Standard Bay Tree needs help

Last post 22-05-2012 10:09 PM by Phot's-Moll. 4 replies.

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20/05/2012 08:02 PM
Jo Location: Swansea Joined on: 20 May 2012 Posts: 2	Reply \| Contact Hi, could someone help me with some advice on how to revive our standard bay tree. It was bought for us as an established standard laurel as a gift from my mother when our son was born 12 years ago. My mum has since passed away and so this laurel is very special to us - and sadly is not looking too healthy at the moment. The leaves are very pale yellowy green, very sparse(can see right through the ball), with some crusty black spots which I am able to pick off. It stands approx 5ft high and the ball is approx 50cm diameter. It is potted in a glazed boule a little bit smaller than the ball of the tree. New shoots have appeared from the earth. Thin spindly roots can just be seen on the surface. Does it need to be repotted and can it be hard pruned to encourage new growth. If it does require pruning, how far can it be cut back. If anyone can offer advice, we'd be more than grateful for you help. Thanks - Jo

20/05/2012 08:02 PM

Jo
Location:
Swansea
Joined on:
20 May 2012
Posts:
2

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Hi, could someone help me with some advice on how to revive our standard bay tree. It was bought for us as an established standard laurel as a gift from my mother when our son was born 12 years ago. My mum has since passed away and so this laurel is very special to us - and sadly is not looking too healthy at the moment. The leaves are very pale yellowy green, very sparse(can see right through the ball), with some crusty black spots which I am able to pick off. It stands approx 5ft high and the ball is approx 50cm diameter. It is potted in a glazed boule a little bit smaller than the ball of the tree. New shoots have appeared from the earth. Thin spindly roots can just be seen on the surface. Does it need to be repotted and can it be hard pruned to encourage new growth. If it does require pruning, how far can it be cut back. If anyone can offer advice, we'd be more than grateful for you help. Thanks - Jo

20/05/2012 09:58 PM	In reply to
madmuncher Location: Nottinghamshire Joined on: 20 Mar 2010 Posts: 140	Reply \| Contact First...have a look underneath the leaves...can you see any little brown things grouped along the 'veins' of the leaves..sort of 'fish scale' looking things? If there is..those are called scale insect, very common pest of bay trees and like aphids will drop sweet liquid on plant leaves bellow..these sweet, sugary droppings will turn mouldy and black. It that I'm thinking of you've been 'picking off'. Scale insect feed off from bay and in good numbers can turn some of the leaves looking sickly and pale. You can spray scale insect with insecticide or wash them 'off' with spunge and water with a bit of washing up liquid mixed in..this will get rid of the mould too. If you tree has been in same soil and pot for some time..it will do good if you can at least top the pot up with fresh soil based potting mixture with added fish, blood and bone meal. But you might as well do the job properly and give your tree good 'once over'..ideally with new bigger pot with some potting mixture and fertilizer. Once you've done this...prune some of the top back making sure there is still some leaves left. Wash those leaves that are left clean and give the tree good soak around root ball. Keep your tree well watered and as long as it is in position with fairly good light, it should start producing plenty of new growth.

20/05/2012 09:58 PM

In reply to

madmuncher
Location:
Nottinghamshire
Joined on:
20 Mar 2010
Posts:
140

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First...have a look underneath the leaves...can you see any little brown things grouped along the 'veins' of the leaves..sort of 'fish scale' looking things?

If there is..those are called scale insect, very common pest of bay trees and like aphids will drop sweet liquid on plant leaves bellow..these sweet, sugary droppings will turn mouldy and black. It that I'm thinking of you've been 'picking off'. Scale insect feed off from bay and in good numbers can turn some of the leaves looking sickly and pale.

You can spray scale insect with insecticide or wash them 'off' with spunge and water with a bit of washing up liquid mixed in..this will get rid of the mould too.

If you tree has been in same soil and pot for some time..it will do good if you can at least top the pot up with fresh soil based potting mixture with added fish, blood and bone meal. But you might as well do the job properly and give your tree good 'once over'..ideally with new bigger pot with some potting mixture and fertilizer. Once you've done this...prune some of the top back making sure there is still some leaves left. Wash those leaves that are left clean and give the tree good soak around root ball. Keep your tree well watered and as long as it is in position with fairly good light, it should start producing plenty of new growth.

