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

Diseased laurel hedge leaves

AStatonAStaton Posts: 4
in The potting shed
We planted an 80'-long laurel hedge of small plants in May 2020 and took great care when doing so. The plants were thriving well but over the past few weeks we have noticed increasing numbers of leaves affected by brown spots. We are really worried that we are going to lose the plants and are frantic to know what to do/what is wrong/how to treat them. We'd be grateful for any advice. 

Posts

  • K67K67 Posts: 2,506
    Don't knowcwhats wrong but there is no need to start 2 threads as most regulars look at discussions rather than categories. 
  • AStatonAStaton Posts: 4
    Thank you. I am new to this forum.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited April 2021
    Hi @AStaton and welcome to the forum  :)

    I don't think that's anything to worry about.  All evergreens lose older leaves throughout the year to be replaced by new ones ... those look like older leaves that are showing the effects of what has been quite a hard winter.  There look to be plenty of healthy leaves on the shrubs. ... There's a huge amount of information about growing laurel hedges on this thread ... it's worth reading through ... it contains the combined wisdom and experience of most of the regular posters on this forum and I'm sure you'll find it very helpful  :)

    https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/656523/help-needed-please-with-laurel-hedge-issues/p1

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





  • SporophyteBoySporophyteBoy Posts: 118
    Contrary to other advice - unless you cut off all affected shoots well below the first signs of problem - you plants are DOOMED! 
    Fortuitously, your first photo is of the underside of a leaf because that is where the stoma are - the leaf's breathing pore. Plants and fungi have been duelling with each other for millions of years so there's been a long arms race and it's anyone's guess which will gain the upper hand in one conflict. 
    The brown marks are areas where every cell in the leaf has died - I'm willing to bet good money that each has been caused by a fungus spore gaining entry and then infecting outwards. Ironically for the fungus - its success caused its downfall as the brown patches have ruptured and let in air - most fungi that attack plants internally are very fussy about gas levels and the invasions have fizzled out.  As these are new plants to you ex nursery stock - the problem could have been a product of where they were grown and hence you are only now experiencing the overspill from the causative problem. 
    Did you ever let these plants dry out?
     
  • AStatonAStaton Posts: 4
    Thank you for your comment, however unwelcome the diagnosis was. I think we were very diligent after we planted the hedge in terms of watering and feeding. They were fine all over winter although one did lose all its leaves in the autumn for some reason. That one is full of new buds and shoots. Some of the affected leaves are the bottom-most ones. Are you saying we have to cut the plant right down to - effectively - ground level? 
Sign In or Register to comment.