Can I rescue my bay tree

Greetings all,

I thought I had protected my new bay tree (£2 from asda I kid you not) with fleece and bubble wrap, alas I neglected to actually protect the leaves..just the pot. So now I have (as I've learnt!) got lots of cold wind damaged leaves.

Can anything be done with them or is it just a case of hacking them off, leaving it looking a bit strange, and hope lots of lovely new ones grow later in the year?

Thanks,

 

I would leave the leaves on for the time being, when you have some new growth you can nip off the worst-damaged ones until it looks good again.

 

Your plant has basically what we humans would call 'frostbite' and my guess it has been a position where it got the morning sun.

What happens is when the sun hits the frozen leaves it thaws them too quickly and creates the type of damage your plant seems to have.

I would do nothing for the moment the damaged leaves will protect the undamaged leaves beneath them.

Put it a sheltered spot where it does not get the morning sun for now, cover in fleece if you want!

Once the frost are over pick off ( not hack) the damaged leaves and hopefully the plant will recover.

This link might help;

http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Data/Laurus noblis/Laurus noblis.htm

 

This happened to my tree and the neighbour's tree a couple of winters ago (and loads of others around the village), but even though they were much worse than yours they recovered in the Spring to come back looking better than before with new shoots even coming from bare parts of branches where there hadn't been green leaves in years (same next door).

Looking back at pics I took of the new green shoots it was April when this noticeably happening.

 

Mine did the same, a good prune probably helped the overall appearance, when it finally recovered it was a better shape. I gave it a good feed in April, as well. It has sailed through this winter.

Let's hope that last remark doesn't trigger minus 10 temps next week.

 

Thanks guys :D

 

I think it might have been the wrapping that damaged it, Bay trees are very hardy, and will only get damage in serious cold. If protection is used and moisture gets in, then damage can be magnified. This bay will outgrow it though. All the bays around here from small planted plants, to large trees and growing fairly speedily at the moment.

 

Thanks guys, although slightly unsightly the tree is doing well with loads of new leaves coming through now. Not bad for £2!

 

This pesky thing is still going..I had to hack it to pieces because of scale insect...and it's totally regrown now