When caring for laurel, a distinction must be made between real laurel and cherry laurel, which is often used to plant laurel hedges. Both can tend to brown leaves for different reasons.
What causes brown leaves on bay laurel and how do you fix the problem?
Brown leaves on laurel can occur due to drought, frost-sensitive overwintering or incorrect pruning. Make sure there is sufficient watering, a suitable winter quarters and trim the plant manually instead of using electric hedge trimmers.
Protect laurel from severe drought
The real laurel and the cherry laurel are both relatively sensitive to extended dry periods. Be particularly careful with:
- Laurel on the balcony
- Laurel in a pot
- Laurel hedges on sunny slopes
Basically, real laurel needs a lot of warmth, as it occurs naturally in Mediterranean locations. However, it should be watered sufficiently to avoid drought damage such as brown leaves. Cherry laurel requires loose and easy-to-root soil without waterlogging, but should be watered regularly and extensively in sunny locations during dry summer periods.
Be careful when wintering
Only the real laurel is sensitive to frost in this country, which is why it should be overwintered in suitable winter quarters. If real laurel or cherry laurel develops brown leaves after winter and sheds them, the plants do not necessarily have to be completely dead. Rather, it could also be drought damage due to a lack of liquid water in the soil. Cut the affected bushes back to the main branches, sometimes new growth of young leaves will soon appear.
Tips & Tricks
If possible, do not cut the real laurel and cherry laurel with electric hedge trimmers, otherwise halved leaves will die and remain on the plants as ugly brown spots. It is better to make targeted cuts with manual secateurs (€10.00 on Amazon).
