Hi Beginnersnoluck, thanks. I wish you every success. From the way mine have grown, what I'd say is they grow spherical. I've trimmed like mad to keep mine tall and thin and they are still 5ft+ deep now (8ft tall). So looking 3 years into the future I'd say you'd need to remove every other plant and you're too close to the fence.
Growth seems to be exponential each year. Mine took a massive loss in yr1 while they established, grew 2ft in yr2, and 3ft in yr3 (so far). I'd also say mine are sat in 3ft cubed of fresh decent topsoil, which can't be hurting their development. The one in my front garden is not going anywhere near as well and that's in just 6" of rubbly soil.
Dovefromabove, I realise it's probably not an exact science, but I'm just saying for clueless people like myself and others that have posted, we seek a conclusive answer & direction to follow. The advice on here has served me well there's no doubt, but at the same time when I posted a pic of some sick leaves last year I got 3 answers; shot hole, weevil, and no problem at all. If I'd know conclusively I'd have treated it - still would
Personally I'm not convinced there's a massive problem. It seems to happen in July when growth slows and the weather heats up, and it's only the topmost leaves. It's almost like they are being scorched or going thirsty.
I don't think it's a problem either, as the plants grow and get strong, they resist problems, pick of the unsightly leaves, but only if you really can't stand them, let the plants get bigger, they probably won't have anything wrong with them next year. You will need to thin them out though, the trunks, in three years time will be almost touching.
Winter time, most of their problems will go, I'm not so sure it's vine weevil.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
Hi all. Thank you for the advice. I will try not to worry about them.too much for now and see what happens next year. I take on board about them being too close together although I did follow the suppliers recommended planting density. However I will thin them.out as the ones at the top seem to be doing better and they are slightly wider apart. Would you suggest I thin them out sooner rather than later or leave it til next spring so as to not stress them out further?
my newly planted laurel hedge was brilliant the first 6 weeks but now the leaves are going brown and dried up and falling off. Not on all of them though. One has just been left as a stalk. Can anyone advise.
I too am a newbie gardener and have a huge (inherited) laurel hedge - about 8ft high and 20ft in total length. It looks very healthy and green. Last year it was straggly and bare twigged with pale green and yellowing leaves. I think its about 12 years old.
2016
but I have regularly watered since the beginning of spring and it has improved greatly..
2017
Just one question though - it constantly has the odd yellowing leaf (which I try and remove if I see) and overall the hedge drops a number of dead leaves each week. This hasn't affected the appearance of the hedge. You may be able to see the leaves on the block paving and ground in picture 2. Is this leaf dropping normal?? It really is the odd leaf and not a whole stem and but is regular and consistent along the whole length of the hedge.
Morning....I have read this thread with interest and I am so pleased that someone has posted over a few years on the same thread so I can see exactly what the outcome was for them. That doesn’t happen too often. I saw the tall plants Befuddled bought and what had to be done to create a thick bushy hedge Over just a few years. This morning my bareroot laurel plants came and thankfully I didn’t die when I saw how small they were and how they came as after my research I was sort of expecting it. I am about to plant them this afternoon so again will post on how they look and hopefully soon I will have a beautiful hedge like many others on here before me.
We moved into this house a couple of years ago and the trees at the bottom of the garden were enormous...huge leylandii which were going brown and taking over the world. My husband and Dad took the chainsaw to them and then the stumps were ground out. I put in some climbing and rambling roses but they went mental in just a year and I quickly realised that they wouldn’t give us the screening we require. So for now we are going to put the laurels in and then take out the roses in a week or so and pop them elsewhere in the garden. I really hope my bareroot sticks take off.......
They will be perfect, after planting, pick out the middle growing tips, they will grow out from the sides then. Laurel looks best when it’s as thick at the bottom as the top, and the only way to do that is keep the tops cut. Once its at the height you want it you can keep it trimmed at the top and side.
Dig a nice big hole, fill with compost and a plant them in firmly, once in, sprinkle some bone meal around the edges and gently fork it it. It’s better to do it that way round as the roots will then spread out, if you put the bonemeal down the hole the roots will stay there and feed on that, you need to get a good root established so don’t be disappointed if they don’t seem to grow much in the first year, once they take off they will be fine.
Nice time to plant as we are having so much rain, you won’t need to water them yet.
just to add, if the roots are dry, soak in a bucket of water for a few hours before planting.
Last edited: 14 February 2018 11:53:22
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
That was a lovely response to my post Lyn....thank you very much. Yes we have had a lot of rain lately. The rain is coming down as I type this but I know I need to get the plants in so I will have to get on with it. I will do what you said with regards to planting and have plenty of compost ready for the holes. I don’t have bonemeal though and had no idea about that but seeing as you said I can fork it in at the end I will hotfoot it down the B&Q and pick some up and do that after planting. I also didn’t realise about picking out the middle tips so again will ensure I do that. Thank you. Reading this thread through today has given me so much confidence that I have indeed ordered the correct thing for our needs and I can’t wait for the growing to start...although obviously I will have to wait! I will be planting them about 90cm in front of the back fence and about 70cm apart as that is about right from the info I have gleaned on this site. Thanks again Lyn.
That’s perfect measurements. If you have any problems with them in the future just post back, as I said, don’t expect too much in the first year as they take a time for the roots to establish and they can’t do both.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
So we got the laurels in and the bonemeal will go on later today. The roses and the Photinia by the fence will be coming out in the next week or so and placed elsewhere in the garden. Those little laurels look so small but i will attempt an update at end of Summer.
