"K" wrote in message
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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.

Pests were my first thought because the browning is irregular but I looked
very carefully and found nothing. And it's not cat spray :-)

Mary