Ligustrum ovalifolium dying after planting

ronnin79

Hi guys, i habe a problem with privet hedge. It is dying, started right away after planting it. Some plants are fine, have new green leaves and other ones drying out and some even have black dry leaves like it was burned by fire. I am trying to give it enough water, watering it twice a day, 7 am and 8 pm but, still, half of them recovering, other half drying out. Maybe weather is to hot for planting them now? I am in Netherlands, here is around 20c last two weeks, sun and no rain. Thanks for help.

AnniD

I'm guessing it may be due to overwatering,  the soil also looks very compacted.
Hopefully a forum hedging expert can help. 
*Bump*

ronnin79

Hey thanks for bump and comment. I read somewhere they need a lot of water after planting. I was for planting them every other day, but wife insisted and found link that say they need a lot of water after just planting them. Soil is compacted because i stomped with my foot around, that is what i saw on youtube they said i should do. I am so confused about all of it. And i am making veggies garden, that will be fun, hope i dont kill all poor plants.

Borderline

Provided you made sure the planting holes were all well prepared and soil around the area broken down, and you have watered them at least every other day around the base, it's a case of wait and see.

Privet shrubs can lose their leaves and if stressed and trying to settle in, they will drop their leaves, but that does not mean the end. The leaves may have been fried by the heat especially if you try water overhead in the open sun. Try to water only in the early mornings or late evenings concentrating at the base. Keep up with the watering. You will know if the branches die back, they become dry and brittle, and snap if you try to bend them.

Longterm, think about top dressing with something like bark chip. Helps to seal the moisture in and keep the roots cool and warm in the winter.

ronnin79

To be honest i am not sure if ground was good prepared and holes was great. I did them with hand dril for ground, so maybe not good enough. I giving them water exactly how you said, at 7 am and 8 pm, twice a day.
Around 40 to 45 plants are  now completely without leaves , from 95 that i planted. Rest of them are going ok, now better, since i started to water them more and i see new green leaves. Non snapping yet when i try to bend it. I will buy bark first chance i have. 
 I guess not possible to replant them now in better prepared ground? At least dying ones?

Fairygirl

If you had to use a drill to make holes, I think it's safe to say the holes weren't properly prepared 

ronnin79

Fairygirl said:

If you had to use a drill to make holes, I think it's safe to say the holes weren't properly prepared 

Yeah, i igree. So is there anything i can do now, or just to pray that will work out good?

Borderline

Ronnin79, I think you misunderstood my previous post. I suggest you only water every 2 days either in the morning or evening. No need to water twice in one day. This action may cause your plant roots to rot or encourage surface roots. Not ideal. 

If you had to drill into the soil it means the surrounding soils are solid blocks and will be difficult for the roots to grow into. It sounds like a lot of plants have been planted so far. For now I think it’s best just to wait and see. They may eventually settle down. 

Sometimes soil preparation takes longer than actual planting. It is worth the work in the beginning as later issues may be just as time consuming and costly.

ronnin79

OK, now i did understood. Thanks, i will water them once every two days, and we see. I come with update in a week.

Fairygirl

Rock hard ground is really inhospitable to a newly planted specimen. If you had dug a bigger hole,and broken up the soil a good bit, added something like well rotted manure/compost, that would have made it easier for them to get established. 
Manure in particular, is excellent for opening up solid ground. 
In your photos, there are roots showing at the surface. You could add a little layer of manure/compost, as long as you're not burying them any deeper. Just enough to cover those,keeping it away from the main 'stem'. That will help a little, and also act as a mulch, as @Borderline was indicating with the bark. Any organic matter will help.

Ideally - that would have been done before you planted anything. Good prep pays dividends, but on the plus side- Privet is tough, so hopefully enough of it will recover. 

ronnin79

Hey, thanks for comment. Those lottle roots was grass roots that i removed, those are not hedge roots. Yeah i know now what i should had done, but now is to late. I will get bark in few days however. I did dig a hole 25-30 cm deep and 20 wide, and filled it up with fresh black garden soil when i planted them. Hope they recover, i stoped watering them as crazy, i realizing now that day after watering them, soil is still humid. Lets we see what happen. Thanks for help.