Laurel Hedge

[sc2375]

Can anyone help me. I planted 45 bareroot Laurel hedge at Easter (very dry weather). When i got the hedge from the garden centre it was very dry looking and leaves were spotted with brown spots. I soaked the roots for a few hours before planting. I planted them in ground that would be quite clay. However I mixed up black sand, soil, peat moss and some hen manure used to feed roses and shrubs and dug out the holes and then filled in around the roots with this mixture. Once planted I have continually watered the laurel faithfully every night giving them a good soaking. Out of the 45 planted 30 of them have taken well and have lovely green leaves, however the other 15 seem to be struggling and their leaves are brown and crisp, but they seem to still have sap in them. Can anyone tell me what i've done wrong or is it maybe as i suspect that they were out of the ground too long at the garden centre.

[Thunderbird+]

providing you have'nt gone too heavy on the chicken manure, I dont think you have done anything wrong.
What you suspect regarding the roots being allowed to dry out in the garden centre is, I think the key to the problem.

I think all you can do now is keep up the watering and hope the other 15 pull through.
I'd remove any brown leaves, as they will not green up again also a mulch of bark chip around the base of the hedge will help retain moisture and suppress weed competition. Good Luck Tbird+