Just planted Laurel

I think your best bet is to note the sections with poorer soil and amend them over the years, lightly digging in some compost just below the surface and feeding with more of the pellets- any 'healthy' sections don't really need assistance. Personally, I would dig a few testholes to see where the concrete start as and ends as it will definitely slow the plants if the concrete is extensive.

You will know by the comparative rate of plant growth- they should all grow equally so smaller plants or ones with yellowing leaves or leaf drop-off all may indicate it is struggling for nutrients.

Were they root-balled or potted? What height?

Ensure you have a method of watering the plants during next year's spring/summer and don't overwater them either.

You may also see some leaf drop-off/yellowing initially, especially as they settle; try and establish if the ones with poorer soil are worst affected and treat as above.

I wish you all the best with your Laurel hedging - a beautiful choice of foliage for low maintenance hedging. The leaves have a lovely scent and shape. The rustle of their leaves in the wind is also nice.

As most here have said Laurel is super hardy, as long as it's not swimming in water it'll do ok, that being said, they do like to get there roots down, but failing that they will head sideways.

On a separate note why did you go with bare root ? why not potted 40/60's . Bare root laurels don't seem as popular now as I looked recently my self ( planted 120 laurels about 4 weeks ago). Even got told that not many import them now due to failed crops, and a disease coming in from main land Europe. The latter I found a touch hard to believe as there's no mention of it anywhere, but either way, just curious.

Yikes, what's done is done .. Grow them on a knife edge !! and introduce some fertilizer once or twice after year 1.

Beat me to it 😀. I clicked into this thread just to express the hope that this Laurel was Hardy !

Oh, yes!

Wats ur opinions lads on planting a new grilling hedge in plenty of new soil as a hedge for privacy from next door....are they quick growing

It could be compacted too.

Some others may have more informed opinions on this (I'm a hack, feel free to call me out): If you're feeling brave you could try dig the plants out in a circular form around the roots and move them to the side. Then work proper & well broken-down compost and peat-moss, into the soil; break it up well to a depth and radius of ~30 cm's, and add two hand-fulls of poultry manure pellets, then loosen the roots on the plant a little and return it to the soil, watering reasonably well. Then keep up the watering during dry periods, but don't overwater.

You might save a % of the plants by doing this and the results should show this summer.

The soil could certainly do with a good dig over and the addition of copious amounts or organic material. Whatever Lidl have, the cheapest biggest bags of compost they do would be OK and dig a bag for every three plants, say 40cm wide and a min of 20cm deep. I suspect even pot grown plants would have failed in the conditions there.

I have some magic beans ;-)