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Planting Portuguese Laurel in a bed 40cm deep

  • 13-04-2019 12:15am
    #1
    v638sg7k1a92bx
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,913 ✭✭✭


    I have a raised bed along the rear boundary wall that is approx. 10m wide and approx 40cm deep.

    I'm considering planting some Portuguese Laurel to act as a screen between the two properties. Realistically, what height will the laurel grow with only 40cm of depth?


Comments

  • #2
    macraignil
    Registered Users Posts: 3,358 ✭✭✭macraignil


    Raelyn Fancy Baritone wrote: »
    I have a raised bed along the rear boundary wall that is approx. 10m wide and approx 40cm deep.

    I'm considering planting some Portuguese Laurel to act as a screen between the two properties. Realistically, what height will the laurel grow with only 40cm of depth?


    What is the distance from the wall the edge of the raised bed? To calculate the area available for roots we need to use three dimensions not just two. More importantly what is under the raised bed? Is it some material the roots can still grow into?


  • #3
    standardg60
    Registered Users Posts: 4,224 ✭✭✭standardg60


    Raelyn Fancy Baritone wrote: »
    I have a raised bed along the rear boundary wall that is approx. 10m wide and approx 40cm deep.

    I'm considering planting some Portuguese Laurel to act as a screen between the two properties. Realistically, what height will the laurel grow with only 40cm of depth?

    Now I know how you felt when you started the thread 'how to deal with stupid questions in work'


  • #4
    v638sg7k1a92bx
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,913 ✭✭✭v638sg7k1a92bx


    macraignil wrote: »
    What is the distance from the wall the edge of the raised bed? To calculate the volume of soil available for roots we need to use three dimensions not just two. More importantly what is under the raised bed? Is it some material the roots can still grow into?

    It's a concrete bed filled with soil about 1 metre wide and 40cm deep.


  • #5
    macraignil
    Registered Users Posts: 3,358 ✭✭✭macraignil


    macraignil wrote: »
    What is the distance from the wall the edge of the raised bed? To calculate the volume of soil available for roots we need to use three dimensions not just two. More importantly what is under the raised bed? Is it some material the roots can still grow into?
    Raelyn Fancy Baritone wrote: »
    It's a concrete bed filled with soil about 1 metre wide and 40cm deep.


    You still have not explained what is under the planting space. Without knowing that I can't really say what you are going to get from your plants. You could use a shovel to dig in to the bed a bit to see what is under the 40cm of soil. As a rule of thumb plants tend to have the same area of root under the soil as they have leaves and branches above the soil so if it is just solid concrete under the 40cm I would expect the full grown size of your plants to be fairly restricted (guessing about 2metres) unless it is solid concrete with no drainage in which case it could fill with water and drown your laurel plants.


  • #6
    v638sg7k1a92bx
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,913 ✭✭✭v638sg7k1a92bx


    macraignil wrote: »
    You still have not explained what is under the planting space. Without knowing that I can't really say what you are going to get from your plants. You could use a shovel to dig in to the bed a bit to see what is under the 40cm of soil. As a rule of thumb plants tend to have the same area of root under the soil as they have leaves and branches above the soil so if it is just solid concrete under the 40cm I would expect the full grown size of your plants to be fairly restricted (guessing about 2metres) unless it is solid concrete with no drainage in which case it could fill with water and drown your laurel plants.

    It's poured concrete. basically a large concrete trough that has been filled with 40cm of soil. Nothing underneath other than more concrete.


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  • #7
    Lumen
    Registered Users Posts: 31,008 ✭✭✭✭Lumen


    Raelyn Fancy Baritone wrote: »
    It's poured concrete. basically a large concrete trough that has been filled with 40cm of soil. Nothing underneath other than more concrete.
    Obviously an undrained trough is a terrible idea for planting anything, at least in a country that gets 1-2m of rain a year.

    Can you drill drainage holes in the bottom?


  • #8
    v638sg7k1a92bx
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,913 ✭✭✭v638sg7k1a92bx


    Lumen wrote: »
    Obviously an undrained trough is a terrible idea for planting anything, at least in a country that gets 1-2m of rain a year.

    Can you drill drainage holes in the bottom?

    Yes there are holes and a runoff.


  • #9
    Lumen
    Registered Users Posts: 31,008 ✭✭✭✭Lumen


    If there's enough holes you might be alright. Assuming you only need privacy up high, and keep it pruned to tree form, there may be little enough leaf transpiration for restricted roots to service a modest canopy from 2-4m.

    But I don't think anyone is going to say it's a good idea, since you're essentially propsing to grow a tree in a large container, and that rarely works.

    The main risk, though, is that it doesn't work and you waste 5 years finding out, when you could instead have sorted out the landscaping to make it a success.


  • #10
    v638sg7k1a92bx
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,913 ✭✭✭v638sg7k1a92bx


    Lumen wrote: »
    If there's enough holes you might be alright. Assuming you only need privacy up high, and keep it pruned to tree form, there may be little enough leaf transpiration for restricted roots to service a modest canopy from 2-4m.

    But I don't think anyone is going to say it's a good idea, since you're essentially propsing to grow a tree in a large container, and that rarely works.

    The main risk, though, is that it doesn't work and you waste 5 years finding out, when you could instead have sorted out the landscaping to make it a success.

    But what are the alternatives? I don't see any other option as this is the only available space to grow something.


  • #11
    Lumen
    Registered Users Posts: 31,008 ✭✭✭✭Lumen


    Raelyn Fancy Baritone wrote: »
    But what are the alternatives? I don't see any other option as this is the only available space to grow something.

    Ditch the concrete. The point of raised beds is to make stuff easier to grow, but yours are doing the opposite.


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  • #12
    v638sg7k1a92bx
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,913 ✭✭✭v638sg7k1a92bx


    Lumen wrote: »
    Ditch the concrete. The point of raised beds is to make stuff easier to grow, but yours are doing the opposite.

    That's not an option, it's poured concrete approx 10 metres wide. Basically part of a large patio, the concrete form part of the wall foundations. Hard to describe.


  • #13
    macraignil
    Registered Users Posts: 3,358 ✭✭✭macraignil


    Raelyn Fancy Baritone wrote: »
    That's not an option, it's poured concrete approx 10 metres wide. Basically part of a large patio.


    Con saw and kango hammer should make quick work of breaking it up. You might even be able to leave the broken up concrete in place once there is space for the plants to grow their roots through.


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