Forum home› Problem solving
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

HUGE Bay tree

robert_s_myersrobert_s_myers Posts: 11
in Problem solving
Hi there GW,
I have a Huge Bay tree in my garden. It is about 40ft high and wide. It has the main trunk ( around 30cm diameter) and 2 trunks??. It's blocking lots of light and dropping leaves all the time. Any advice? I don't really want to get rid. A "professional" gardener said to take off the 2 smaller trunks and cut the whole thing down by half. I thought this would leave it with no leaves but he said it would grow again in the spring. Advice please
Thanks in advance
Robert

«1

Posts

  • robert_s_myersrobert_s_myers Posts: 11
    Its the big fella in the corner
  • robert_s_myersrobert_s_myers Posts: 11
    i think these have more of a 'London' taste

  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    From the photo, it doesn't look that big, are you sure it is a bay tree? And is it actually in your property or next door?  Bay trees (or at least the one we had) are pretty tough and do regenerate so you could chop off the two smaller trunks. It won't look good if the top is chopped off but it's your choice.  It also has a habit of suckering, so be warned.
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • robert_s_myersrobert_s_myers Posts: 11
    yeah its a bay. its about 40 Feet high. Growing over the fence. Whats Suckering?
    So a lop off the top is ok? I was told it would look ugly till the spring. Until then it will just be a trunk and some branches.

  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    Bay trees are evergreen so it shouldn't be dropping leaves all the time. Sometimes evergreens drop their old leaves in the spring though. Personally I would just have the smaller trunks cut right down to the ground and leave the main one. Suckering means lots of little bay trees growing from the roots of the main plant and need to be cut off asap.  
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • robert_s_myersrobert_s_myers Posts: 11
    oh, ok got it
    its a bit tall though, even with the sides off. oh well, off with its head
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    Chop it down, have a really nice smelling bonfire and then plant a native holly tree in it's place. :)
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    The bay trees in London should have a great taste too. My neighbours leave large bunches out for passers by to take if they wish.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    I agree with @wild edges ... that’s what I’d do  :)

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • SkandiSkandi Posts: 1,723
    We had one even bigger than that, cut it right down to the ground and it came back as a bush they are pretty tough in that way. they also set seed when they get to a decent size, so that may be some of the small ones.

Sign In or Register to comment.