Is my bay tree past helping?
 

Hi,I live in East Yorkshire, between Hull and York and I have a bay tree in my front small garden which is about 10ft high and 10 years old (since it was planted in my garden). I had been planning on having it trimmed back this year but over the winter it appears to have died. The leaves are mostly still in place but all dried up and I cannot see any signs of budding. I have another shrub next to it, not sure what it is, that is suffering the same. Next door has a smaller bay tree which looks totally healthy. Do you think it is a lost cause or does anyone have any suggestions as the best way to proceed to try to save both plants? Thanks

Is my bay tree past helping?
 

On Sat, 27 Mar 2010 06:24:01 -0400, lilypools
wrote:


Hi,I live in East Yorkshire, between Hull and York and I have a bay tree
in my front small garden which is about 10ft high and 10 years old
(since it was planted in my garden). I had been planning on having it
trimmed back this year but over the winter it appears to have died. The
leaves are mostly still in place but all dried up and I cannot see any
signs of budding. I have another shrub next to it, not sure what it is,
that is suffering the same. Next door has a smaller bay tree which
looks totally healthy. Do you think it is a lost cause or does anyone
have any suggestions as the best way to proceed to try to save both
plants? Thanks

If nearly all of the leaves are dried up. shriveled and lifeless, I
regret that is an ex-tree. Surprising really, mine is of similar
size and vintage and they do seem to survive very cold winters really
well. Condolences, time to start again?
But don't be too quick to dig it out. It's worth watering around the
base . Bays sucker quite freely and you may be lucky enough to get a
little selection which could be taken off with roots attached and
potted on.


--
(¯`·. ®óñ© © ²°¹° .·´¯)

Is my bay tree past helping?
 

"®óñ© © ²°¹°" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 27 Mar 2010 06:24:01 -0400, lilypools
wrote:


Hi,I live in East Yorkshire, between Hull and York and I have a bay tree
in my front small garden which is about 10ft high and 10 years old
(since it was planted in my garden). I had been planning on having it
trimmed back this year but over the winter it appears to have died. The
leaves are mostly still in place but all dried up and I cannot see any
signs of budding. I have another shrub next to it, not sure what it is,
that is suffering the same. Next door has a smaller bay tree which
looks totally healthy. Do you think it is a lost cause or does anyone
have any suggestions as the best way to proceed to try to save both
plants? Thanks

If nearly all of the leaves are dried up. shriveled and lifeless, I
regret that is an ex-tree. Surprising really, mine is of similar
size and vintage and they do seem to survive very cold winters really
well. Condolences, time to start again?
But don't be too quick to dig it out. It's worth watering around the
base . Bays sucker quite freely and you may be lucky enough to get a
little selection which could be taken off with roots attached and
potted on.

Yes, it does sound like it has deceased - what a pity. I do agree with
persevering to try and get it to sucker, it's worth a go.
I got my bay from a sucker off my aunt's tree, it's now two years old, 2
ft high, still in a big pot and I protect it with my life (almost) from
frost because it's so young.
I did think big bay trees like the one the OP describes might cope, but we
have had the worst winter in 30 years, after all. It might depend on how
exposed it is, the neighbours surviving tree might be more sheltered?
My aunt's tree is OK, sheltered by a fence - the worse temps we had here in
Leics were -12c which is a big ask for a bay and I know it was even lower
elsewhere.
Tina

Is my bay tree past helping?
 

In article ,
Christina Websell wrote:
"®óñ© © ²°¹°" wrote in message
.. .

But don't be too quick to dig it out. It's worth watering around the
base . Bays sucker quite freely and you may be lucky enough to get a
little selection which could be taken off with roots attached and
potted on.

Yes, it does sound like it has deceased - what a pity. I do agree with
persevering to try and get it to sucker, it's worth a go.

Incidentally, ALL you need to do is to wait. It may well shoot from
the roots this year, but it is just possible it won't until next year.
My mother's did that after 1962/3.

