Bay trees dying?

jimmids · January 2023

Good afternoon everyone, I do hope you are all well. I planted 4 bay trees in the back garden early last year , all did well over the summer however three have turned very brown and aren’t looking too good! I’ve attached some images . Sorry for the novice question , but any thoughts on what may cause the issue?

philippasmith2 · January 2023

After effects of drought or wind/frost damage ? When you planted them, what was the root ball like ? Congested from being pot bound ? How did you prepare the ground before planting ? Your photos show that the lawn comes very close to the trunk which won't help the tree to establish and quite close to the fence base too.
Lots of questions I know but If you could at least give an idea of your location, soil type and aspect, it would help

GardenerSuze · January 2023

@jimmids They have had a really tough time during the last year. As new plants they would have been stressed by simply being in a new home. Artifical watering was necessary due to drought followed by wet cold weather which they hate.
@philippasmith2 has given some good advice if you are able to give more info that will help. No such thing as a novice question there is so much to learn with gardening.

bédé · January 2023

Could be either hot sun, or frost. Young buds look heaalthy; that's a good sign. The suckers look healthy too, but try to pull them off as close to the main root as possible.

Plan to protect them better in the future. WE can advise if nec.

Uff · January 2023

I think it's frost and or wind damage too. Mine turned like that one year but recovered. The leaves dropped off, with a little help from me and they were fine once they got cracking again.

Fairygirl · January 2023

They're also relatively newly planted, so will have struggled a bit more to get well established through last summer for the reasons @GardenerSuze describes. Even with plenty of water, it can be tricky to get it absolutely right, and they're mature plants which is another factor.
In a more normal sort of year, they'd have settled in more quickly, and that makes life easier for any plant. As @philippasmith2 says too- a bit more space around them makes it easier too as they aren't competing with the grass, and near fences or walls can be drier. It also depends on the soil etc, as she says.

Hopefully they'll pick up well through spring for you @jimmids, but any extra info is very useful for advice

Simone_in_Wiltshire · January 2023

@jimmids You are not the only one who took a picture of a sad looking bay leave tree. There was another thread this months. My neighbour also has the same kind of sad looking tree, which is donkey years old.
He said it's like red spider. It looks like there is something killing the Bay leaves this winter. I told him that this issue also came up here in the forum. He said he will try to cut the tree back in Spring time.

I do hope that it doesn't affect my one, which is still fine.

bédé · January 2023

It could be a lot worse. The trunk of one of my well-established pot-grown mop-head bays was badly frost damaged. I lost 1/4 of the circumference ofbark. I now wrap the trunk and pot/roots in bubble wrap before the winter, as well as a fleece cover for the top. And bring closer to the house. Late November to mid-Feb.

I lost two potted mop-heads in Belgium close to Brussels in a Michaelmas half-term return to the UK. The frost got to the roots. I didn't expect the weather to be so severe so early relatively close to England.

Taking off and trimming the ugly leaves should improve their immediate appearance.

jimmids · June 2023

Thank you all for your responses , unfortunately after trying a lot of different ideas they all went downhill apart from one. The leaves turned brown and fell off , although all of them have suckers growing well?!
I have noticed that there are some fresh buds appearing on them though? Even from what I thought were dead branches.
Maybe there's life in the old girls/boys yet?

SalixGold · June 2023

I would keep a wide circle clear of grass around the base and give buckets of water every week.

Bay trees dying?

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