Katrina,
You don't have to replant them at all. Just try to your best to remove as much grass as you can from around the root area of your shrubs.
Buy Pine bark mulch, don't worry about termites with that, besides, the shrubs aren't right next to your house anyway if you are using them for a privcy screen.
They will need the mulch to keep the roots cool this summer for you, and to keep the soil underneath moist.
Dont water twice a day anymore.
Water them when the soil feels dry after sticking your fingers into the soil.
Those shrubs have roots that will grow close to the surface and spread out. That is why the mulch is so important to keep them moist.
Try your best to water in the morning if you can.
Good Luck with them, They smell heavenly.
I have 2, I just planted one right in front of my house, so I can smell it by the front door.
I also planted a real small one on the one side of my house, and I mulched both real good.

Hello Butterfly4U,

Thanks so much for your reply.

Do you recommend that I put down plastic before putting mulch on top?

This is what I see people doing when I look on youtube.

Thanks for your help in advance and I welcome anyone else's comments if they have some experience in this matter.

Katrina

No, avoid the plastic. It prevents gas exchange from the soil (how the soil breathes), creates an anaerobic situation underneath and prevents water from penetrating properly. Even landscape fabric, which is porous, is not a great idea as it slows these processes and is not as good at weed supression as one would hope.

Just a nice layer of bark mulch is all that's needed, making sure you keep it well away from the trunks of the shrubs.

And if you only planted them a month ago, it is too soon to expect much growth. They are just getting themselves settled and beginning root establishment and that takes time. All they need now is proper watering and time.

Hi Gardengal48,

Thanks so much for your reply!

I am learning a lot from your replies.

I will take your advice and hope that my hedge continues to grow healthily!

If anyone has anymore advice, please send them my way!
Have a great day everyone,
Katrina

Hello,

Me again..
In terms of placing mulch around my plants, can anyone recommend a particular mulch that would be good for growing hedges?

Is bark mulch a good one or should I try something else?

Thanks for your help in advance,
Katrina

The type is not really all that important as long as it is organic in content (no recycled tires and rocks not very desirable). Many folks here use a wood-based mulch like bark or wood chips around shrubs.

Hello again,

Thanks for all your replies.
I still have a couple of questions.

I intend to pull out the grass that is surround the plants.
At the moment, around the stem of each plant, there is a circle of soil that is about the size of a pot, since I dug holes in ground around the same size of the top of the pot. This was in order to take the plants out of the pot along with the soil and then plant straight in the ground. But around that circle, currently there is grass.

So..according to previous replies, should I take out the grass around the circle and then put mulch on top of where the grass used to be?

I read somewhere else that you shouldn't put mulch too close to the stems of the plants. Is that true? If so, then should it be ok to put mulch around the circle and put the mulch where the grass was.

Also, I want to know how deep should I put the mulch? i heard that too deep a level of mulch might attract rodents.

Thanks so much for all your help. As you can tell, I am a newbie to gardening but I am learning a lot thanks to this site and all your help!

Regards, Katrina

Manually removing all the grass growing between the shrubs and out for a reasonable distance is a lot of work. And you could easily disturb the new plantings in the process. Instead, define the bed line that will contain the hedge and then layer cardboard or newspaper over all the visible grass. Then pile the mulch - 2-3" is good - over all the cardboard/newspaper and upto the base of your shrubs, staying at least 3" away from the trunks. The cardboard will smother the grass and eventually harmlessly decompose into the soil.

For the future with any new plantings, try this method instead. Dig a planting hole that is 2-3 times the diameter of the rootball of the plant you will be planting but no deeper than the current rootball. Loosen up the soil sides. When you take your plant out of the container, you need to at least loosen up the rootball but depending on the visual condition of the root system you may have to manually straighten or even remove any circling roots. Situate the plant in the hole to your satisfaction, then backfill with the removed soil. Tamp down firmly and water in well.

i sped read this... but i didnt spot anyone addressing your comment that they were not growing since oct planting ...

they are growing roots ... and they are going dormant.. since about sept ...as daylight declined ...

expect no new growth until spring flush ...

if someone else did address it.. what they said.. lol ...

ken

Ken, Katrina's in Oz so it's Spring there now.

Honestly, I wouldn't bother removing the grass. Ideally they say you should remove the grass to avoid competition...but I don't think it much matters. When the bushes get bigger they will shade out the grass.

The plastic isn't strictly speaking necessary and there is a school of thought that says it does more harm then good.

As far as the fact the bushes aren't growing...lots of bushes take a while to recover from transplanting. How much did they have in the way of roots vs. leaves? Were they root bound? If they had small root balls squeezed into smaller pots, it could take a while for them to recover.

This post was edited by edlincoln on Tue, Nov 11, 14 at 18:56

Hi everyone,

Thanks so much for all your replies.

i think using the cardboard over the grass makes more sense than putting plastic down. I like the fact that it can get rid of the grass and yet is able to break down into the soil.

I am learning a lot here!

