Laurel hedging plants dying?

Help, please. I planted a row of laurel hedging plants around three weeks ago, but I'm concerned that they might be struggling. On some of the plants, the leaves seem to have dropped (see pic), and one or two are turning yellow-ish.

I am watering all the plants every couple of days. However, my soil is clay-heavy, so perhaps I am watering too much? I really don't know whether I should be watering more or less.

When I planted them, I threw a handful of compost into each hole and then a few handfuls of topsoil and a bit of Grow More around the top.

Not sure the attached pic quite does justice to what I am saying. Anyway, any advice would be appreciated.

 

Were the plants "bare root" when you bought them or were they in pots? They look to be a fair size from your pic . If pot grown, were the roots congested ? Initial preparation of the ground is always vital and perhaps that may be the problem. When you water, does the water disappear quickly or does it sit for a while ?
Hopefully, someone may be able to advise as this time of year is usually the best time for hedge planting.

 

There were in pots. I can't say I noticed congested roots, but I'm a novice so wasn't really paying attention to that. I will check the water thing this evening. Thank you.

 

What size are they - as in height @Sydney Carton ? Large plants can struggle to establish far more than smaller plants, so it's often not worth buying larger plants. The root system can't support all the heavy top growth, especially with something like Laurel, so the foliage can be dropped and/or you get branches/stems drooping.
It'll take until next year for them to establish properly, and it's often a good idea to cut the tops back a good bit to make it easier for them to settle in.
What prep of the site did you do before planting? That's the most important bit of planting anything too, as @Philippa says, so if the ground's compacted [ happens easily with clay] and the drainage isn't right, that can also affect how they establish and grow. Laurel can take any amount of water that gets thrown at it all year round, but if the drainage is bad, they won't appreciate it.
If you have to water, make sure you're doing it at the base of the plants too, not from overhead.

 

If you're planting a hedge it's best to prepare the wholelenth of it as a trench, digging it deep enough for the existing root balls but lossening the base so the roots can grow out and making it at least twice as wide as the rootball so the roots can spread sideways too. Improving the soil with well rotted manure and garden compost will also help.

Planting in individual holes, especially in clay soil, can just create sumps which collect water and drown the roots so, if you can, for the soil along the whole length either side of the roots to moosen it and improve drainage.

As @fairygirl says it will also help to remove half of the top growth to reduce stress on the roots as they establish themselves. Once the roots are happy the top growth will be abundant form next spring.

You don't say where you are but, unless you're experiencing a drought, there should be enough moisture in the soil now and rain to come so they shouldn't need any more water.

 

I'd dig one up and check the rootball is wet, if its dried right out it will be difficult to rewet just by normal watering..
Peat free or even peat based compost is very difficult to wet if it dries right out, did you soak the pots by standing them in a bucket of water before planting.

 

Thanks. The plants are 2-3ft. A couple of weeks before planting, I rotavated the soil, but I'm not sure I did a terribly good job, as the machine I was using was quite old and temperamental. I've a feeling the ground is probably still quite compacted. When I was digging the holes for the plants, the soil was quite hard, so I spent quite a lot of time trying to break it down.

 

Thank you. I just dug individual holes rather than a trench. I wish I'd known there was a trench method! I am in East Anglia, and it's quite wet at the moment. I take the point about removing top growth; I'll do that. Also, I'll get some more compost and rotted manure. Stupid question, but will I need to dig every plant up and then put the compost and manure underneath the root ball - or can I just spread it near the base of the plant?

 

I'm afraid I didn't. Ugh!

 

Single holes would have been fine, but the ground needs good prep, which is the most important thing, and that may not have been adequate.
It may still be ok, as laurel is very tough, but it's worth checking what the moisture level of the soil is like - just by putting your hand into the surrounds, and then water accordingly. Unfortunately, watering isn't a simple technique or formula because it all depends on conditions.
There's a good chance that even if they were a bit dry on planting, the autumn/winter weather will be enough to get them through and keep them happy enough, but removing a bit of top growth will ease that.
You would always water according to your conditions, and East Anglia tends to be dry, so keep an eye on that, especially next year as it also takes a good while for proper establishment, and next spring/summer is the time that matters most. Remember it's a thorough watering for each plant [around a canful] then repeat a few days later. If you lightly water them all every day, that's worse for them because it doesn't wet the soil lower down, which is what's needed for the roots to get right down there too, and help them with future drier spells.
I don't have to worry about watering anything in at this time of year, but that just shows the difference in location - I can plant things and not even bother watering them in at all. Not so easy in dry parts of the country. It's all about location and climate with any plant.

 

You could try lightly forking the whole length of the hedge to loosen the soil so it absorbs rainfall more easily then after checking the soil is damp you can mulch the whole length with some well-rotted manure which the worms and other soil organisms will work in for you.

I'd have thought autumn and winter rains will be enough now as the plant above ground should go more or less dormant but the roots will keep growing, especially now when the soil is still warm.

As @fairygirl says, make sure your hedge is watered next spring and summer if you don't get decent rain. One good dose every week is better than a daily dribble as it will soak in to the base of the roots rather than just tickling the surface.

 

Thanks for all the advice. Really helpful. One more question - a couple of people have suggested removing the tops of the plants to reduce stress on the roots. How much should I remove?

 

About half.

They are vigorous and will bush out and grow next spring, all the better for having less stress whilst their roots settle and grow.

 

Not only has it now rained considerably but, here at least , it has been windy and from several directions.
I would 'heel in' tightly to consolidate the soil and correct any windrock that may have loosened the trees It is worth running a strand of wire(about 18" up for 3ft tree) between posts in the row so that you may tie each tree to the wire for anchorage until they have established (say 18months or so) Be sure to use hemp string not polypropylene or wire to tie in
Although laurels are evergreen, they do eventually cast their leaves from the bottom so it is likely nature in action, spurred on by disturbance. Organic mulch applied to the surface will help and a balanced feed will help. If they go brown without falling, then worry!
Yes, tip prune them,its a chance to balance their height if they differ and will promote bushy growth to create a hedge. Notwithstanding, from a 3ft tree, about 4" ,give or take.

 

I'd agree with @infradig - around 6 inches or so would be fine for removing @Sydney Carton , especially if they're nearer 2 feet rather than three. Depending on how many plants you have, a simple cane/stake at each one would be easy enough to do for keeping them supported, but in clay soil, it wouldn't be needed if they're properly put in, and if there's some shelter - it looks as if there's other planting there? Dropping leaves now and again is also fine as said - all evergreens have to replace foliage at times, and there's various reasons for that happening.

One thing I did notice when I looked at your pic again is - the foliage looks very close to the soil surface. Did you plant them at the same level that they were in the pots? Planting too deep isn't a good idea, and can affect growth, even with something as tough as laurel.