Question
I have a bay tree that I have had for 3 - 4 years.  It is only about 24 inches high.  Just today I noticed that on the new growth on the top of the plant the leaves are turning a tan/light brown.  What could be the problem?

Answer
Hello Joelle -

It sounds as though your Bay Laurel plant may either have scale insects, False Spider Mites or it could be soemthing as basic as a bacterial or fungus infection.

I cannot tell you for certain without seeing the leaves of your tree.

If you see brown circles forming on the leaves then chances are it is scale insects, you can treat this with an insecticidal soap.

If you don't see any mites or circles it might be some species of false spider mite. They are about a tenth the size of ordinary spider mites and are not visible to the unaided eye. Under a dissecting scope they can be seen as transparent reddish or palest straw colored mites. Something like short, but multi-legged fat aphid miniature. There will be only one or two in each huge new lesion. They inject toxins into the plant to suck the juices and cause disproportionately large dead areas. Washing throughly once a day with a rag soaked in pyrethrum soap spray for a week should get rid of them.

It could also be a fungus or bacterial infection. To control it remove all infected leaves and burn them, then spray with a sulphur spray. Repeat spray twice a week for 3 weeks. Of course, if you are using the bay leaves for cooking or medicinal purposes you may not want to use sulphur. You can try applications of Colloidal Silver which is an all natural anti-biotic or you can check with your local nursery to see if they offer any type of organic treatments for bacterial infections.

I hope this helps and hope your Bay Laurel will be nice and healthy soon!

Sincerely,
Sharon Hubbs-Kreft
Certified Natural Health Consultant & Certified Herbalist
www.localharvest.org/store/M10524
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