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Help needed please with laurel hedge issues...

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  • Hi all not sure if I should be posting here or starting a new thread. Apologies if I should have. I've read through the whole thing and just have one question:

    I bought some rootball common laurel plants to form a hedge, followed all the advice given here on planting etc. Due to complications I could only put the plants in last weekend which is obviously quite late in the year. They are 80-100cm tall, the smallest I could get so I had fully intended to cut them back half on planting as suggested many times on here. I then read one thing saying if you cut back during the colder months, the new shoots will die off. My question is, do I still cut back now or wait until spring? Thanks and hopefully I'll have a lovely hedge in a few years thanks to the wealth of information here!
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Do you mean bare root plants @talk2cotton1OB97YfZ?
    They're 'designed' to be planted at this time of year - and any time through winter, so that isn't a problem at all if they were done last weekend.  :)
    They're just dug up and sent out, so the quicker they're planted the better, as opposed to plants which are pot grown. Those can be planted at any time as long as the ground is suitable. 
    They can still be cut back a little if you wish, as long as the weather is favourable. If you had severe frost/ice in the forecast for the next few days or so, it would be better to wait.  It won't make a huge difference, as they aren't huge. They're actually about the perfect size for planting [3 feet] and will be fine left until spring. 
    It largely depends on your location and climate.  :)  
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • @Fairygirl thanks for getting back to me. They were what was called rootballs, ie the root wrapped in a Hessian sack with some soil. I'm near the south coast, below London so it's one of the milder places in the UK. I didn't expect any problems with them surviving the planting, it was simply that I'd read something saying you shouldn't cut back until June as if you do it in winter, the new shoots will die off in Jan/Feb/march. Whereas on here I've read many times that you should cut back on planting to create new growth. I didn't know if to wait until next year or still cut back to half now (this weekend is going to be mild but I obviously can't guarantee that for the rest of the winter). Thanks again.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    They sound pretty similar to  bare root and would therefore be fine planted just now, so you don't need to worry  :)
    If you're worried about pruning just now, just wait until spring. They'll be fine. It's more important with really large specimens - ie 5 to 6 feet sort of size - to cut back, because it's easier for them to establish well if they have less top growth to support. Big specimens also tend to be sparse rather than bushy, so they benefit from a good haircut to get them filling out well. If they don't get that, they tend to keep growing taller, but without good sideways growth. 
    Obviously, I can't see the site or the plants, but as long as they have reasonable soil to grow in, and reasonable moisture, they should be fine for the next few months, and you can cut them back a bit then. If you're in a drier area, a mulch of bark or similar, will be good to help retain that moisture, but generally - they'll establish well and be fine. 
    Cherry laurel is almost indestructible, so even if they had a trim and got a bit of damage over winter, they'd recover in spring and grow away.  :)  
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • marbeckmarbeck Posts: 7
    edited April 2022
    Hi Everyone,

    Found the thread after Googling problems I might have with my Cherry Laurel, seems a good place to share my issue.

    We purchased several bareroot, 60-80cms plants for our front garden. The trench across the front and side were dug deep , all the rubbish soil discarded and replaced with good quality soil and handfuls of fish, blood & bone (as per advice from where we bought them). The plant's roots were soaked in water prior to planting within 24 hours of delivery and planted at the correct depth/spacing (again from where we bought them from) and we have a layer of mulch for the top layer. 

    2 months later we are at this stage. Almost all leaves have died off as you can see and they are looking in a dire state. We've been watering them every other day. If I scratch at the bark, there is green underneath, does that mean they are still alive?





    EDIT: They were cut back slightly when we planted them and 2 weeks ago we took a little more off, in hope that it would encourage some growth.

    Scratching my head at this point, not sure what else to do! Any help much appreciated.

    Many Thanks!
    Martin


  • UffUff Posts: 3,199
    Going by what you say your preparation was sound. I assume the roots were good? You say that you've watered them every other day. It's been a dry spring so far up here, what has it been like where you are? If you haven't had much or any rain since you planted them then I would suggest that lack of water is the problem. It certainly looks like it to me. 

    In my experience, cherry laurels are tough plants but if they don't get the right conditions then it takes them longer to settle in. They don't like wet roots but neither do they like dry ones. 

    The good news is that if they are green underneath the bark then they are still alive. I'd nurse and coddle them and see how you get on if I were you but I wouldn't give up on them just yet. Best of luck with them.
    SW SCOTLAND but born in Derbyshire
  • marbeckmarbeck Posts: 7
    Uff said:
    Going by what you say your preparation was sound. I assume the roots were good? You say that you've watered them every other day. It's been a dry spring so far up here, what has it been like where you are? If you haven't had much or any rain since you planted them then I would suggest that lack of water is the problem. It certainly looks like it to me. 

    In my experience, cherry laurels are tough plants but if they don't get the right conditions then it takes them longer to settle in. They don't like wet roots but neither do they like dry ones. 

    The good news is that if they are green underneath the bark then they are still alive. I'd nurse and coddle them and see how you get on if I were you but I wouldn't give up on them just yet. Best of luck with them.
    Thanks Uff - they were watered this morning, just checked the roots, they are damp so I'm assuming they are getting a drink. 

    When they were planted we had very heavy rain for a few days after, perhaps that might not have helped them to settle in?

    We've not had much rain lately, should I change watering to daily? I tend not to water from the top (not that they have much leaves anyway), just aim for the base of the plants.

    ** We have one, large Cherry Laurel out the back, it's planted in very clay soil and only gets watering when it rains, and apart from when the pooch decides to wee on it  :D As you say, it's a very tough plant. **

    Thanks,
    Martin
  • UffUff Posts: 3,199
    Perhaps they might benefit from daily waterings. Better to keep the soil nicely moist than saturated. You might have read on here that newly planted laurels tend towards yellowing leaves that drop off. It doesn't matter about that because, as I said, once they settle they're rarely any trouble. 
    SW SCOTLAND but born in Derbyshire
  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,700
    I know you mentioned you watered every other day, but it may well be that you need to water even more generously. Now that the weather is warming up, do not worry about over-watering. The soil in the photo looks quite dry and I suspect, initially, the leaves dropped off because there was not enough water to begin with. Cutting down was the right thing to do.

    I agree with Uff, they are tough plants, so give them time, but water around 5-6 litres per plant every 3-4 days. Your borders are very narrow, so don't just aim at the root, you can water the whole border space.
  • marbeckmarbeck Posts: 7
    Thank you both, just gave them an afternoon water, all over the border.

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