Posts
Hi Beginnersnoluck, thanks. I wish you every success. From the way mine have grown, what I'd say is they grow spherical. I've trimmed like mad to keep mine tall and thin and they are still 5ft+ deep now (8ft tall). So looking 3 years into the future I'd say you'd need to remove every other plant and you're too close to the fence.
Growth seems to be exponential each year. Mine took a massive loss in yr1 while they established, grew 2ft in yr2, and 3ft in yr3 (so far). I'd also say mine are sat in 3ft cubed of fresh decent topsoil, which can't be hurting their development. The one in my front garden is not going anywhere near as well and that's in just 6" of rubbly soil.
Dovefromabove, I realise it's probably not an exact science, but I'm just saying for clueless people like myself and others that have posted, we seek a conclusive answer & direction to follow. The advice on here has served me well there's no doubt, but at the same time when I posted a pic of some sick leaves last year I got 3 answers; shot hole, weevil, and no problem at all. If I'd know conclusively I'd have treated it - still would
Personally I'm not convinced there's a massive problem. It seems to happen in July when growth slows and the weather heats up, and it's only the topmost leaves. It's almost like they are being scorched or going thirsty.
I don't think it's a problem either, as the plants grow and get strong, they resist problems, pick of the unsightly leaves, but only if you really can't stand them, let the plants get bigger, they probably won't have anything wrong with them next year. You will need to thin them out though, the trunks, in three years time will be almost touching.
Winter time, most of their problems will go, I'm not so sure it's vine weevil.
Hi all. Thank you for the advice. I will try not to worry about them.too much for now and see what happens next year. I take on board about them being too close together although I did follow the suppliers recommended planting density. However I will thin them.out as the ones at the top seem to be doing better and they are slightly wider apart. Would you suggest I thin them out sooner rather than later or leave it til next spring so as to not stress them out further?
my newly planted laurel hedge was brilliant the first 6 weeks but now the leaves are going brown and dried up and falling off. Not on all of them though. One has just been left as a stalk. Can anyone advise.
I too am a newbie gardener and have a huge (inherited) laurel hedge - about 8ft high and 20ft in total length. It looks very healthy and green. Last year it was straggly and bare twigged with pale green and yellowing leaves. I think its about 12 years old.
but I have regularly watered since the beginning of spring and it has improved greatly..
Just one question though - it constantly has the odd yellowing leaf (which I try and remove if I see) and overall the hedge drops a number of dead leaves each week. This hasn't affected the appearance of the hedge. You may be able to see the leaves on the block paving and ground in picture 2. Is this leaf dropping normal?? It really is the odd leaf and not a whole stem and but is regular and consistent along the whole length of the hedge.
Morning....I have read this thread with interest and I am so pleased that someone has posted over a few years on the same thread so I can see exactly what the outcome was for them. That doesn’t happen too often. I saw the tall plants Befuddled bought and what had to be done to create a thick bushy hedge Over just a few years. This morning my bareroot laurel plants came and thankfully I didn’t die when I saw how small they were and how they came as after my research I was sort of expecting it. I am about to plant them this afternoon so again will post on how they look and hopefully soon I will have a beautiful hedge like many others on here before me.
We moved into this house a couple of years ago and the trees at the bottom of the garden were enormous...huge leylandii which were going brown and taking over the world. My husband and Dad took the chainsaw to them and then the stumps were ground out. I put in some climbing and rambling roses but they went mental in just a year and I quickly realised that they wouldn’t give us the screening we require. So for now we are going to put the laurels in and then take out the roses in a week or so and pop them elsewhere in the garden. I really hope my bareroot sticks take off.......
Last edited: 14 February 2018 11:32:31
They will be perfect, after planting, pick out the middle growing tips, they will grow out from the sides then. Laurel looks best when it’s as thick at the bottom as the top, and the only way to do that is keep the tops cut. Once its at the height you want it you can keep it trimmed at the top and side.
Dig a nice big hole, fill with compost and a plant them in firmly, once in, sprinkle some bone meal around the edges and gently fork it it. It’s better to do it that way round as the roots will then spread out, if you put the bonemeal down the hole the roots will stay there and feed on that, you need to get a good root established so don’t be disappointed if they don’t seem to grow much in the first year, once they take off they will be fine.
Nice time to plant as we are having so much rain, you won’t need to water them yet.
just to add, if the roots are dry, soak in a bucket of water for a few hours before planting.
Last edited: 14 February 2018 11:53:22
That was a lovely response to my post Lyn....thank you very much. Yes we have had a lot of rain lately. The rain is coming down as I type this but I know I need to get the plants in so I will have to get on with it. I will do what you said with regards to planting and have plenty of compost ready for the holes. I don’t have bonemeal though and had no idea about that but seeing as you said I can fork it in at the end I will hotfoot it down the B&Q and pick some up and do that after planting. I also didn’t realise about picking out the middle tips so again will ensure I do that. Thank you. Reading this thread through today has given me so much confidence that I have indeed ordered the correct thing for our needs and I can’t wait for the growing to start...although obviously I will have to wait! I will be planting them about 90cm in front of the back fence and about 70cm apart as that is about right from the info I have gleaned on this site. Thanks again Lyn.
That’s perfect measurements. If you have any problems with them in the future just post back, as I said, don’t expect too much in the first year as they take a time for the roots to establish and they can’t do both.
So we got the laurels in and the bonemeal will go on later today. The roses and the Photinia by the fence will be coming out in the next week or so and placed elsewhere in the garden. Those little laurels look so small but i will attempt an update at end of Summer.