I have 9 panels and 15 laurels, so digging them up and spreading them out might be an option - but then wouldn’t they be too far apart to knit together??
You'll just have to ensure you keep them trimmed well enough from early on @Naina. Not ideal for you, but hopefully you can manage them. In such a constricted space, with pavement footings, they probably won't be quite as exuberant as they would be in a better site, but plenty of water to get their roots down will help to get them established and then they'll cope well enough with drier conditions
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I'd certainly take a good bit off the top. The damaged leaves will drop by themselves, or you can take them off - whichever suits you. There should have been some decent soil and organic matter added when they were planted, but you can improve the soil by regularly adding that - after they've had a really good soaking, as that helps them retain that moisture, and also helps keep weeds down. A layer of bark every year is useful too.
You can individually snip off single stems that are leaning out, but -as @Lyn said earlier, when you cut - it creates sideways growth, so it can make them denser. You may need to experiment. The difference between your site and the photos you added is that those laurels will have had a better site to start with - ie more room, and in the 2nd one, there would likely be soil/border or lawn next to them, so they'd have room to spread, and better soil to access. They'll knit together eventually, but it'll take them around a year from planting to establish and get going. How well they do after that is down to conditions and climate. In the right site, and after a couple of years, they can start growing several feet each year in all directions.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I had a message posted but unfortunately disappeared so 2nd time lucky.
I planted 120 laurels 18 months ago, I firstly killed the grass, laid membrane, planted laurels, fertilised and covered with mulch but unfortunately all died, I was told it happened because they were raised in a greenhouse and the transfer to the garden in Sept/Oct was no good for them. I then started again and sourced really good 60cm potted laurel which I planted 10 at a time while mixing more good quality soil with compost as the original soil was heavy and lacky. I now monitor the laurels regularly and they don't look great at all,although some are shooting leaves but others look sparse and dead. I know people have said in previous comments to cut them in half and let them thrive but I'm just wondering will it not kill the ones that look weak or small, should I just trim them down and inward? Laurels right of the gate sometime get a little water logged which lasts a couple of days while the ones on the left of the gate look like they're doing fine. I would love these laurels to be 6ft tall to fill between the piers. Any help and advice is greatly appreciated, thank you
Planting anything that's been grown in a greenhouse, directly into the ground in autumn is never great. You'd buy bare root from a reputable hedging company if planting at that time of year. Not sure why you had membrane to plant through - why did you not just plant them into the ground and then mulch after watering? The right prep would have been to cut and lift the turf away, then amend the soil so that it was appropriate for planting into. Did you leave a good month to 6 weeks after using weedkiller on the grass before planting? If not, that will have helped kill them off.
The new ones are very spindly - I wouldn't call those good specimens - sorry. The ground/soil and moisture levels can't have been suitable at all. Next to walls tends to be drier because of the rain shadow, and they need good watering to establish, even in autumn, unless you live in a properly wet part of the country - ie the west. They still need decent drainage though, so the condition of the soil is very important before you plant, otherwise you can drown them before they get established at all.
Even here - they need proper prep/moisture to get them established. There's a house I pass frequently and they've planted spindly specimens right next to the pavement, so no room for decent soil and moisture retention, despite our climate here. They've also covered it with membrane and big pieces of slate, so any moisture getting in is minimal. They're slowly dying, while the hawthorn they've planted with them is fine, because it can cope with next to nothing.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
If your soil is waterlogged for any length of time that could be the problem. I assume you planted the second batch in Autumn too and that you are in the UK. Weather here was wet in November followed by frozen wet ground. Lots of shrubs have died. You could try scratching the bark on those thar look dead for signs if life. None of your plants are at a stage to prune them. They need to establish roots at the moment. When watering this should be at the roots not just one can per plant but wait for a puddle and avoid run off. You should only need to water once a week at the moment. Not enough encourages the roots to grow to the surface. As @Fairygirl has mentioned there could be various issues here, I hope we can help.
I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
Fairygirl I'm living in the Midlands in Ireland and I have zero previous gardening experience. I killed off the grass first and then lay the membrane (in my mind to prevent weeds and grass fighting with the laurel). But you're right, I don't think the soil condition is great at all, pure disheartening. Should I take out the membrane or would there be any point at this stage? There're 10 plants not doing well out of 120, as the others are all shooting at the bottom and top but still don't look like they are progressing at a good rate.
Gardensuze, thanks for that I won't cut any of them right now I will just see how the next month goes. The ones left of my gate look great its the ones on the right that are really slow, I remember better soil being placed to the left when building and the right didn't get as much good soil at all. If I only knew then what I know now 😅. I will check the bark of the browning ones when I get a chance, I take it if they are green on the in side there is a small chance of survival? I'm doubtful these guys will survive though. Should I try snip a couple of inches off the ones that are doing well or should I just leave them? After all the chatting about cutting them in half had me excited that they will just miraculously take off 🤣
It's almost impossible to accurately advise you as we can't see the condition of the soil underneath. If there's new growth showing that suggests they're ok, apart from those ten. You can just leave them and see if they improve over summer, and if they don't, you can look at getting replacements for them in autumn. They can take any amount of water thrown at them if the drainage is right. That's as important as anything else - they won't survive well in either soil extreme, ie too dry or too soggy, as I said earlier.
