Bay Tree Dying!

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Cheshire Phill

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Bay Tree Dying!
« on: April 19, 2010, 10:33 »

I have a few years old small bay tree, has always been healthy, and we use the leaves in cooking often.

Its suddenly started to turn brown, leaves dry and crispy, and a couple of other friends I know have the same things with their bay trees. We are in Cheshire.

Anyone aware of a bay tree issue, virus etc.? Only plausible explantion I've heard so far is that the frosts of a month or so back were bad enough to kill the roots. Mine is within 5ft of the house, so I'm not conviced...any ideas, other info please?

Phill  :(

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unconcerned

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Re: Bay Tree Dying!
« Reply #1 on: April 19, 2010, 10:42 »
Does sound like it was the cold, but with a little luck it should recover. they are hardy little blighters generally, but the winter was a little prolongued for them. I took mine into the unheated greenhouse and it is fine, my neighbour didn't and hers brpowned but is getting some new green now.

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RichardA

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Re: Bay Tree Dying!
« Reply #2 on: April 19, 2010, 10:44 »
I have two bays. One I cut back from about 14 foot to be about 4 foot high and that shows the symptoms you describe but is now putting on new leaf on new shoots amongst teh damaged ones. The other is much taller as it was not cut back and shows no damage at all. I am putting it down to prolonged frost at ground level and assuming a long time for damage to show. I suggest you leave it alone and then if it recovers cut back the damaged stuff and give the new stuff room to come on.
Otherwise out it and start again. I do not know of any viruses etc - bays are kinds of laurels and usually very tough.
Best of luck
R

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madcat

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Re: Bay Tree Dying!
« Reply #3 on: April 19, 2010, 14:07 »
My parents are Cheshire too ...  in the middle of Sandbach ... and their bay, which is in a pot outside the front door, appears to be dead.  But then the outside thermometer (outside the kitchen window) was saying -12 at one point during the winter.  You didn't have the snow we did, but it got very cold up with you.
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Beetroot queen

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Re: Bay Tree Dying!
« Reply #4 on: April 19, 2010, 14:20 »
Mine is the same but I am hoping it will pick up in the next few weeks  :wacko:

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davethespread

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Re: Bay Tree Dying!
« Reply #5 on: April 19, 2010, 15:04 »
mine has done exactly the same thing
i dont suffer with insanity..........i enjoy every minute of it.

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Cheshire Phill

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Re: Bay Tree Dying!
« Reply #6 on: April 20, 2010, 08:19 »

Hmmmm...I'm going to watch and wait then, we did get down as low as -15C here at one point, which is pretty bad for most things.

Hopefully it will recover...

Phill  :mellow:

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purplebean

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Re: Bay Tree Dying!
« Reply #7 on: April 20, 2010, 13:03 »
ours did the same and when we ran a finger nail over the bark nothing, usually you see green or sap if it is alive. Hubby gave up with it and chopped it right back to the lowest point that was green so we are now hoping it will sprout from below this point. To be honest I think ours is dead  :(

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JayG

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Re: Bay Tree Dying!
« Reply #8 on: April 20, 2010, 13:54 »
Mine's 10 years old but has been kept down to about 5' as it's quite near the rear of the house. It's got several frost-scorched and dying leaves but there are plenty of new shoots coming which look healthy.

I suspect that being sheltered from the worst of the northerly winds tipped the balance in its favour despite the low temperatures.

Not so lucky with a few other usually hardy plants though; sage and thyme both died although luckily I had started new cuttings in the cold frame, and I've even managed to lose a Lavatera which I thought was bomb-proof!
Sow your seeds, plant your plants. What's the difference? A couple of weeks or more when answering possible queries!

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lisnalinchy springer

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Re: Bay Tree Dying!
« Reply #9 on: May 19, 2010, 20:54 »
Hi folks, I stumbled upon this board while searching for some comfort that my own Bay Tree still has a shot at life!

I am in East Antrim further north than anyone who has posted so far, so I guess that in all likelyhood the green shoots of recovery will be a week or two later in appearing here than even the North West. Please keep me posted on any developments with your own tree Phil.

I feel like such a klutz for not getting the thing inside before the first of the snow!

On a slightly positive note I had some bamboo in a large pot also which had all the appearances of being dead, but it now looks as though it's on the way back  :)

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Yorkie

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Re: Bay Tree Dying!
« Reply #10 on: May 19, 2010, 21:31 »
Welcome to the site L Springer  :D
I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days all attack me at once...

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peapod

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Re: Bay Tree Dying!
« Reply #11 on: May 19, 2010, 21:42 »
Mine is the same but I am hoping it will pick up in the next few weeks  :wacko:

Mine too, they seem happier the past couple of days
"I think the carrot infinitely more fascinating than the geranium. The carrot has mystery. Flowers are essentially tarts. Prostitutes for the bees. There is, you'll agree, a certain je ne sais quoi oh so very special about a firm young carrot" Withnail and I

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Ice

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Re: Bay Tree Dying!
« Reply #12 on: May 19, 2010, 21:50 »
If there is one thing a bay tree does well it's sulk.  If it feels it has been mistreated in any way, by frost or moving the plant it will turn brown and make you feel sorry for it.  Then it will grow like crazy when it thinks you aren't watching. ;)
Cheese makes everything better.

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madcat

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Re: Bay Tree Dying!
« Reply #13 on: May 20, 2010, 11:29 »
I so hope you are right!  I have a pair of them and they did have a bit of a rough year last year when tlc for everything (and everyone) was thin on the ground.  But they were eventually put into new pots, wintered up near the house, out of the wind and .... the leaves have gone yellow and rust marked.   >:(  Gratitude!  They are holding tight, so the plant is alive, but the new shoots are tiny and few, and it is yellow.  I have given it a good feed every week to try to persuade it to green up but  :( 

Any ideas?

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JayG

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Re: Bay Tree Dying!
« Reply #14 on: May 20, 2010, 12:19 »
A friend of mine is particularly negligent when it comes to plant care. She has a potted bay in her back garden which she must have had for 20 years, and if it's been re-potted or even fed once I'd be surprised!

It's a standing joke; at times it has been so badly treated it has lost nearly all its leaves but it heroically refuses to die. About the only good thing about its wretched existence is that it is in a sheltered spot; they definitely don't like contending with low temperatures and cold winds.

So yours is a bit of a mystery, Madcat; maybe you are treating it too kindly now!  :nowink:



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