GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post - Bay trees

K · 27-08-2006, 11:44 AM posted to uk.rec.gardening

writes
I have two bay trees in pots. We moved house and before we went they
were fine. Now at the new house they are looking very bad - leaves
falling off and most of the remaining leaves going brown. At first they
were situated at the front of the house which I suppose is lacking
sunshine and after the hot weather they may have been lacking water. I
moved them to full sun and gave them a good drink a week ago and as a
treat a few drops of Baby Bio in their water! One thing I have noticed,
if it is of any relevence, they seem to attract a lot of house flies.
Any ideas how I can save them?

As a general principle, if you suspect a plant may be too dry, and you
give it a good drink, it's best not to move it into sunshine at the same
time. The sun encourages the leaves to pump out water even faster and a
lot of benefit of the drink is lost.

If a plant is unwell and you know it's because of nutrient deficiency
(for example, yellowing leaves which are otherwise firm and not wilting)
feeding is a good idea. But if you're not sure what is wrong, feeding
isn't such a good idea - bit like offering a full english breakfast to
someone with gastric flu.

I suspect the lack of water is the cause - it's very easy to take your
eye off the ball in the flurry of moving.

But best to check out that there's no sap-sucking insects. Most likely
with bay is scale insects - lentil-sized brown scales on the undersides
of the leaves and along new shoots. Usually you spot them because black
mould forms on the sugary stuff that they excrete on the leaves below.

Another possibility is red spider mite - look for fine webbing on the
newest shoots and moving pepper on the underside of the leaves.

Several people have commented on house flies or similar on plants this
year, and I had a few days when the greenhouse was full of them (the
yellow sticky traps for the whitefly caught hundreds) - I don't think
we've come to any conclusion as to the cause.

Bay is pretty tough and good at coming back from the base, so all is not
lost.

--
Kay