Laurel, Trouble

martinn123

Hi Folks,

Wec planted Laurel-cherry '' prunus laurocarasus Rotundifolia'' on 3 sides of a building we wanted not to look at. Big plants very healty in Feb.

Over the past month, first the South facing plants, leaves went brown and all fell off, leaving a bare plant
Now some of the west facing plants are sharting to go the same way.

Is it the weather, too much rain, or a disease taking hold.

Any advice please.

BTW I copied the Latin name off the label, it's not that I know much about plants.

Edit, here's a couple of photo's if it helps.

Oldtree

might be too much water around roots shutting down root function and leaves continue to transpire drying out leaves or
not enough watering to help them settle in.
is this a very dry spot?
did you apply fertiliser when planting and if so how much?
is this a windy spot?
large plants like this esp evergreen need a lot of care to get started, apart from the cost. maby start with smaller plants when replanting.

martinn123

Oldtree wrote: »

might be too much water around roots shutting down root function and leaves continue to transpire drying out leaves or
not enough watering to help them settle in.
is this a very dry spot?
did you apply fertiliser when planting and if so how much?
is this a windy spot?
large plants like this esp evergreen need a lot of care to get started, apart from the cost. maby start with smaller plants when replanting.

Thanks for reply.
It's a showground, retail, and was set out, and planted, by a firm of Landscapers prior to opening,
too much water I can believe given the weather, the plants were well watered also during the dry spell in March/ April, maybe too well watered.
It's quite a windy spot.
No fertiliser as far as I know.

I have cut back three of the plants on the south facing aspect, to see if they recover, but of course its the wrong time of the year, to cut them back, but it's worth a try.
You are right about the cost, very expensive plants.
thanks again.

martinn123

Update, I just realised, during a rain shower yesterday, that the effected plants are beside the downpipe from the gutters in the photo's.:o
So they are getting a large volume of water during our ''Summer''

Are they doomed, and if so, is there a plant someone can recommend that will appreciate all that water

Thanks.

Oldtree

Are you saying that the drain to soakaways are blocked and plants getting a good watering from overflowing drains?

martinn123

The downpipes were previously just letting the water flow onto the ground. It's a display area, just re-developed and landscaped in Feb/March. I guess in planning the layout they forgot to put in drainage.
So yes the water flows out of the downpipe, onto where the plants are, and my do they flow.

I will get a water butt, to collect some of the water, I can use it to water plants in green-houses, but it appears we have drowned the laurel.:eek:

Oldtree

I have a big butt too :eek: but it can fill up in one deluge so you will have to consider piping the water off somewhere, flowing water like that is going to make it difficult to grow anything. Perhaps a water feature , but the overflow is still going to have to go somewhere.

martinn123

Too late for that, as area landscaped, path's in etc, bad planning I know.
The ground is taking the water, so far, but effecting the plants obviously.
How about Bamboo, I hear they like a lot of water?
It's to screen off the building, you can see in the picture, any other plants, like to be submerged.
Thanks

Oldtree

If you want something decorative and colourful perhaps a willow screen would be able to take your water around its roots. You can get and use many colours of willow bark and buy as sets in winter, plant close and coppice every year at the end of winter to get fresh shoots. I would think that an alder hedge would also do alright. But not knowing the amounts and flow of water involved i cannot say for certain which would be better (or worse).

Another option would be to do a raised bed with sleepers to plant a hedge into again. I have done somthing similar with golden privit and allowed the hedge up to 6 foot or so. it is still there after 15 years. Foundations or extra sleepers up to the level of water flow with the sleepers giving about a foot or so (and internal bed width of about 2 - 2 1/2 foot) of dryer rooting depth at the top. Mix a lot of soil with any compost here and chicken manure and put an inch or so of drainage stones at the bottom of the bed (above water level). Not sure if this idea could take laurel.