitanica) copes well with chalky ground, which describes much of Thanet's garden ground. It does not need the soil enrichment or acid-correction that some hedging species require on chalk. Thanet gets around 615mm of rain a year, and Portuguese laurel is fairly drought-tolerant once established, typically after its second summer.

When is the best time to plant a Portuguese laurel hedge in Ramsgate?

Pot-grown Portuguese laurel can be planted at any time of year. The best windows are October to November (before the soil cools fully, giving roots time to establish before winter) or March to April (soil warming, ahead of the growing season). Avoid planting during dry spells in June to August unless you can water regularly. Bare-root Portuguese laurel, where available, is planted November to March. In Thanet's free-draining chalk, plant at 2-3 plants per metre and water well through the first two dry summers.

← All guides · Species care · Updated September 2026

Portuguese laurel hedge in Ramsgate: growth and chalk soil

Portuguese laurel puts on roughly 30-40 cm a year, needs a single annual trim at the end of May or in June, and copes well with chalky ground. With only one cut a year on most hedges, it is one of the lower-maintenance evergreen hedging species for Ramsgate and Thanet gardens.

30-40 cmAnnual growth on Thanet chalk

1 cut/yrMinimum annual maintenance

2-3/mTypical planting density

3-4 yrsTo establish 1.5 m from 60 cm stock

Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, s.1

It is an offence to intentionally or recklessly damage or destroy a wild bird's nest while it is in use or being built. The Act sets no calendar dates; the accepted guidance window for avoiding hedge cutting runs 1 March to 31 August (RSPB, GOV.UK). Both the late May/June main trim and any August tidy-up fall inside this window, so a careful visual check for active nests before any cutting is how you avoid committing the offence. A nest containing eggs or unfledged chicks means the work must wait until the nest is vacated. Portuguese laurel's dense, dark canopy makes good nesting cover. On summary conviction the penalty is up to six months in prison, an unlimited fine, or both, with the fine assessed for each nest.

Planting Portuguese laurel in Ramsgate

The cost of establishing a Portuguese laurel hedge breaks into two parts: the plants themselves and the labour to put them in. Both vary with plant size, and plant size determines how quickly the hedge reaches a working height.

Plant sizes

UK hedge nurseries supply Portuguese laurel in several sizes, and pot-grown plants can be planted year-round. Larger plants cost noticeably more each, so it is worth deciding what you are paying for: speed or budget.

20-40 cm pot-grown (2 L): the budget approach. At 3 plants per metre it takes 3-4 years to reach 1.5 m at 30-40 cm of growth a year.
60-90 cm pot-grown (5 L): a common choice for a boundary hedge where the owner wants reasonable height within two or three growing seasons.
90-120 cm rootball: used when a taller immediate screen is needed, for example on an exposed boundary where a new planting meets coastal wind before it establishes. Expect to plant fewer per metre and pay considerably more per plant.

Labour and preparation

On Thanet chalk, where the subsoil can be close to the surface, planting takes longer than on open loam: breaking through hard chalk or a flint pan takes more time per plant. Add compost to each hole on chalk-heavy plots, mulch after planting, and water through the first two dry summers.

3/mStandard planting density

3-4 yrsTo 1.5 m from small pot-grown stock

Annual maintenance

Once established, Portuguese laurel is one of the easier evergreens to maintain in Ramsgate. Its moderate growth rate means a single late May or June trim typically keeps a 1.5-2 m hedge in good shape through to the following spring.

One trim per year

The main annual cut in late May or June, after the small white flower clusters have faded and before the summer growth hardens, is enough for most hedges. It covers cutting, shaping and clearing up. I take the arisings away and dispose of them at a licensed waste site.

Two trims per year

A second lighter trim in late July or August tightens the hedge outline after the summer flush and makes the hedge look neater through to the following May. It is lighter work than the main cut. Both trims fall inside the guidance window above, so each needs a nest check first.

