What USDA Zone do you live in and generally, where do you live? Any good advice would depend on that information. Mike

http://oikostreecrops.com/store/product.asp?cookiecheck=yes&numRecordPosition=3&P_ID=384&strPageHistory=cat&strKeywords=&SearchFor=&PT_ID=96 "Prairie Cascade Willow Salix pentaphyllum 'Prairie Cascade' A fast growing hybrid willow from Morden Research Station in Manitoba. A smaller form of willow, Prairie Cascade has golden-yellow stems and glossy leaves and is more disease and insect resistant. Its smaller size (35-45') makes it a good choice for those of us who want a weeping willow, but have smaller yards with less space. One of the best landscape willows. Can be limbed up real easy to form a straight trunk. Average growth rate of 3-5 ft. per year. I like this selection better than the "zippy" Australian clones because the foliage is darker and much more dense. Hardiness -40 °F." http://www.backyardgardener.com/plantname/pda_edfd.html "his is a weeping deciduous tree, 35'-45' tall and wide, with yellowish-brown shoots. Leaves are elliptic, very shiny, medium green above, up to 5" long. 'Prairie Cascade' is a hybrid of S. pentandra x S.'Blanda', and does not bear catkins. A beautiful specimen by water, but don't plant this tree anywhere near a septic system or its lines or you and the Roto-Rooter man will know each other on a first name basis." http://www.mnpower.com/treebook/fact102.html "Weeping growth habit with fine textured branches. Bright yellow color of young stems. Description: Height: 50-70' Width: 30-50' Hardiness Zone: 3b Weeping Willows are large round to wide-spreading trees with slender, pendulous branches. New shoots are yellow to yellow-green in color. Leaves are very narrow and 2-4" long. Foliage emerges very early in the spring and remains on the tree late into the fall. They grow very rapidly. Because of their size and pendulous habit, they are best used only on large properties. Willows hybridize readily and their precise identification can be quite confusing. Requirements and Culture: Not demanding of site conditions. Prefer ample moisture and are often found along waterways. Branches break readily so pruning and clean up is frequently required. Limitations: Tree size and form and brittle branches limit usefulness on small properties. Species and Selected Cultivars: S. alba `Tristis' - is the common Golden Weeping Willow. It is a large tree. Sometimes sold as `Niobe'. `Prairie Cascade' - was developed at the Experiment Station in Morden, Manitoba Canada. It is a hybrid combining the form of the Weeping Willow with the glossy foliage of the Laurel Willow." http://www.umanitoba.ca/afs/plant_science/courses/PLNT0790/woodyplantsnotes/woody_plantsr_s.html "Salix hybrid 'Prairie Cascade' (Prairie Cascade Willow) Native Habitat / Origin. 'Prairie Cascade' is a hybrid resulting from a cross between Salix alba var. tristis (for the weeping habit) and Salix pentandra (for cold hardiness). Developed and introduced by Wilbert Ronald at the Agriculture Canada Research Centre, Morden, Manitoba in 1981. Hardiness zone. Zone 3a. Shade tolerance. Relatively intolerant. Habit and size. Medium tree, 12 to 15 m tall and wide, round, with cascading, pendulous branches, less so in winter. It grows as a multi-stemmed plant. Fast growth rate. Medium-fine texture in winter; medium to medium-fine texture in summer. Leaves. Leaves are shiny, dark green, alternate, simple, elliptic-lanceolate to ovate, acuminate tips, rounded base, serrulate margins. Flowers. Female clone. Flowers occur in catkins, borne on short, leafy, axillary shoots. Not very showy. Fruits are small capsules that split into two halves when mature to reveal hairy seeds. Culture. 'Prairie Cascade' has grown well at the University of Manitoba through difficult winters and with no supplementary irrigation. Landscape value. Valued for its yellow twigs and cascading form, given that weeping willows are not generally hardy enough for the prairies. It is useful for large properties, parks, and golf courses. Willows have extensive root systems and are not usually recommended for residential properties. May suffer winter die-back." Prairie Cascade is a hybrid resulting from a cross between Salix alba var. tristis and Salix pentandra. Mine is not weeping yet but shooting straight up up and far away high up there.

If your climate supports outdoors bay growing and you intend to plant yours in the ground anyway, I'd do it immediately. I have grown bay in a pot and it is far more difficult than just sticking it into the earth. They are tough and easy trees if you have winters which are not too cold. I have one growing on the allotment in heavy clay over a filled in brook, ie dense and damp soil, right next to the rhubarb, and it is growing like crazy. I am not convinced that drainage is as crucial as people assume. Just so long as the winter doesn't get too cold and the ground doesn't freeze solid. Here's my little bay in 2012 in its 2nd year from transplanting. (It was a seedling that popped up amongst the raspberries from parks department leaf mulch.) It has to be pruned drastically several times a year to keep it about 10 feet tall now. Growth rate is around 1 - 2 feet per annum. edlincoln - not exactly a desert, or even dry, environment is it? ;-) Campanula, what do you think of the yellow leaved ones? Personally they just look ill to me. The neighbour's bay. You can imagine the smell when the prunings go through the chipper when they have it lopped.

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!