Sometimes garden owners are shocked to discover that the cherry laurel has unsightly, reddish-brown spots on many of its leaves. It doesn't always have to be the dreaded shotgun disease. Even after severe cold frosts, the laurel cherry often has leaf damage
What causes brown spots on cherry laurel and how do you treat them?
Brown spots on cherry laurel can be caused by cold damage or leaf spot fungi such as shotgun disease. To save the cherry laurel, remove affected leaves and branches, prune well and, if necessary, use fungicides.
Brown spots due to cold damage
Not all laurel cherry species are completely frost hardy and can survive harsh winters unscathed. They suffer from frostbite during the icy winter months, which often only becomes apparent when they sprout in spring. The leaves become brown-spotted, dry and eventually fall off.
Remedy
The laurel cherry tolerates pruning well and also sprouts readily from perennial wood. However, wait before pruning until you can estimate how far the bushes have frozen back. You can recognize frost damage by the fact that the affected branches no longer grow or show a gray-brown color below the bark. Shorten the branches down to he althy wood.
Brown leaf spots caused by leaf spot fungi
When a fungus infestation occurs, circular, brown spots initially appear on the upper side of the leaves. As a result, the leaf tissue thins out and is ultimately rejected by the laurel cherry. The holes left behind make the cherry laurel look like it has been shot at with a shotgun. Because of this appearance, leaf spot is also called shotgun disease.
Preventive measures
- Prune regularly so that the leaves can dry more quickly.
- If you suspect a shotgun blast, collect fallen leaves.
- Consistently cut off affected leaves.
- Put cuttings and collected material in the household waste, as the fungal spores survive in the compost.
Fighting the fungus
If only a few leaves show the typical brown spots, it is enough to cut them off and throw them away. In many cases, the spread of the fungal disease can be avoided. If the plant is more severely affected, you can purchase highly effective fungicides with which you can successfully combat the shotgun disease.
Tips & Tricks
On the underside of the leaf of the laurel cherry there are small brown dots from which the plant secretes sweet nectar. These natural leaf spots can easily be confused with those caused by fungi.
