Poorly bay tree

[everdream78]

I've got two bay trees in separate pots - one is looking lovely and healthy, the other one is yellow and wilting. I've topped them both up with compost and pruned the dead stuff off but the yellow one is still looking poorly.

I can't see anything obvious like caterpillars/aphids etc and there's no damage to the leaves themselves.

Any suggestions/ideas?

[lainey lou]

Does it need feeding? Just a thought.

[bramble]

Has it been overwatered. I have two and they are looking good at the moment and i have'nt fed them at all?

[FoxHillGardener]

have you had a rootle around in the compost to check for beasties? I'm thinking of vine weevils...nasty little things

[bramble]

FHG, don't think vine weavlis go for bay, but i could be wrong. will be interested to hear what was really wrong with the plant.

[FoxHillGardener]

FHG, don't think vine weavlis go for bay, but i could be wrong. will be interested to hear what was really wrong with the plant.

I though the little swines would eat anything! Glad to hear there's some things they don't. They've gone a bit bonkers in my garden this year so am particularly down on them

[rustylady]

Vine weevils will get into any pot they can. Are both Bay Trees in the same pots/compost, or is one possibly a better mix? Another possibility is that ants have got into the pot and made a nest (specially if the pot sits straight onto a hard surface instead of being raised on "feet". Ants don't actually eat the roots but they do tunnel around and loosen them.

[moggssue]

I fed my bay tree for the first time ever this year (it's about 6 years old and in a huge pot) and got flowers, I'd forgotten they did that!! Can't think of anything obvious that would have attacked your plant, maybe try giving it a good feed? Is it in a draught or a spot prone to the cold, especially compared to the healthy one?

[everdream78]

They're in separate pots either side of the gap in the decking leading to the garden proper. Both in the same type of pots, planted at the same time in the same compost....

No obvious signs of ants or weevils and both have been fed fairly regularly over the summer (perhaps not for a month or so now admittedly).

<sighs> oh well, perhaps it's time to get another one just in case!

Thanks for all your suggestions so far

Ed

[Does the Cooking]

What do you feed a bay leaf tree with?

[crichmond]

have a look at the under side of the leaves to check if you have spider mite, looks like little scales about 2 or 3 mil across.

[Flummery]

I don't feed mine. I top-dress the bed in spring if I've enough home made compost left. I'm a hard woman - but I've got a belting bay tree!

[tumbleweed]

poorly bay tree

Hi

Stumbled across this after reading your post and thought it might be some food for thought!

Re: yellow leaves on my bay tree

Try this link

[deadwood]

Had a similar problem a few years back and mine was planted in the garden. The ground underneath (few inches) was solid chalk and I suspect that it was a lack of iron/magnesium or whatever.

I simply dug mine up and moved it to another p[art of the garden that had deeper soil. It has done fine since. Also they are meditterean plants and do not need a lot of water. Mine is in a very dry part by a wall and the ground is dry unless there is a high wind and a heavy downpour.

Let it/them dry out and get a fertiliser that is for acid loving plants. Water with this and give the leaves a spray. Do it for a couple of weeks and see if it improves. The leaves start to curl when it gets really dry.

[Charlotte O]

I have two bay trees either side of the front door and I find that the one on the right does better than the other one, so I have changed them round to see what happens. The last two I had were not doing very well so I planted Chamomile around them as this is a doctor plant. I found this revived them. Certainly, as they get older you need to re-pot them as the root ball will hold onto all the soil and then there won't be much irrigation getting through. As they are acid loving you can get a special feed for this. If all else fails, move them, they probably don't like the spot they are in.