These cherrylaurels appear to be suffering from a very common ailment in our region named "shot hole." While it looks like leaf chewing when advanced, the dead spots caused by the infection (and the plant's attempts at containing it) dry out and fall out of the leaf, leaving a hole. All cherrylaurel are susceptible, and the disease is a tricky one to control as it can be caused by both fungal or bacterial infection. Over-the-counter fungicide sprays are not very effective - certainly not by the time symptoms are prevalent - and cultural controls are the best approach. This means sanitation - removing fallen leaves and avoiding over-crowding of plants - is best to reduce likelihood of spreading spores further and allowing foliage to dry quickly. Many leaf diseases prosper and spread in wet conditions. The spacing on these shrubs looks good to allow for mature size with minimal crowding. If you use any sort of irrigation during drought, avoid getting the foliage wet, or at least avoid getting it wet late in the day, so it has time to dry by sundown. Nursery plants often struggle with this disease because it is so common and difficult to treat; even the restricted-use sprays growers are allowed to use don't always suppress this disease adequately.

Weather influences disease outbreaks, not only by conditions benefiting or suppressing spore spread but also in stressing plants. Stressed plants are more susceptible to pest and disease pressures, and last year's overly-wet conditions the first half of the growing season didn't help matters. Roots that stayed too wet succumbed to dieback and may not have recovered well enough to handle the drought of last summer/fall. Going forward, while we cannot control the weather, make sure that the plants are only watered when needed, and that the root zone is soaked well when being watered to ensure the moisture reaches deeper roots. Generally, this means checking to make sure the top few inches of soil is fairly dry before watering. In summer, heavy downpours that are fairly brief may not adequately soak a dry root zone (much runs off the surface), but a lighter, steady rain can be sufficient.

The yellowing of some of the older leaves here could be from three causes: they are ready to drop as new foliage is about to emerge, which is normal; they are about to be shed by the plant as they are the more heavily damaged, which also tends to happen along with the emergence of new leaves; or they are a bit nutrient-deficient, in this case perhaps in nitrogen. Nutrient deficiencies can arise from damaged root systems instead of soil lacking nutrients, so if the plants otherwise appear to be growing normally, you can assume the latter. If not, assume the former and avoid fertilizing until any other problems restricting growth are addressed.

Nitrogen is easily leached from the soil because it is water-soluble. It will also be moved by the plant from older, dying leaves to prioritize nourishing young growth. If the plants appear to be leafing-out well later this spring and if leaf yellowing persists, you can try a measured dose of fertilizer that contains mostly nitrogen (to avoid over-applying other nutrients that may not be needed). This will be the first of the three numbers listed in the standardized arrangements on fertilizer labels. A form that uses slow-release nitrogen (it will likely state this on the label) is less likely to be lost in excess rain and won't overwhelm the roots.

Miri

Miri.  Thank you so very much for this wonderful explanation!  I hope these 11 beauties can be saved!  I really appreciate your quick thorough response.  Thank you.  :)

You're quite welcome. Cherrylaurels are still so widely used in this region that they must be in decent condition more often than not or they'd have fallen out of favor in the nursery industry so much that we wouldn't see them offered any more. That said, some growers are looking to other plants as potential substitutes for cherrylaurel given how commonly they contract this disease.

Miri