'Miles',

Watering with icy cold water from a hose-pipe was definitely not a good
idea. You need to use tepid water from a watering can, making sure that
it trickles gently down to the roots of each plant.

A hosepipe will only wet the foliage and I sense that the roots of your
plants are very dry, hence the problem.

Ignore the rain, because it has not yet penetrated the soil
sufficiently, and slowly give each plant about two pints of water as a
matter of urgency. Hopefully they will recover.

Regards,
Emrys Davies.












"Miles" wrote in message
om...
I planted 40 bare rooted common laurels (prunus laurocerasus)to form a
hedge in mid-march, then it rained once in 40 days. Despite watering
with a hose once or twice a week the leaves on a dozen of the plants
have gone crispy dry. I've upped the watering to every two days, and
now its raining. Now previously healthy plants are losing their leaves
- is this over watering?

Will the plants with dry or dropping leaves recover? Or should i buy
pot grown plants to replace them?

The bare rooted plants were purchased from a supplier with proper cold
store and planted by the book, lots of organic material, correct
height, firmed in etc.

Thanks,

Miles.