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New Laurel hedge getting eaten?

Last post 29-02-2012 8:53 PM by NP. 6 replies.

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  • 27/02/2012 03:04 PM
    • NP
    • Oxfordshire
    • 27 Feb 2012
    • 3
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    Hi all,

    Firstly, this is my newbie post so please be kind!  We have recently moved into a new property (last summer) that was fairly bare and have started on the journey to build it back to a garden that we can enjoy.

    One of our first jobs was to plant 3x small Laurel shrubs near a wall to provide a green backdrop in the years to come.

    Over the winter I have noticed that the small amounts of new growth that have taken place have quickly been 'eaten' by either bug or disease (pictures attached).  The rest of the plant looks heathly and well but the leaves look spotty and dry..

    I have hunted round this forum and other sites and think it may be Shot-hole or Vine Weevil but as a newbie I am not sure.  Can anyone help identify the problem and propose any remedy?

    Many thanksLaurel1

    photo 3" mce_src="photo 3" alt="laurel1" border="0" hspace="0" vspace="0" width="300" height="300" align="bottom" />

    photo 2" mce_src="photo 2" alt="Laurel2" border="0" hspace="0" vspace="0" width="300" height="300" align="bottom" />

  • 27/02/2012 07:35 PM
    Top 25 Contributor
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     Hello NP, welcome to the forum!

    OK dokey, it looks like you've got a few things going on here. First off, I have a couple of questions: how much have you been watering and feeding these plants?

    Cherry laurel thrives on poor, pretty dry soil and can experience problems if life gets too easy for it, like a dog that gets fed on pizza and mars bars. New plants do need regular watering while they establish their roots, but not so that the soil is soggy the whole time. Let the top two inches or so of the soil dry out before watering again, or to put it another way, water thoroughly and infrequently, not a little every day.
    It's a similar story with feeding them: if your soil is decent and you improved it a bit before planting, they don't need any extra food.
    I suspect that these plants have been over pampered, would that be right?

    I think that they've been hit by a double whammy of shot hole and mildew. Since your plants are young and you want them to get off to a good start, I would suggest using a fungicide to give them a hand (mature plants can be clipped to help control these issues, but that's not much of an option for you).

    You can read more here http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/Profile.aspx?pid=568

    No great cause for concern here, your plants will be fine.

    Have fun,

    Ed

    www.ashridgetrees.co.uk
  • 27/02/2012 08:49 PM
    • NP
    • Oxfordshire
    • 27 Feb 2012
    • 3
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    Wow!  I can see this will be a dangerous forum for me - this advice is way too good!

    Yes we watered well and have probably over fed also given your feedback.  The area is fairly shady so I can safely say the soil has never looked 'dry' since we planted.

     I was looking at getting some 'Fungus clear ultra' so perhaps will give this a go in combination of putting the Laurel on a little diet!

     Thanks again.  I hope to learn a lot a share back eventually.  Big Smile

  • 27/02/2012 10:11 PM
    • Phot's-Moll
    • The sunny South coast.
    • 06 Jan 2007
    • 4,535
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     Hi, NP.

    To me it looks like some of it could be frost damage. If you've fed the plants generously they'll have made soft growth that's more vulnerable to this.

    Whether you think you can do a thing, or think you cannot, you are right.
  • 29/02/2012 04:47 PM
    Top 25 Contributor
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     Yes, could also be frost if the damage was recent. Last autumn was a sucker for mildew & I was seeing various evergreens looking pretty furred up as late as December in balmy Bristol. Perhaps I have mildew on the brain...

    www.ashridgetrees.co.uk
  • 29/02/2012 08:48 PM
    • Phot's-Moll
    • The sunny South coast.
    • 06 Jan 2007
    • 4,535
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    Once you've had a problem yourself it's understandale you'll think of that first.


    Whether you think you can do a thing, or think you cannot, you are right.
  • 29/02/2012 08:53 PM
    • NP
    • Oxfordshire
    • 27 Feb 2012
    • 3
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    Yes frost could be a simple explanation also - I will keep a keen eye on things and let you know...

     Thanks all