21/05/2012 09:54 PM	In reply to
Jo Location: Swansea Joined on: 20 May 2012 Posts: 2	Reply \| Contact Hi Madmuncher, Thanks for your reply, have just been out to have a look at the underside of the leaves .... and as you suspected....'fish scale' looking things on practically every leaf!!!!! Going to invest in some insecticide ( any recommendations? ) give it a good wash, a haircut and spoil it with a new pot and some feed. Cannot thank you enough .... I would never have spotted these blighters without your expert knowledge. Hopefully our special tree will recover and return to its former glory. Thanks once again. Jo

21/05/2012 09:54 PM

In reply to

Jo
Location:
Swansea
Joined on:
20 May 2012
Posts:
2

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Hi Madmuncher,

Thanks for your reply, have just been out to have a look at the underside of the leaves .... and as you suspected....'fish scale' looking things on practically every leaf!!!!!

Going to invest in some insecticide ( any recommendations? ) give it a good wash, a haircut and spoil it with a new pot and some feed.

Cannot thank you enough .... I would never have spotted these blighters without your expert knowledge. Hopefully our special tree will recover and return to its former glory.

Thanks once again.

22/05/2012 08:23 AM	In reply to
madmuncher Location: Nottinghamshire Joined on: 20 Mar 2010 Posts: 140	Reply \| Contact Often just wash will do and keep the numbers of scale insects down. After you've re-potted the tree and given it hair cut you have much less leaves to wash, so take just ordinary washing up spunge and with washing up liquid water you should tackle them in no time. Let the soapy water to dry out on the tree without rinsing it off..rain will do that later on. You might need to repeat this treament again later on...say in a month so..or should there still be lot emerging then..then get some insecticide. Of course its up to you..but I personally always try to keep chemicals as last result. I do also have bay..big one..and it does has scale insects..its very hard not to as these two go 'hand in hand'. But if you manage the numbers, it is not necessary to 'get rid' totally..actually it is very difficult to do so.

22/05/2012 08:23 AM

In reply to

madmuncher
Location:
Nottinghamshire
Joined on:
20 Mar 2010
Posts:
140

Reply | Contact

Often just wash will do and keep the numbers of scale insects down. After you've re-potted the tree and given it hair cut you have much less leaves to wash, so take just ordinary washing up spunge and with washing up liquid water you should tackle them in no time. Let the soapy water to dry out on the tree without rinsing it off..rain will do that later on.

You might need to repeat this treament again later on...say in a month so..or should there still be lot emerging then..then get some insecticide.

Of course its up to you..but I personally always try to keep chemicals as last result. I do also have bay..big one..and it does has scale insects..its very hard not to as these two go 'hand in hand'. But if you manage the numbers, it is not necessary to 'get rid' totally..actually it is very difficult to do so.

22/05/2012 10:09 PM	In reply to
Phot's-Moll Location: The sunny South coast. Joined on: 06 Jan 2007 Posts: 4,550	Reply \| Contact If it's been in the same pot since you had it then it definitelyneeds repotting. Tease away as much soil/compost as you can, then repot in fresh compost in a pot a little larger than the one it's currently in. To keep it as a standard shape remove any shoots coming up from the base and any growing from the stem below the head. Cut out any dead pieces from the head and trim back any that protrude beyond the size you wish it to be. Bays can cope with being cut back hard, but it's not neccessary to do that unless it gets too big or grows out of shape. I suspect you may not be feeding it regularly? If not, then get liquid plant food that suitable for shrubs and use as directed. Don't be tempted to give a stronger dose as that can 'burn' the roots. Whether you think you can do a thing, or think you cannot, you are right.

22/05/2012 10:09 PM

In reply to

Phot's-Moll
Location:
The sunny South coast.
Joined on:
06 Jan 2007
Posts:
4,550

Reply | Contact

If it's been in the same pot since you had it then it definitelyneeds repotting. Tease away as much soil/compost as you can, then repot in fresh compost in a pot a little larger than the one it's currently in.

To keep it as a standard shape remove any shoots coming up from the base and any growing from the stem below the head. Cut out any dead pieces from the head and trim back any that protrude beyond the size you wish it to be. Bays can cope with being cut back hard, but it's not neccessary to do that unless it gets too big or grows out of shape.

I suspect you may not be feeding it regularly? If not, then get liquid plant food that suitable for shrubs and use as directed. Don't be tempted to give a stronger dose as that can 'burn' the roots.

Whether you think you can do a thing, or think you cannot, you are right.

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Standard Bay Tree needs help