Young bay trees are quite tender and prefer to be in a sheltered position, away from cold and/or hot drying winds and the full glare of the sun which will crisp the (now dead) young foliage like that. I’ve grown a lollipop one in a terracotta pot in a much warmer climate than the UK, so long as you keep them well watered that shouldn’t have been an issue. Poor drainage and soggy roots will do for them though, so better to raise the pot off the ground to allow excess water to drain away and not have too claggy a potting mix (not pure JI No.3 for example, but mixed with some mpc and grit).
Try Pete.8’s scratch test and if there is signs of life in the main stems, move it to a sheltered position against a wall and off the ground on pot feet for winter. Keep it just moist but not sodden. Throw a fleece over it if heavy frost is forecast. It may well recover next spring.
Thanks, I have mulch, could I use that instead of fleece?
I see it’s alive, great! I was meaning to throw a fleece over the top of it to protect the young stems, so mulch won’t do that. You may not need to at all, depending on whereabouts you are.
Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
I think the fleece is to drape over the whole plant on cold nights, not just the surface of the compost/soil. Something like old net/voile/other lightweight curtains will do the job too. You could also wrap the pot up in layers of bubble wrap for the winter (not underneath though, you don't want to impede the drainage).
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
I’m in London (not the Cairngorms) so hopefully it will fine. Patience is what’s needed for me then! Thanks for your help!
Bay trees are remarkably tough. I would leave your tree severely alone until Spring when hopefully, it will start growing new foliage. Keep the dead leaves to use in cooking, rinse them in warm water, drain then dry them thoroughly, store and use in curries, rice pudding etc. I see them growing wild on the cliffs down here in Cornwall and also in parks where old gardens used to be. I struggled for years trying to keep a seedling from my sister's tree then decided I was killing it with kindness when I looked at the conditions they grow in, in the wild. They seem to like heavy soil and plenty of moisture. Hot dry conditions affect them quite quickly and they do not seem to need much feeding. When yours begins regrowing you may find it produces shoots from the base of the trunk. If the head of the tree regrows, remove the shoots at the base. If the top of the tree does not shoot you could try growing one of the shoots from the base to replace the trunk. Bay trees are fairly slow-growing so you may have to wait a few years for yours to recover fully. Good luck.
I think they do better and generally look healthier when allowed to grow in a more natural shape rather than trained into lollipops with bare exposed trunks.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
I’m in London (not the Cairngorms) so hopefully it will fine. Patience is what’s needed for me then! Thanks for your help!
Bay trees are remarkably tough. I would leave your tree severely alone until Spring when hopefully, it will start growing new foliage. Keep the dead leaves to use in cooking, rinse them in warm water, drain then dry them thoroughly, store and use in curries, rice pudding etc. I see them growing wild on the cliffs down here in Cornwall and also in parks where old gardens used to be. I struggled for years trying to keep a seedling from my sister's tree then decided I was killing it with kindness when I looked at the conditions they grow in, in the wild. They seem to like heavy soil and plenty of moisture. Hot dry conditions affect them quite quickly and they do not seem to need much feeding. When yours begins regrowing you may find it produces shoots from the base of the trunk. If the head of the tree regrows, remove the shoots at the base. If the top of the tree does not shoot you could try growing one of the shoots from the base to replace the trunk. Bay trees are fairly slow-growing so you may have to wait a few years for yours to recover fully. Good luck.
Too many people put bay trees in blazing hot sunshine and I find that they do very well in the opposite conditions. Mine is in shade and next to the house so that I can just lean out of the window to pick a leaf when it is needed. I understand the desire to have something cute in a pot but I don't think they are particularly suited to it. It would be nice if they came with a warning/care label so that buyers didn't end up with something that looks as though it has been too near to the fire. I guess it's only bitter experience when it comes to growing these useful plants.
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Patience is what’s needed for me then!
Thanks for your help!
I see them growing wild on the cliffs down here in Cornwall and also in parks where old gardens used to be. I struggled for years trying to keep a seedling from my sister's tree then decided I was killing it with kindness when I looked at the conditions they grow in, in the wild. They seem to like heavy soil and plenty of moisture. Hot dry conditions affect them quite quickly and they do not seem to need much feeding. When yours begins regrowing you may find it produces shoots from the base of the trunk. If the head of the tree regrows, remove the shoots at the base. If the top of the tree does not shoot you could try growing one of the shoots from the base to replace the trunk. Bay trees are fairly slow-growing so you may have to wait a few years for yours to recover fully.
Good luck.