What moves the maintenance price up or down

I quote a fixed price after seeing photos. A routine hedge cut typically runs £120 to £400 depending on length, height, species and access, and heavier reductions on overgrown screens £300 to £900. The things that shift a quote for Portuguese laurel are:

Height: a hedge above 2 m needs platform ladders or a step platform on both sides, and above 3 m the job takes longer.
Access: a hedge running along a narrow side passage, or one where the contractor cannot park nearby, adds time and therefore cost.
Last cut date: a hedge left for a year or two produces more growth per stem and more waste, so restoring it costs more than keeping it on the standard programme.
Coastal exposure: on an exposed boundary, Portuguese laurel grows more slowly than in a sheltered town garden and the wind-compacted growth is denser. It rarely affects the price, but the hedge may need less frequent trimming over time as it fills to a stable size.

Portuguese laurel on Thanet chalk: the soil advantage

The single most important factor favouring Portuguese laurel over cherry laurel in Ramsgate and Thanet gardens is chalk soil tolerance. Much of Thanet has a thin topsoil over chalk: well-draining, often alkaline, and short of organic matter in the top layer. Cherry laurel performs well on this ground but needs consistent watering through its first two or three summers on free-draining plots. Portuguese laurel copes well with chalky ground, which suits many Thanet garden plots.

Once established, Portuguese laurel on Thanet chalk is fairly drought-tolerant and should not need supplemental watering in normal summers. Thanet gets around 615mm of rain a year and is one of the drier and sunnier parts of England, and an established root system copes with that. For a chalky garden anywhere in Thanet, Portuguese laurel is a good candidate for a low-maintenance evergreen hedge.

Coastal position guide for Ramsgate and Thanet

Portuguese laurel is more salt-tolerant than cherry laurel and handles partial coastal exposure better. It is not, however, in the first tier of directly exposed seafront hedging alongside tamarisk or rosa rugosa. The practical position guide:

Directly exposed seafront (sea-facing cliff and harbour boundaries): Portuguese laurel can establish here but may suffer some die-back on the seaward face in hard winters with prolonged salt wind. For directly exposed positions, the salt-tolerant hedges guide gives the species that handle this with no caveats.
Sheltered cliff-top and town gardens (streets back from the cliff face, plots behind an existing building or wall, rear gardens): Portuguese laurel is excellent. It establishes readily, holds a dense evergreen canopy through the year and requires minimal intervention once the hedge reaches its target height.
Inland Thanet villages: no coastal caveat. Chalky soil is not a limiting factor for the species.

Portuguese laurel versus cherry laurel: maintenance compared

The site already has a full guide on cherry laurel hedge pruning in Ramsgate. The differences that affect upkeep:

Growth rate: cherry laurel is faster. Portuguese laurel is slower at around 30-40 cm a year. The practical result: cherry laurel typically needs two trims per year to hold shape; Portuguese laurel usually needs only one.
Annual maintenance cost: fewer cuts a year means a lower running cost, so Portuguese laurel is usually the cheaper of the two to keep.
Leaf size and trimmer cut: Portuguese laurel has noticeably smaller leaves than cherry laurel. Hedge trimmers produce a much cleaner cut on Portuguese laurel because fewer large leaves are half-cut. Cherry laurel trimmed with a power hedge trimmer produces brown, scorched-looking cut edges on many leaves; Portuguese laurel trimmed with the same tool looks considerably neater.
Supply cost: broadly comparable. Both species are widely available from UK nurseries.

For most Ramsgate and Thanet gardens where the objective is a neat, evergreen, low-maintenance boundary hedge, Portuguese laurel is the lower-effort species to run over the long term. Where faster establishment matters more than annual maintenance, cherry laurel's higher growth rate gives it the edge in the early years.

Summary for a Ramsgate or Thanet Portuguese laurel hedge

Growth rate: roughly 30-40 cm per year.
Planting density: 2-3 plants per metre (3/m for a dense hedge from smaller stock).
Annual maintenance: one cut in late May or June, with an optional lighter second trim in late July or August.
Time to reach 1.5 m from 60-90 cm stock: 2-3 growing seasons.
Chalk soil suitability: copes well with chalky ground. No amendment required on most plots.
Coastal suitability: good in sheltered cliff-top and town positions; caution on directly exposed seafront lines.

Want this looked at?

Send a couple of photos and your postcode to hello@ramsgatehedges.co.uk or 07763 100 477.

Sources: RHS Prunus lusitanica plant profile; Met Office Manston 1991-2020 climate averages; Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 s.1 (legislation.gov.uk); RSPB and GOV.UK guidance on nesting birds.