Bay is not very hardy, and used to go brown every year in Cambridge,
but this winter wasn't particularly hard here. Once the bark freezes,
the top will die completely. But they can regrow from fairly deep
roots.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Is my bay tree past helping?
 

On Sat, 27 Mar 2010 lilypools wrote:

Hi,I live in East Yorkshire, between Hull and York and I have a bay tree
in my front small garden which is about 10ft high and 10 years old
(since it was planted in my garden). I had been planning on having it
trimmed back this year but over the winter it appears to have died. The
leaves are mostly still in place but all dried up and I cannot see any
signs of budding. I have another shrub next to it, not sure what it is,
that is suffering the same. Next door has a smaller bay tree which
looks totally healthy. Do you think it is a lost cause or does anyone
have any suggestions as the best way to proceed to try to save both
plants? Thanks

Bay trees are surprising things. When I planted mine over twenty years
ago it died back to below ground level. Then it produced a new shoot
and, until I cut it back drastically last year, it grew to be as tall as
my house.

I cut it back only because I thought it was a fire hazard. Have you ever
seen one burn? Quite spectacular!

David

--
David Rance writing from Caversham, Reading, UK
http://rance.org.uk

Is my bay tree past helping?
 

"David Rance" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 27 Mar 2010 lilypools wrote:

Hi,I live in East Yorkshire, between Hull and York and I have a bay tree
in my front small garden which is about 10ft high and 10 years old
(since it was planted in my garden). I had been planning on having it
trimmed back this year but over the winter it appears to have died. The
leaves are mostly still in place but all dried up and I cannot see any
signs of budding. I have another shrub next to it, not sure what it is,
that is suffering the same. Next door has a smaller bay tree which
looks totally healthy. Do you think it is a lost cause or does anyone
have any suggestions as the best way to proceed to try to save both
plants? Thanks

Bay trees are surprising things. When I planted mine over twenty years ago
it died back to below ground level. Then it produced a new shoot and,
until I cut it back drastically last year, it grew to be as tall as my
house.

I cut it back only because I thought it was a fire hazard. Have you ever
seen one burn? Quite spectacular!

David

--
David Rance writing from Caversham, Reading, UK
http://rance.org.uk


Who needs fireworks? ;-)

And noisy!!

--
Base for a Botanic visit to the Isle of Wight?
www.shanklinmanormews.co.uk

Is my bay tree past helping?
 

On Sat, 27 Mar 2010 22:31:40 +0000, Sacha wrote:

A tiny bit on an open fire produces a lovely scent, too. But snap,
crackle and pop - phew!

Bay leaf smoking is similar to cannabis so don't forget to add a few
leaves to the fire :)

Steve

--
Neural Planner Software Ltd www.NPSL1.com

Neural network applications, help and support.

Is my bay tree past helping?
 

On 28 Mar, 09:56, Sacha wrote:
On 2010-03-27 23:30:38 +0000, Stephen Wolstenholme
said:

On Sat, 27 Mar 2010 22:31:40 +0000, Sacha wrote:

A tiny bit on an open fire produces a lovely scent, too. *But snap,
crackle and pop - phew!

Bay leaf smoking is similar to cannabis so don't forget to add a few
leaves to the fire :)

Steve

What a sheltered life I've led - never knew that! *But it does smell
gorgeous. *;-)
--
Sachawww.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon

I didnt know that either. My bay has survived the winter despite being
in a large pot and next to the shed facing northeast, with night
temperatures as low as minus 10C in January. A few lower leaves are
yellow, but the rest look ok. It had no protection throughout the
winter, so maybe I have just been very lucky.

Is my bay tree past helping?
 

In article ,
sutartsorric wrote:

I didnt know that either. My bay has survived the winter despite being
in a large pot and next to the shed facing northeast, with night
temperatures as low as minus 10C in January. A few lower leaves are
yellow, but the rest look ok. It had no protection throughout the
winter, so maybe I have just been very lucky.

