Dying Bay Tree

[Florence Fennel]

Well it's good to hear that from you too. I'm off looking for a new one at the weekend.

[Kiwi_Soph]

I've just been told that the two 1ft high yellow things next to the back door are bay trees. Never seen them looking like this! My only experience of it growing was with dark green foliage, kind of bushy.

These seem to have a small trunk, covered at the top with yellowing, spotty, pale leaves in a round, lollipop shape. They also both have new shoots around the base that have much greener leaves all over, I'm guessing the top bit was shaped like that?

They are in ornamental pots, maybe 20cm at the most and square.

Is there anything I could or should do to get them looking nicer? They have been here since I moved in 2 years ago and have been looking yellow the whole time! The new growth is new though.

[dogsbody]

If you have new growth you are the lucky one. I had 3 in pots and all 3 are now well dead. Apparently the very low winter temperatures have devastated much of the UK pot grown examples (minus 18 here did for mine)

I had to go to a local herb grower to get some (much smaller) replacements.

[Helgalush]

My bay tree didnt survive, and was binned about 3 weeks ago. The stone pot was just right for a bumper crop of radishes though.

[ruff]

I cut my bay all the way down just leaving about 3" in height. Saw some 2 new shoots and tht's about it. Haven't seen it growing much since then? I'm getting quite impatient!

[endymion]

If the roots are okay, and your plant is anything like ours, you should get between 4-6 inches new growth, maximum. Once the new shoots stop growing the stem hardens off. Have you given it a good feed and a bit of water?

We've got Bay growing in the garden, and mixed into hedges, but the one in a container is about six ft tall, in a massive tub filled with John Innes mature plants compost. We top dress every spring, water it about once a fortnight in the warmer months but give it no water in the winter.

I don't know whereabouts you are, but if you're 'north' the plant will need to be well sheltered (close to the house) during the colder months although, again from our own experience, they can tolerate both snow and frost as long as their roots aren't waterlogged.