Hi - 10 days ago we purchased 9 healthy cherry laurels in 3 gallon containers. The landscaper instructed us to also buy several bags of compost so we did. The landscaping crew dug the holes and planted the cherry laurels and filled the holes with the compost and a layer of mulch on top. He said to water well twice a day for about 10 days. We did everything as instructed and the plants are not doing well. One appears to have died entirely. We contacted the nursery where we purchased the plants and they said the plants should not have been planted in compost. They told us the landscaper should have planted in the holes and refilled with the garden soil with a layer of compost and mulch on top only. The nursery said the roots are probably sitting in water since the plants were planted in compost and not draining. Does this all sound correct? Is there anything we can do to save the rest of the plants at this point?

Yes...
When you backfill the hole with compost, and then water... The water fails to enter the surrounding soil.... Lazy landscapers, planting shrubs with a post hole digger...

And still.... 10 days seems awful soon...

You can lift the plants, and till the entire planting bed, and then replant... And cross fingers... You can complain to the landscape crew.

Please, what is your location. Here in the south the Cherry Laurel is considered invasive weedy,

Edited to correct.

Not invasive.... Just weedy as heck....
Cherry laurel is a native plant....

Sorry, used the wrong word.

And a royal pain in the arse!!!

I do agree with stone, about the planting of them.



MDH59!

What the nursery told you is correct. Check out this link for some step by step instructions written by our local gardening guru. Hope that you can still save the trees.

https://www.dirtdoctor.com/gar...

Good luck.