Best time for Planting Laurel?

eamon11

hi,

I am planing to plant within the next 6 weeks. Never planted before. Planting beside a wall.

Would this be ok?

tks,

Eamon

vicwatson

Is it rootball or containerised? if it's the former the next 6 weeks will be fine (though the weather has been so mild the planting season may be extended for rootball), containerised plants can be planted year round.

For spacing etc see here - http://www.evergreenhedging.co.uk/plantcalc.php?mn=256

looksee

There is usually a dry area beside a wall so do not plant too close to it. I suggest that for laurel, which is a fairly big bush, you would want to be 3ft away from the wall. If its just a low wall you could go closer, if it is a high wall I wonder whether its a good idea to plant laurel there at all?

eamon11

`thanks lads,

the wall is about 2 foot high. |Its a front boundary wall. The soil is very rocky.

Sonnenblumen

Out of interest what Laurel hedge do you intend to plant and what is the desired height? Most laurels are very bulky and would dwarf (in height and spread) a 2' high wall which suggests that laurel may not be the best choice?

Better to do some ground preparation, remove any obvious large stone/debris, add some soil conditioner and fertiliser before planting new hedge. Avoid planting when ground is very wet or frozen and be sure to heel in (using your heel carefully press down on soil around the plant in order to secure new hedge in ground).

eamon11

type is basic normal laurel, prunas laur. i think. Dont know the name. Bareroot. dwarfing the wall is the idea. Might pour topsoil on first to form a raised bed of perhaps 1 foot which would ensure the soil is right and save on the ground prep. Make for a quicker hedge too. Are there different kinds of topsoil or does it make a difference?

Tks

Sonnenblumen

Putting good topsoil on bad ground is simply hiding the problem and doesn't make sense for the longer term. Better to dig and make good the ground.

Poor ground preparation is a common cause for plant failure/poor performance.