They aren't as tender as all that - mild frosts, like the occasional
drop to -10 Celsius, aren't a problem. Below that, they start to
lose leaves; below about -15, all their top growth will die. As
usual, that is very rough, as it depends on the other conditions
(duration, wind, damp/dry, timing etc.)


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Is my bay tree past helping?
 

On 28 Mar, 12:27, wrote:
In article ,

sutartsorric wrote:

I didnt know that either. My bay has survived the winter despite being
in a large pot and next to the shed facing northeast, with night
temperatures as low as minus 10C in January. A few lower leaves are
yellow, but the rest look ok. It had no protection throughout the
winter, so maybe I have just been very lucky.

They aren't as tender as all that - mild frosts, like the occasional
drop to -10 Celsius, aren't a problem. *Below that, they start to
lose leaves; below about -15, all their top growth will die. *As
usual, that is very rough, as it depends on the other conditions
(duration, wind, damp/dry, timing etc.)

Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Well, make up your mind.

Earlier in this thread you stated;

"Bay is not very hardy, and used to go brown every year in Cambridge,
but this winter wasn't particularly hard here. Once the bark freezes,
the top will die completely. But they can regrow from fairly deep
roots."

Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

I would have thought that an air temperature of -10C is quite a sharp
frost, not a 'mild' one (whatever that means).

Is there a definition of exactly what "hardy" means, in terms of
ability to survive cold winters?

Is my bay tree past helping?
 

In article ,
sutartsorric wrote:

I didnt know that either. My bay has survived the winter despite being
in a large pot and next to the shed facing northeast, with night
temperatures as low as minus 10C in January. A few lower leaves are
yellow, but the rest look ok. It had no protection throughout the
winter, so maybe I have just been very lucky.

They aren't as tender as all that - mild frosts, like the occasional
drop to -10 Celsius, aren't a problem. =A0Below that, they start to
lose leaves; below about -15, all their top growth will die. =A0As
usual, that is very rough, as it depends on the other conditions
(duration, wind, damp/dry, timing etc.)

Well, make up your mind.

Earlier in this thread you stated;

"Bay is not very hardy, and used to go brown every year in Cambridge,
but this winter wasn't particularly hard here. Once the bark freezes,
the top will die completely. But they can regrow from fairly deep
roots."

I would have thought that an air temperature of -10C is quite a sharp
frost, not a 'mild' one (whatever that means).

Let me guess. You live in London (a.k.a. the Home Counties)? Perhaps
I am wrong, but you don't know much about the UK's climate. Whether
-10 Celsius is a sharp frost or a mild one is irrelevant, but a winter
that never drops below that is fairly mild over most of the land area
of the UK. Until the current mild spell started (about 15 years back),
Cambridge used to have temperatures below that most winters.

Is there a definition of exactly what "hardy" means, in terms of
ability to survive cold winters?

Yes. You could look it up :-)


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Is my bay tree past helping?
 

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 2010-03-27 23:30:38 +0000, Stephen Wolstenholme
said:

On Sat, 27 Mar 2010 22:31:40 +0000, Sacha wrote:

A tiny bit on an open fire produces a lovely scent, too. But snap,
crackle and pop - phew!

Bay leaf smoking is similar to cannabis so don't forget to add a few
leaves to the fire :)

Steve

What a sheltered life I've led - never knew that! But it does smell
gorgeous. ;-)
--

A barbeque is improved tenfold by throwing a half-a-dozen bay leaves on the
coals every time the meat is turned, particularly if a cover is used over
the BBQ.

--

Jeff

Is my bay tree past helping?
 

On 28 Mar, 14:33, wrote:
In article ,
* * * * sutartsorric wrote:





I didnt know that either. My bay has survived the winter despite being
in a large pot and next to the shed facing northeast, with night
temperatures as low as minus 10C in January. A few lower leaves are
yellow, but the rest look ok. It had no protection throughout the
winter, so maybe I have just been very lucky.

