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Mature Laurel Bush

robert.james2007robert.james2007 Posts: 1
in Problem solving
Hello

Can you please throw some light on to a problem I have with my Laurel bushes. They are about 15 years old and run along the border of our drive and grass verge. It is a line of about 60 feet and serve as a perfect privacy fence  They have always been the most healthy plants, grown well each year with lots of new leaf. I have noticed over the last two years they have started to have gaps from the ground up and in places thinning out. They just look unhealthy? oh they are about seven feet tall.

From time to time they do get a covering of what looks like white powder and the leaves curl at the edges. Apart from when I planted then they have never been given any feed as they have always grown so well and looked healthy?

Can you suggest a remedy and perhaps recommend a feed that would help.

Thank you

Posts

  • Fran IOMFran IOM Posts: 2,872
    @robert.james2007. Welcome to the forum. Bumping up your thread to help find you an answer. You may find that this problem has arisen before in another thread.
  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,700
    From the sounds of your description, your shrub is probably suffering with powdery mildew. This is due to dry conditions. For established shrubs from time to time they too need watering. Last year’s heat and lack of rain is an example.

    Water your shrubs in the evening time when this happens. Evergreen shrubs suffer more due to a rain shadow throughout the year. If you haven’t done so, lay a thick cover of mulch to help conserve water. 

    Prune yearly to minimise gaps and encourage further branching. Prune back the sides more to help branching lower down too. 
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    To add to the great advice given by Borderline above, I would just say when watering you should ensure the water goes to the root area of the shrubs ... spraying the foliage with a hose, as I’ve seen some folk do, will not get water to the roots ... and each shrub needs several gallons of water a week in order to penetrate the surface and soak the soil down at root level.  

    Giving the hedge  a good clipping regularly will encourage the development of more side shoots which will thicken it up. 

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





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