Worried about my new beech hedge

Nigella2

We had a new beech hedge (4 ft high bare root plants) planted at Easter this year (when it was very hot). We watered it thoroughly every day for the first 2-3 weeks and occasionally since. It was growing really well but now some of the leaves have got brown edges. Is this a sign of drought? Any tips for keeping it healthy? 

Borderline

Brown edges could be wind scorch. Tends to happen on younger and tender leaves. You are on the right track. Keep up with the watering, especially now that it is summer, you will need to water in the evenings or early mornings to get the most out of watering to avoid moisture loss. Direct the water into the root areas and avoid sprinkling into the foliage, especially if it is sunny to minimise damage to the leaves.

If you haven't already, try to lay a very thick layer of mulch like compost or bark chip. Keeps the roots cool and locks in moisture so your shrubs can settle in faster.

Nigella2

I've just checked and the soil a spit down is wet, so my job for today is mulching!

matt_fender

One thing you might want to consider to make your watering life easier is a soaker hose. They're quite cheap to buy, and I ran a length along two sections of hedge that we planted at the beginning of last year (about 12m in total), closely following the bottom of the hedge trunks and underneath the mulch. It really does make watering much less of a chore, and I'm sure it helped our hedge through its first (very dry) season.