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Should I be concerned about Shot hole disease on my new skip laurels? And what is that on my stems? #790121

Asked May 10, 2022, 5:53 PM EDT

Hi, I purchased some skip laurels last month and I noticed today that they have what I think is shot hole on them. My local garden center (Good Earth) said all skip laurels have them and once they get settled they should be fine. I was going to spray with a fungicide or neem oil but now I am not sure what is the best course. What do you recommend I do? Also when I was inspecting them I noticed some fuzzy, lint like material on many of the stems. Could that be from the flowers that bloomed or might that something else on them that should be not be there. Thank you in advance for any suggestions!

Montgomery County Maryland

Expert Response

Hi Charles!

No need to worry about the shot hole. The garden center is right - most wholesalers carry laurels with shot hole. Fortunately, shot hole is very common on cherry laurels - it's largely cosmetic and no chemical controls are recommended. Prune out any symptomatic foliage, including the yellowing leaves and dispose of in the regular trash. Rake up any fallen leaves - you will also want to do this in fall, as it helps to reduce overwintering pathogens. New growth will soon cover any bare areas.

More about shot hole and how to maintain healthy laurel plants can be found here https://marylandgrows.umd.edu/2019/01/07/qa-whats-wrong-with-my-cherry-laurel-shrubs/.

As for the fuzzy material - we aren't able to identify this based on the photos. Did you site the shrub within proximity of an outdoor dryer vent? It's possible that the rain caused some lint to stick to the stems. You can try to spray it off with a hose. If it persists, monitor and send us some additional photos. 

Jamie

Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied May 11, 2022, 1:44 PM EDT

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