"jojo" cgv_2000@*remove your hat*yahoo.com wrote in message
et...

"Elliot Richmond" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 01 Sep 2006 16:40:40 GMT, "jojo" cgv_2000@*remove your
hat*yahoo.com wrote:

What do I do? Is there any hope?

Kathleen, got any of those starters left from freecycle?

ACK!!

Mountain Laurels are pretty tough.

It is most likely some sort of caterpillar. Immediately spray
thoroughly with BT (Bacillus thurigiensis) suspension. The
caterpillars will dry up and fall off.

The BT spray is environmentally benign (except to the caterpillars!)
and is widely available.

Hope this helps


Elliot Richmond
Itinerant astronomy teacher

Thank you so much...should I go ahead and cut the branches that are
leafless?
This in effect will tree the bush, which I'm ok with, but maybe it's too
early??

Thanks,
jojo

Unless whatever it is killed the branches as well (not likely) the leaves
will come back.

I usually give plants plenty of time to do any growing they're going to do
before I start pruning away damaged branches. I find that I tend to be more
pessimistic about what will recover than the plants are.