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Bay tree brown leaves ( has been right next to one with green leaves!)

markjackman76markjackman76 Posts: 10
in Problem solving
Hello folks, 

Hoping I can pick your brains, I am new to gardening so apologies if i tend to state the obvious. I have two potted Bay trees which have been in their current position for around a year, which are situated around 2 meters apart. One is healthy looking, the other, whilst similar in size has a lot of browning leaves. The soil is noticeably more moist (this one probably gets slightly less sunlight than the other) in this pot, whereas the tree with 'dryer' soil is the healthier looking tree. Please see image attached. I have now moved both Trees to my rear south facing garden temporarily to see if anything changes, if anyone recognises the issue or has any ideas please throw them this way! Thank you in advance =) MJ

Posts

  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    The container looks a bit small to me but it might be worth checking whether the drainage holes are blocked if 'noticeably moist' means wet. 😊
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • markjackman76markjackman76 Posts: 10
    Thanks B3 will check the drainage hole - didnt think of that. The pot is the same size as the other pot which has the healthy tree in it, but maybe its on the borderline of being too small, maybe ill try to put this one in a larger pot also. Thanks again!
  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,700
    Your shrub has a combination of fungal leaf spot due to the damp atmosphere and also wind burn. The soil is too heavy and damp looking. Grow them in a loam based compost like John Innes 2 or 3 and add grit to it to help with drainage. Potted plants can easily get clogged up, so think about raising your pots off the floor with some pot feet over the winter months.

    Give your plants a more ideal condition, and it will help it grow stronger and able to fight off infections.

    I recommend you keep them somewhere that has some back protection on a southerly to westerly aspect with as much sun as possible. Avoid placing them near over hanging shrubs and trees.
  • markjackman76markjackman76 Posts: 10
    edited April 2019
    Learning lots here thanks Borderline, do you put the grit at the bottom of the pot or mix is all through the compost? Will get some feet for the pots, thank you! Ps with regards to the fungus, does this need to be treated?
  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,700
    I mix it into the compost before putting it into the pot. You can place bigger stones or anything similar near the base of the pots to keep the holes more clear of heavy soil.

    At this stage, I wouldn't worry too much about the leaves and the damage. Once you have kept the soil more free draining, and moved the pot into a more sunnier area with some back protection, the shrub should start to improve.

    Promptly remove any dead leaves lying on the top of the pot and lightly prune the shrub once it starts to grow new leaves. You will probably find the older leaves may drop off over time anyway.
  • markjackman76markjackman76 Posts: 10
    Many thanks Borderline, weve added some stones to the bottom of the pot and mixed some grit into the soil / compost mix. Will post update in a month or so, much appreciated.
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