It isn't instant though. It can take years for them to establish and really get going, especially at the stage they're at. Healthier, bushier specimens would be quicker. I'd agree that ones near the entrance look ok though. If they do get going well - you'll need a good hedge trimmer...
and before anyone says it - no, I wouldn't fancy tackling that length of hedge with secateurs, no matter how much time I had....
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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Not ideal for you, but hopefully you can manage them.
In such a constricted space, with pavement footings, they probably won't be quite as exuberant as they would be in a better site, but plenty of water to get their roots down will help to get them established and then they'll cope well enough with drier conditions
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I know the height will come in due course, but for now all I want is for them to knit together and not topple over
You can individually snip off single stems that are leaning out, but -as @Lyn said earlier, when you cut - it creates sideways growth, so it can make them denser. You may need to experiment.
The difference between your site and the photos you added is that those laurels will have had a better site to start with - ie more room, and in the 2nd one, there would likely be soil/border or lawn next to them, so they'd have room to spread, and better soil to access.
They'll knit together eventually, but it'll take them around a year from planting to establish and get going. How well they do after that is down to conditions and climate. In the right site, and after a couple of years, they can start growing several feet each year in all directions.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Thanks again for your help and reassurance 😊
I had a message posted but unfortunately disappeared so 2nd time lucky.
I planted 120 laurels 18 months ago, I firstly killed the grass, laid membrane, planted laurels, fertilised and covered with mulch but unfortunately all died, I was told it happened because they were raised in a greenhouse and the transfer to the garden in Sept/Oct was no good for them.
I then started again and sourced really good 60cm potted laurel which I planted 10 at a time while mixing more good quality soil with compost as the original soil was heavy and lacky.
I now monitor the laurels regularly and they don't look great at all,although some are shooting leaves but others look sparse and dead. I know people have said in previous comments to cut them in half and let them thrive but I'm just wondering will it not kill the ones that look weak or small, should I just trim them down and inward?
Laurels right of the gate sometime get a little water logged which lasts a couple of days while the ones on the left of the gate look like they're doing fine.
I would love these laurels to be 6ft tall to fill between the piers.
Any help and advice is greatly appreciated, thank you
Not sure why you had membrane to plant through - why did you not just plant them into the ground and then mulch after watering? The right prep would have been to cut and lift the turf away, then amend the soil so that it was appropriate for planting into. Did you leave a good month to 6 weeks after using weedkiller on the grass before planting? If not, that will have helped kill them off.
The new ones are very spindly - I wouldn't call those good specimens - sorry. The ground/soil and moisture levels can't have been suitable at all. Next to walls tends to be drier because of the rain shadow, and they need good watering to establish, even in autumn, unless you live in a properly wet part of the country - ie the west. They still need decent drainage though, so the condition of the soil is very important before you plant, otherwise you can drown them before they get established at all.
Even here - they need proper prep/moisture to get them established. There's a house I pass frequently and they've planted spindly specimens right next to the pavement, so no room for decent soil and moisture retention, despite our climate here. They've also covered it with membrane and big pieces of slate, so any moisture getting in is minimal. They're slowly dying, while the hawthorn they've planted with them is fine, because it can cope with next to nothing.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
When watering this should be at the roots not just one can per plant but wait for a puddle and avoid run off. You should only need to water once a week at the moment. Not enough encourages the roots to grow to the surface.
As @Fairygirl has mentioned there could be various issues here, I hope we can help.
Fairygirl I'm living in the Midlands in Ireland and I have zero previous gardening experience.
I killed off the grass first and then lay the membrane (in my mind to prevent weeds and grass fighting with the laurel). But you're right, I don't think the soil condition is great at all, pure disheartening. Should I take out the membrane or would there be any point at this stage?
There're 10 plants not doing well out of 120, as the others are all shooting at the bottom and top but still don't look like they are progressing at a good rate.
Gardensuze, thanks for that I won't cut any of them right now I will just see how the next month goes. The ones left of my gate look great its the ones on the right that are really slow, I remember better soil being placed to the left when building and the right didn't get as much good soil at all. If I only knew then what I know now 😅. I will check the bark of the browning ones when I get a chance, I take it if they are green on the in side there is a small chance of survival? I'm doubtful these guys will survive though.
Should I try snip a couple of inches off the ones that are doing well or should I just leave them?
After all the chatting about cutting them in half had me excited that they will just miraculously take off 🤣
Thanks again
If there's new growth showing that suggests they're ok, apart from those ten. You can just leave them and see if they improve over summer, and if they don't, you can look at getting replacements for them in autumn. They can take any amount of water thrown at them if the drainage is right. That's as important as anything else - they won't survive well in either soil extreme, ie too dry or too soggy, as I said earlier.
It isn't instant though. It can take years for them to establish and really get going, especially at the stage they're at. Healthier, bushier specimens would be quicker. I'd agree that ones near the entrance look ok though. If they do get going well - you'll need a good hedge trimmer...
and before anyone says it - no, I wouldn't fancy tackling that length of hedge with secateurs, no matter how much time I had....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...