Hedge not growing

FrankJames

Just a quick question for all you avid Gardeners out there:-

I planted Laurel approx. 3.5 years ago in my back garden.
While digging the soil I noticed that there was this horrible light brown heavy sticky mud about 1 foot down in most places.

About a year later the laurel on the left of my garden was taking and growing quite well, while the laurel at the back wall and on the right did not seem to be taking, however they were not dying, just not growing.

Advised by a Horticulturist to feed them, which I dually did on a regular enough basis with chicken manure pellets. No avail.

Then I was advised that it was indeed the soil, as described above, that needed replacing, which I did. Many hours spent with a Mini Digger. I also got Topsoil and re-filled the trench. Re-planted the original laurel, as was still green and did not damage any roots in digging them up.

Nine months later the Laurel seems to be dying on me now.

Here’s the quick question…………

Any ideas? Pics attached. Good laurel on left, no so good on right.

Beruthiel

When you first planted them, did you dig large holes and put in any kind of compost mixing it with the soil to loosen it?

r3nu4l

What Beruthiel said

Also, has there ever been any chemical spillages in that part of the garden where the laurel is not growing? Was there ever an oil tank there that leaked? Does that part of the garden get much sun, I think it might looking at the photos but just asking?

Try looking at the RHS plant selector to see info on cultivation conditions for laurel.

Hope it helps.

bogteal

How far down is your foundation for wall, are they rootballed and last thing they look very yellow are they getting water they wall lookes high and they ground under it might not be getting wet enought.

FrankJames

No Beruthiel, I just dug a hole in the soil big enough to to plant each one of them. I did the same for them all and still the ones on the left took and grew very fast.

r3nu4l, No spillages what so ever. That part of the garden gets the most sun.

bogteal, The foundation wall is about 3 foot down, the same all the way around, even on the left where they are very strong. The ground is extremely wet, especially after the rain over the past couple of weeks.

I think it may even be too wet now. Because I replaced it with new topsoil, I think maybe I have created a canal effect, where the water has soaked into the soil and has no way to escape. It is still very wet.

What do you guys think? Thanks for all the replies by the way

baguio

One definite improvement that could be made is to clear the grass away from around them - they're competing for nutrients.
The fact that they're yellowing indicates that they're in some way deficient. Whats the quality of the soil they're in? Is it 100% compacted subsoil?

FrankJames

muggyog, The trench has already been dug. It was such a big trench I don't think there is a possibilty that the roots have hit the bad soil or marl yet.
Trench dug was approx. 4' wide x 2.5'-3' deep

baguio, I am constantly removing the grass from around the hedge, is there some way I can do this permanently?
Is it 100% compacted subsoil? I don't know. I just got a builder to drop down what looked like good quality topsoil and I refilled the trench, mixing in the munure as I went. Did not compact it in any way. Seems fairly compact now.

Any more advice or suggestions from anyone? All replies are still much appreciated.

The Sweeper

FrankJames, test your soil's PH. You can buy a PH testing kit at your local garden centre. Laurels like a slightly acidic soil - so a peat moss soil, the sort you'd grow blueberries, azaleas and camellias in. You should consider acidity even when you mulch around your Laurels, which is what I would recommend you do to keep the grass down.

If your soil is too alkaline, you'll have to go about adding things to increase the acidity to better suit your laurels. Test the soil first, then we can see about making it more acidic if needs be.