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Portuguese laurel

kiowbakiowba Posts: 4
in Plants
Planted a hedge row 4 years ago a lot of the laurel is approx 6ft but have a corner and the odd plant where the growth is a couple of feet behind. Full sunny area, any ideas why they're not all same height, promised the wife 2 years ago it would be private by now! Please help! Many thanks.

Posts

  • yorkshireroseyorkshirerose Posts: 574
    It could be the depth of soil underneath some plants is not as good as others. Is your garden on a 'new build' site?  If so the builders often leave rubble below the topsoil, and below that the subsoil which may not allow the roots to penetrate.
    A gardener's work is never at an end  - (John Evelyn 1620-1706)
  • kiowbakiowba Posts: 4
    yorkshirerose said:
    It could be the depth of soil underneath some plants is not as good as others. Is your garden on a 'new build' site?  If so the builders often leave rubble below the topsoil, and below that the subsoil which may not allow the roots to penetrate.
    Thanks for the reply, yes it's a new build area. Is there anything I can do? Have  been feeding them and they are still growing as can see the new shoots, is it a case where not a lot can do now but be patient? Thanks  
  • yorkshireroseyorkshirerose Posts: 574
    Unfortunately, if you don't have a good root depth for the 'stragglers' they will struggle. Is there any way you can dig down in front of one of them to determine whether or not there is a good depth of soil around the area?
    If there is a problem, you may have to remove the shrubs and determine whether or not it is possible to dig out rubble, subsoil, etc and work in plenty of good quality topsoil. Make sure the drainage is good too. ( If you had standing water in the area over the last few months that can cause problems as the roots may rot.)

    So many new builds seem to have problems with the gardens. I wish the builders/ contractors would clear up and leave good workable ground for new residents.

    A gardener's work is never at an end  - (John Evelyn 1620-1706)
  • kiowbakiowba Posts: 4
    I'll try and get one out I think and see if can get any rubble out and add some topsoil. What is the root like on this sort of age can I expect a ball shape root or do they spread out, worried about doing more damage than good 😖, and do the plants just carry on as normal when replanted?
  • yorkshireroseyorkshirerose Posts: 574
    Try and get a plant out with as much rootball as you can. If possible replant the shrub elsewhere temporarily whilst you sort out the possible problem with the soil, dig a hole ready for it to go straight into before uplifting it to prevent too much stress. If you are unable to plant elsewhere briefly put the Laurel into a large container.
    When re-planting keep the plant well-watered during the growing season until it has settled in again. A general purpose feed such as Gromore, chicken pellets or blood, fish and bone will benefit all the shrubs.
    A gardener's work is never at an end  - (John Evelyn 1620-1706)
  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,700
    Personally, I think digging those shrubs at this moment in time may cause more harm to your shrubs. The weather is warming so quickly, your shrubs may suffer when re-planted again.

    I can see they have grown a decent size. Sometimes, not all shrubs will grow the same height/growth-rate, and yes, small differences like preparation of planting hole to even the plants and their roots may have been more weaker/pot-bound at the time. I would try to prune back all of the shrubs to equal heights and continue to do that again later in the year. The more you prune, the more they stimulate growth and branching. Hopefully in time, the weaker plants may grow stronger.
  • robairdmacraignilrobairdmacraignil Posts: 782
    I agree with what Borderline just said and digging out the plants that have grown more slowly is likely to set them back even more.
    https://www.youtube.com/user/sustainableveg/videos
  • kiowbakiowba Posts: 4
    Thanks for the advice guys much appreciated 👍would you recommend a feed that may benefit the laurel, blood fish and bone has been mentioned. Thanks
  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,700
    Continue with your blood, fish and bones feed. Water them if there is no rain forecast for more than 2 weeks over the summer months. 
  • yorkshireroseyorkshirerose Posts: 574
    I do agree with Borderline's comments, however, I would still be inclined to find out what is underneath the plants if you don't see any improvement by the end of the growing season.
    A gardener's work is never at an end  - (John Evelyn 1620-1706)
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