Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: Cheshire Phill on April 19, 2010, 10:33

Title: Bay Tree Dying!
Post by: Cheshire Phill 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  :(
Title: Re: Bay Tree Dying!
Post by: unconcerned 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.
Title: Re: Bay Tree Dying!
Post by: RichardA 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
Title: Re: Bay Tree Dying!
Post by: madcat 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.
Title: Re: Bay Tree Dying!
Post by: Beetroot queen on April 19, 2010, 14:20
Mine is the same but I am hoping it will pick up in the next few weeks  :wacko:
Title: Re: Bay Tree Dying!
Post by: davethespread on April 19, 2010, 15:04
mine has done exactly the same thing
Title: Re: Bay Tree Dying!
Post by: Cheshire Phill 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:
Title: Re: Bay Tree Dying!
Post by: purplebean 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  :(
Title: Re: Bay Tree Dying!
Post by: JayG 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!
Title: Re: Bay Tree Dying!
Post by: lisnalinchy springer 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  :)
Title: Re: Bay Tree Dying!
Post by: Yorkie on May 19, 2010, 21:31
Welcome to the site L Springer  :D
Title: Re: Bay Tree Dying!
Post by: peapod 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
Title: Re: Bay Tree Dying!
Post by: Ice 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. ;)
Title: Re: Bay Tree Dying!
Post by: madcat 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?
Title: Re: Bay Tree Dying!
Post by: JayG 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:
Title: Re: Bay Tree Dying!
Post by: madcat on May 20, 2010, 12:34
I wonder how old it is?  Do you think it is doing a teenage sulk?  Where whatever I do it will be wrong?  ??? :D :D
Title: Re: Bay Tree Dying!
Post by: JayG on May 20, 2010, 12:38
I wonder how old it is?  Do you think it is doing a teenage sulk?  Where whatever I do it will be wrong?  ??? :D :D

Quite possibly! (Does it answer you back when you try to talk nicely to it?!)  :lol:
Title: Re: Bay Tree Dying!
Post by: compostqueen on May 20, 2010, 13:26
Have you checked it for scale insects? They are difficult to spot so get your specs on  :)
Title: Re: Bay Tree Dying!
Post by: Yorkie on May 20, 2010, 18:04
Have you checked it for scale insects? They are difficult to spot so get your specs on  :)

I was just about to suggest the same thing.
Title: Re: Bay Tree Dying!
Post by: peapod on May 20, 2010, 18:32
Scale insect is a good shout too

They also sulk a LOT if they are repotted - they hate root disturbance, so that could have added to their ungrateful attitude

If they havent got scale insect problems, ignore em, or whisper "compost heap" to em, and watch them recover  :D  ;)
Title: Re: Bay Tree Dying!
Post by: madcat on May 24, 2010, 11:19
Strong glasses over the weekend and no, we have no scale insects.  But if they hate being repotted and they hate being pot bound, then there are two reasons for the sulk.   :dry:  There are tiny new shoots, so may be it is getting over it and all will eventually come right.   At least it cant complain about cold at the moment!   I'll try the 'compost heap' route ...   :D
Title: Re: Bay Tree Dying!
Post by: Cheshire Phill on June 29, 2010, 22:17
Just to report - our bay tree has perked up again, removed all of the brown leaves and its well again! Hooray!

A victory for patience....

Phill  :) :)
Title: Re: Bay Tree Dying!
Post by: madcat on July 01, 2010, 00:12
Better than mine. :(  But I have fed it well and I can see the signs of the start of life, so you give me hope that I am on the right track.

Title: Re: Bay Tree Dying!
Post by: viettaclark on July 01, 2010, 09:12
The bay sheds it's leaves about now because it's evergreen. My grass is covered with holly, eucalyptus and bay leaves!
It will put out fresh growth.