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bay tree looking sad

MarrowcourgetteMarrowcourgette Posts: 20
in Talkback

My Bay tree is very small all leaves are yellowing except for growing shoots at the top. I look at it everyday and it took me so long to get one Id hate to see it die .It started life in a small pot but has been in a very large one for two years the pot is approx 3 feet wide x 2 feet tall. Please if anyone can help I would be grateful.image   

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Posts

  • Dave MorganDave Morgan Posts: 3,123

    You've put it into too larger pot to start with, but it's still going. The weather this winter has been a dire mix so don't give up. Is the soil waterlogged per chance? Is the pot on the ground or raised off the ground? Bay needs reasonable drainage and have you ever fed it? Finally what did you use for a potting mix?

  • Lily PillyLily Pilly Posts: 3,845

    Marrow I have two bays, they stand beside each other and are treated exactly the same way

    one is showing exactly the same symptoms as yours  I have collected most of the dead/ dying leaves and keeping them both sheltered ,just damp, not feeding yet, and trusting to nature. The only thing I can think of is a blast of cold air hit one. They hate cold winds and we have had a few of them recently!

    Let's sit it out and see what happens, they are actually more resilient than you think and a shoot will often appear from what looks like a dead stem.

     

    Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”
    A A Milne
  • MarrowcourgetteMarrowcourgette Posts: 20
    Firstly thanks Lilly and Dave pot isnt waterlogged I gave it some chicken pellett manure I think though as you said Lilly its had a bit of a cold burst? The potting mix is straightforward compost.can I ask why big pots are bad?.
  • Lily PillyLily Pilly Posts: 3,845

    I think they quite like to be constrained , a young plant especially I have never repotted mine and have had them three years

    i wouldn't move it now tho 

    Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”
    A A Milne
  • Invicta2Invicta2 Posts: 663

    Bays are mediteranean trees, they appreciate good drainage and need less humous than many plants so I grow mine in pots with lots of grit mixed with garden soil, no compost. Despite incredibly wet winter they are doing fine. I also ensure they are sheltered from cold winds.

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,142

    I use John Innes No 3 soil based compost with several handfuls of horticultural grit added for my bay.  They're not really happy in multi-purpose compost.

    They're also greedy feeders when in pots and need several doses of fertiliser throughout the growing period.  I also spray the leaves of mine with seaweed spray about once every couple of weeks.  That perks them up no end. image

    I suggest that you should re-pot your tree in March, using loam-based John Innes No 3 with added grit, and an appropriate sized pot.

    One of the additional benefits of using the loam-based compost is that it is much heavier than MPC (multi-purpose compost) and so even if your tree is in a smaller pot it will be weighted down and shouldn't be top heavy and blow over. image

    There's an explanation of over-potting and problems caused here https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=864

     

     


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





  • MarrowcourgetteMarrowcourgette Posts: 20
    Cant thank you enough thats fantastic im going to movr it to more sheltered spot today and will re pot in March bless you all you've made a keen gardener very happyimage
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,142

    image  You're very welcome.


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





  • Lily PillyLily Pilly Posts: 3,845

    Good luck, let us know how it goes????

    Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”
    A A Milne
  • Lou12Lou12 Posts: 1,149

    Someone planted a bay tree in our garden, it was a massive pain and we've just had chopped down and dug up at great expense and mess.

    It grew to 30 foot, almost perpetually shed leaves winter and summer, self seeded everywhere needing constant vigilance and started making a bay tree forest around it with more bays growing up from the roots and destroying the fence, you couldn't grow anything in the dense shade.

    Keep that thing in it's pot.

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