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Portuguese Laurel

sarahredshawsarahredshaw Posts: 12
in Plants
Hi
My Portuguese Laurel suffered from powdery mildew last year and there’s a lot of leaf browning could you give any tips on how to prevent it this year

Posts

  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Powdery mildew is usually the result of insufficient water, so a regular drench should sort that out. 
    That said I've not seen PM on a laurel before.
    Was it like a white dust on the leaves or a black soot?

    We've had no rain here for nearly 2 months and I've already had to start watering - and it's only April! what happened to April showers??

    The brown marks are likely the effect of the recent unusually cold weather and nothing of concern.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • sarahredshawsarahredshaw Posts: 12
    Yes it was white dust and it the new growth had holes in leaves and the older growth became very brittle. I used sprays to try to control it was watering everyday but it still proved a problem they are 8ft and are grown in pots.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    It's not I shrub I have, so no sure what the problem may be other than they may be unhappy in pots. Do they need re-potting?
    If they've been in pots a while, the compost may be exhausted and they're missing some nutrients.
    PM is usually caused by a lack of water though.

    Hopefully someone with experience of PL may be able to shine some light..

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Those pictures look more like scale insect than powdery mildew. 

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





  • sarahredshawsarahredshaw Posts: 12
    quick update - refreshed compost with added blood and bone and a weekly seaweed feed and spray with sb invigorator has worked wonders 👍🏻
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    It looks a picture of health :)

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
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