Niall Smyth wrote:
hi all

I have a standard bay in a container and it
was severely potbound (even when supplied!)

I have repotted and the leaves are still dry as a bone

My neightbour told me its practically inpossible to kill a bay!?

That is basically true. I once defoliated on eby using soft soap as an
insecticide on it and it's leaves dessicated and dropped off almost
overnight. It still came back from the roots the following year.

the dry foliage is just sitting there
would I prune to enduce new growth
any thoughts

I'd leave it out in the sun and the warm watering periodically when it
is dry at the roots. If you prune now you could easily be cutting out
live wood.

My olive trees also suffer similar problems largely because N Yorks
isn't very Mediterranean in winter. They grow more slowly but still survive.

Regards,
Martin Brown