They aren't as tender as all that - mild frosts, like the occasional
drop to -10 Celsius, aren't a problem. =A0Below that, they start to
lose leaves; below about -15, all their top growth will die. =A0As
usual, that is very rough, as it depends on the other conditions
(duration, wind, damp/dry, timing etc.)

Well, make up your mind.

Earlier in this thread you stated;

"Bay is not very hardy, and used to go brown every year in Cambridge,
but this winter wasn't particularly hard here. *Once the bark freezes,
the top will die completely. *But they can regrow from fairly deep
roots."

I would have thought that an air temperature of -10C is quite a sharp
frost, not a 'mild' one (whatever that means).

Let me guess. *You live in London (a.k.a. the Home Counties)? *Perhaps
I am wrong, but you don't know much about the UK's climate. *Whether
-10 Celsius is a sharp frost or a mild one is irrelevant, but a winter
that never drops below that is fairly mild over most of the land area
of the UK. *Until the current mild spell started (about 15 years back),
Cambridge used to have temperatures below that most winters.

Is there a definition of exactly what "hardy" means, in terms of
ability to survive cold winters?

Yes. *You could look it up :-)

Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Er, no - sorry. I live about 120 miles from London.

I looked up frost and the BBC weather pages gave this,

"Frost severity
There are several degrees of severity for frost with a slight frost
0°C to minus 3.5°C, a moderate frost from minus 3.5°C to minus 6.6°C,
severe frost from minus 6.5°C to minus 11.5°C and a very severe frost
below minus 11.5°C."

That places -10C into the severe frost category, and seems to back up
my theory.

Is my bay tree past helping?
 

sutartsorric wrote:
On 28 Mar, 12:27, wrote:
In article ,

sutartsorric wrote:

I didnt know that either. My bay has survived the winter despite being
in a large pot and next to the shed facing northeast, with night
temperatures as low as minus 10C in January. A few lower leaves are
yellow, but the rest look ok. It had no protection throughout the
winter, so maybe I have just been very lucky.
They aren't as tender as all that - mild frosts, like the occasional
drop to -10 Celsius, aren't a problem. Below that, they start to
lose leaves; below about -15, all their top growth will die. As
usual, that is very rough, as it depends on the other conditions
(duration, wind, damp/dry, timing etc.)

/snip of feral sig/

Well, make up your mind.

Earlier in this thread you stated;

"Bay is not very hardy, and used to go brown every year in Cambridge,
but this winter wasn't particularly hard here. Once the bark freezes,
the top will die completely. But they can regrow from fairly deep
roots."

/snip of feral sig/

I would have thought that an air temperature of -10C is quite a sharp
frost, not a 'mild' one (whatever that means).

Not for the fens, it isn't. Well, wasn't - frosts in the inland fens
used to last a long time, and the temperatures (allegedly) got too low
for small children to slide on skates. (The slipperyness of skates on
ice relies on the pressure of the skate melting the ice beneath it.

Is there a definition of exactly what "hardy" means, in terms of
ability to survive cold winters?

No. Even plants which one would call 'fully hardy' have died in some
parts of Scotland this winter.

--
Rusty

Is my bay tree past helping?
 

Jeff Layman wrote:
"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 2010-03-27 23:30:38 +0000, Stephen Wolstenholme
said:

On Sat, 27 Mar 2010 22:31:40 +0000, Sacha wrote:

A tiny bit on an open fire produces a lovely scent, too. But snap,
crackle and pop - phew!

Bay leaf smoking is similar to cannabis so don't forget to add a few
leaves to the fire :)

Steve

What a sheltered life I've led - never knew that! But it does smell
gorgeous. ;-)
--

A barbeque is improved tenfold by throwing a half-a-dozen bay leaves on
the coals every time the meat is turned, particularly if a cover is used
over the BBQ.

I can believe that - with the alleged properties of the smoke, you might
even believe you are eating meat.

--
Rusty