Bay Laurel Plants – PROBLEM = Leaves curling + turning brown

Hi I planted about 50 Bay Laurel Plants (Laurus nobilis) about 4 to 5 feet tall from a nursery and the problem started with just one plant with its leaves curling and turning yellow then brown on the top of the plant… and then spreading to nearly all leaves.

Now about 10% of them have the same problem and spreading ... no solution yet.

One chat board suggested the Bays were in the pots too long and became pot bound. So now replanting with a good compost soil mix to see if that will solve the problem.

Another chat board suggested they were over watered….

I also have a female dog ... and maybe it going to the toilet might be causing it ...

I really would appreciate any advice / tips

Many thanks

Perhaps dig one of the worse ones out and take it back to the nursery you bought it from and ask them for advice. Many nurseries give a one year guarantee.

Is it the full plant that is dying or just branches?

I have had some nice bay laurels that I can keep going for a couple of years, but they all end up with the problem you've described. The leaves on top get brown and then the whole plant goes. I vote for the idea that they become rootbound and the roots rot. Sorry I can't be more definitive.

Mary--Looks like you are growing them in the ground, so pot bound should not be the problem. Is your soil on the acid side? If not, you should investigate what soil they prefer. I really don't think it is your female dog. Male, well..... maybe. Here, Myrtle trees are native and grow to be absolutely huge. You cannot tell the leaf of a myrtle from a leaf of a bay laurel. Plus, the soil here is on the acid side.

My bay is probably 15' tall- was here when we bought 10 years ago. It gets a lot of dead branches and leaves this time of year-I always thought it was from the heat. The picture just shows leaves but there are branches higher - need a ladder to trim those out. I would take one back to find out their warranty, you have to many to lose.

Just looking at the leaves on your plants, it resembles fire blight but Im no expert. It's very contagious.