Planting 5ft Portuguese Laurel Hedge

Hi all,

I am planting 25 P. Laurels and need some advice about how to get the roots well established.

I bought these from a nursery, they were delivered in pots but the pots also have some roots sticking out of them. They were in the ground and they removed the ones I picked.

Firstly after a rainy week we dug a trench and the water table line was high in the trench. I believe when I plant them it will be just below the bottom of the roots, or right there. Is this something I should be worried about?

Secondly, Once I put them into the ground (I'm using a garden mix to fill around them with some manure on top) what can I do to help establish them?

Should I top them a bit? Put some type of fertilizer?

Thanks in advance for your help! I am definitely a very new diy landscaper but have the ability to do lots of the work myself.


Please see the photos for the water table line and anything else.

 

wow, that is a high water table. How do other plants in your garden (yard) do? Is the water table high in other parts of your yard?

I wonder if instead of digging a trench, you build up a long narrow berm of soil, and plant in that berm - would that work - expert opinion anyone?

QUESTION - can you post the label (photo) - showing the exact name in Latin of the plants you bought? I ask because I, too, recently bought some laurel hedge (it's surprisingly expensive!) - and researched the options as I did NOT want the same old one we had that dropped berries (looked like black cherries) everywhere - what a mess (the birds liked them tho.!). There seems to be some mingling of the more common names of Laurel - like English, hedging, Portugese, etc

OBSERVATION - the spread of laurel is quite significant - so it appears in photos that your planting trench is very close to your fence - probably you want as much free room in your yard as possible - so I'm wondering (even tho you say you've bought these plants already) if the laurel is the best option for a narrow (and easy maintenance) hedge. It takes quite a bit of annual shearing with proper hedge tools to keep laurel tall and narrow. (shear at the right time of year, too)

I assume out in the suburbs you are on a septic system (eg the septic is for your house only) - be careful planting willow and other root invasive water loving shrubs / trees near sewer lines and septic system (tank and field) esp if your soil is rich and wet (willows love that!)

as far as establishing landscape plants in healthy soil in correct conditions and lessening "transplant shock" - there are "transplanting" fertilizer solutions that you dilute in a bucket - easy to find at any decent plant nursery store. I've used it - and then I've not used it - I don't know if it makes a difference but I do recall an article one time in Taunton "Fine Gardening" magazine. (see website - there might be an archive) -- just google and you'll find info - there are claims that B1 vitamin is beneficial but I've read online some "county extension service" (from the state universities in USA) articles that say there is not significant academic proof of that claim. Look for the product that has the 3 fertilizer numbers shown on the label. Here's an article from Sunset magazine - https://www.sunset.com/garden/garden-basics/crash-course-fertilizers

 

Prunus lusitanica
Plant

Thanks for your help,

I put the recommended garden mix into the 16 inch trench but it was still full of water so its like a good thick stew of soil right now. I did some research and most said to berm it up so that's what I did. The bottom of the roots are sitting just on top of where the water line is. I am a bit worried though because they are on top of this super wet unstable soupy mix so I can't really stomp down around the hedge to get it to sit still. The good thing is I guess is that its not very windy in my backyard.

Any suggestions?

I'm looking into drainage at the moment but the trench is still super wet and I have no clue if it will dry out?

 

is it soggy boggy like this everywhere in your yard?

i am not a drainage expert but it seems like something needs to be done - i'd be worried about a flooded crawl space (or basement, as the case may be)

 

No definitely not its a wettwe backback for sure and there is lots of moss on the lawn.

As it is right now trench was backfilled with good garden mix soil and then that was like a stew with all the water in there

will that water evaporate?

Will it settle my hedge?

Should i stake them?

Can I do anything to get the water out and dry up that hedge?

 

The normal fix for your situation is to install a perforated plastic pipe surrounded by sand and gravel at the bottom of the trench and connect the pipe to an appropriate outlet at the lowest end before backfilling. That would keep the trench dry and even improve the drainage of adjacent soil. However, with the trench already backfilled, that is an expensive fix, especially if there is no convenient drainwater outlet nearby. If you are lucky, the water in the ditch might just be rainwater trapped by the clay soil, which should dry out during the summer. In that case planting a shallow-rooted hedge on a raised berm should work.