Any more suggestions? Please keep them coming my way!

Yes I am in Aussie Land so it is spring now, very close to summer.

Since the plants get a lot of the harsh sun everyday, I tend to water them once in the morning and once in early evening.

Any other things that I should be aware of, I really appreciate your comments.

Katrina

Hi again,

I just thought of another question!

If I put down cardboard onto the surrounding grass, then do I put the mulch on it straight away? Is it necessary for the grass to die before I put mulch on top of the cardboard?

If so, then is it necessary to wet the cardboard before putting mulch down to help the cardboard decompose into the soil?

Thanks again, Katrina

Katrina - lots of good questions!

Yes, you can apply the mulch as soon as you get down the cardboard. And it's a good idea to wet the cardboard first but not essential.

And I don't know the specifics about your soil and your weather, but watering twice a day seems a bit excessive. It is far better to provide less frequent but longer watering intervals, making sure you are thoroughly watering the root zone when you do. Slow, deep watering will encourage better and deeper root development. A soaker hose or drip system will provide this nicely but if you don't have that, just a garden hose left on a slow trickle right at the edge of the root ball will accomplish the same thing.

Hi everyone,

Thanks a lot for all your replies. I am finding them very helpful!

Have a great day everyone....I will post again if I come across anything that i need help in!

Katrina

Hi Everyone,

I have another question.

I would like to buy the mulch this weekend.

One of the posters that replied to me suggested pine bark mulch.
Can I get this as organic? And in your opinions, is this the best mulch to get?

And does anyone know any brand names that supply this mulch that is reputable and won't contain any recycled products in it?

Thanks again, i look forward to your replies!
Katrina

Hi,

After doing a bit of research on the net, I have found a pine bark mulch from the company Richgro. Has anyone used this and found to to be good or bad? What other brands have you used?

Richgro claim to be a natural pine bark mulch.

I can get a 40L sack of this for under $10 (aud)

Is there anything that I should look for when buying a mulch? In particular a pine bark mulch?

Thanks in advance for your help
Katrina

Katrina, the specific type of mulch used is not all that important. It could be pine bark or any other kind of conifer bark, wood chips (usually from arborists or other tree trimming companies), pine needles, grass clippings, shredded leaves or even compost. They will all accomplish the same thing - moisture control and weed supression. And to some degree, nutrient supplementation.

Just go with what is popular in your area and affordable. Eucalyptus mulch is very popular in areas here where these trees are common -- living as you do in Australia, the land of eucalyptus, this may be an option as well.

Note that with the naming you gave here your plant is likely to be Magnolia figo (Michelia figo) 'Port Wine' and not Magnolia coco which is a different kind that is more or less a rare novelty plant. Perhaps it is a bit early in the season yet for it to be making much top growth, I don't know. The roots aren't likely to make a full recovery until this fall, after which you should see a marked increase in top growth - if you are currently having a stunting of the tops due to root damage.

Here is a link that might be useful: Plant of the Month

This post was edited by bboy on Fri, Oct 31, 14 at 12:31

Hi everyone...

Change of plans!!

I am thinking of not using the cardboard idea as I found on the net that it can attract termites.

Instead, is there some kind of mesh or netting that I can put down that has small holes for the water and soil nutrients to pass through? (is this called a weed mat?)

1) I am thinking of putting that netting on the grass and then applying compost and then pine bark mulch in that order on top.

2) Or another alternative is do dig out the grass surrounding the plants and then put the mesh on and then compost and then pine bark mulch..

What do you think guys?? Is either option viable? And if so which one is better? Do u think that it is necessary to dig out grass first before the netting or should I just leave grass as is and put the stuff on top as described?

I've also heard that you can get a permeable weed mat that is the netting and can break down into the soil.

Thanks in advance for all your input!
Katrina

Most folks who have used the stuff will steer you away from any sort of weed barrier. They really do not work to any degree of efficiency and they tend to hamper the necessary gas exchange, water and nutrient penetration into the soil. If you want to skip the cardboard, then my suggestion is to remove the soil, then apply the mulch but skip any sort of weed mat/barrier.

As to the termite issue......if your hedge is not close to the house (greater than 10'), then the cardboard is not going to create a problem. It won't attract termites but it could offer a satisfactory rest stop if they were present in the area. As will most wood based mulches. And the cardboard is a temporary measure anyway - it is used to smother the grass and weeds and should decompose in a single season with adequate rainfall or normal irrigation. If termites are an issue in your area, then you want to be on a program of regular inspection to make sure your home and any other wooden structures are clean. But using the cardboard or wood mulch in an area not directly abutting the house is perfectly safe. And far more desirable than using weed cloth!

You may be over-thinking this. Worry about weeds later. If they get to be a problem this year,, use a weed whacker. (But be sure to shield the trunks of the shrubs). I don't see gras as being much of a problem.

If you are watering them twice a day, could you be over-watering them?

Also, be sure not to heap mulch too high around the trunks.