Almost two years ago I planted four 4'tall Skip Laurels. The one I planted on the westside along a privacy fence line and under the eastside of an oak tree is doing great and flowers nicely. I did hand water some potted trees, under that oak tree, almost daily during our drought all last summer. Such watering is most likely what provided enough moisture for that Laurel even though I did not concentrate on watering it as much as I focused on watering the potted trees. My other three Skip laurels were planted farther north along the same fence line and the ground sloped slightly for proper water drainage. The problem I encountered was that two of those got too much water from my neighbor's improperly draining backyard rain or yard watering runoff. All three continued to struggle that first season, but by the next Spring I clearly could see two of them were in trouble and needed to be raised. I actually raised all three of those which were planted slightly closer together. I had to baby all of those raised ones with hand watering almost every day, but the one with the worst root damage from previously sitting in too much water, prior to my raising them, still died. This last fall, I replace that one, and even though we have had a dry winter; I did not have to water it much, and it is doing fine. But still this spring those three do not look like they are going to bloom as nicely as the one farther up the fence line and is planted under my mature oak tree. Hopefully if this summer I baby the three elevated ones, they will get the chance to establish a better root system and finally catch up with the other one.

Schipka laurel is a cultivar of cherry laurel. Cherry laurel = cow, Schipka laurel = Holstein.

Region (6b/7a) I have been growing - and dealing with challenges with Schip Laurels for a while now (10+ years). What I have observed - they do better when planted small and the root system can adequately support them. Larger Schip Laurels are forced to have a tiny root ball for its size and grown on a watering system at a farm until they are shipped. The buckets they grow in naturally drain ensuring they do not get over watered. When you attempt to plant a large laurel, with a small root ball, it is difficult getting just the right amount of water, without overwatering. It is even more difficult when planted in late Spring/Summer or late fall/winter. In areas of clay soil, where I am in, they do like to be in a slightly elevated bed, with the dirt level 3-6 inches higher than the surrounding lawn. Mulch does help certainly once established to stabilize moisture levels, you certainly don't want to cover the base of the laurel because they do need oxygen. My yard slopes, and I have a wide range of conditions for Laurels, from full-sun to heavy shade. Also in the high heat if they are planted near large trees, the trees pull all the moisture away from the Laurels. The roots of a Laurel are primarily near the surface, so anything with a deeper root system can deprive them of water. I have also learned, don't spray the foliage with risk of shothole disease (i thought it was bugs at first - now going to try Bonide Copper Fungicide). For watering, I now believe a slow watering system - like drip irrigation is key in keeping the large transplanted schip laurels happy until they can grow roots. When you think of it, this is what they are used to on the farms. Like mentioned above by others - water near where the root ball meets the dirt, not too far away, or too close. Make sure the root ball is kept moist, not wet, or dry. Going to try a sensor monitoring system for difficult areas - your fingers might be able to tell best if you have the time to check each one. Set up a drip system on a timer - based on your climate. Important part is not to let the root ball dry out too much while roots are getting established. Also plant in early Spring, or early Fall. Healthy Schip Laurels are a fantastic hedge, when they are happy and healthy - so it is worth the difficulties IMO. In difficult areas Nellie Stevens Hollies can be more drought tolerant once established because they have a deeper root system. More later once I figure my issues out further - good luck!

"We are watering the (entire) landscape ... twice a day for about 20 minutes per watering. Any advice?" Check soil moisture per the instructions in section 12 of this link: Planting a Tree or Shrub. It sounds like you may be overwatering.