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Portuguese Laurel - different growth rates

cazlou7118003cazlou7118003 Posts: 8
in Plants
I planted a Portuguese Laurel hedge of about 30 or so plants using 3ft root balls in late 2020.  The purpose is to provide a screen from the street so I want tall and bushy eventually.  They all get similar amount of sun/rain/watering.  Some have grown fantastically, have doubled in height and are bushy, green and glossy. 

I have 3 in a row that are bushy and look healthy but have only grown by 30 cm or so. 

I have an additional 8 in a row elsewhere that get loads and loads of flowers and berries compared to the others but are very slow growing (height), not at all bushy and prone to yellowing leaves.

Any ideas what's going wrong?  It would be god to know before I start pruning and potentially make things worse!
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Posts

  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    Differential growth could be due to a number of reasons including a difference in the depth or quality of soil due to an underground obstacle or the wind strength at different points in the garden.  A photo would help if possible.  I have found that Portuguese laurel dislike sandy, well draining soil and can be vulnerable to powdery mildew and shot hole disease if they don't get enough water.  Do any of your small or slow growing plants have any sign of disease?
    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • cazlou7118003cazlou7118003 Posts: 8

  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    There are different types of Portugeuse Laurel too.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • cazlou7118003cazlou7118003 Posts: 8
    A few photos of the plants that are scrawny but get loads of berries.
  • cazlou7118003cazlou7118003 Posts: 8

  • cazlou7118003cazlou7118003 Posts: 8

  • cazlou7118003cazlou7118003 Posts: 8

  • cazlou7118003cazlou7118003 Posts: 8

  • cazlou7118003cazlou7118003 Posts: 8
    cazlou7118003 said:
    A few photos of the plants that are scrawny but get loads of berries.
    They all came from the same source at the same time and to a non-expert like me they all looked the same at that point.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    There's one of those 'cable boxes' or similar, to the outside of some. That can affect drainage due to the footings etc.
    The ones you say aren't growing as quickly have got a lot of nearby competition. They won't all grow at the same rate anyway, but you can cut them all back to the same size which will also help. 
    The ones you think are scrawny [the first pic in your 2nd batch of photos] also have lots of competition- a large number of established shrubs/trees on the other side.
    As @Plantminded said - just those things are enough to make a difference in growth. 

    It takes any hedging plant, or shrub/tree, a year just to settle in properly before they start to grow. The rate at which they grow is then determined by all those aforementioned factors - soil, climate and location.  They all look healthy so I can't see there's anything to worry about. The slower ones will gradually get bigger, but you can help them along with some extra nutrition and water through the main season.
    Mulching well after wet spells is better than any artificial food  though, and especially for the ones beside that box. The soil and it's potential moisture retention won't be as good next to a pavement either, so organic matter will be the best thing all along there as it improves the soil structure   :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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