Help Identifying Plant Condition/Disease - Ask Extension
I need help id'ing a condition or disease in a skip laurel. I planted 14 skip laurels in new raised boxes (made of pressure treated lumber, then stain...
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Help Identifying Plant Condition/Disease #799940
Asked July 07, 2022, 5:48 PM EDT
I need help id'ing a condition or disease in a skip laurel. I planted 14 skip laurels in new raised boxes (made of pressure treated lumber, then stained, shown in pics) in February 2021. I got the soil from Tri-State Stone; their website says its 50% double-screened fill dirt and 50% compost. One of the plants is wilted over about 50% of the plant and is not growing like the others. Due to prolonged illness out of town for a few weeks, I haven't tended my plants. I cut away some of the diseased branches and made sure it was well watered but the condition is progressing so about 50% of the plant is damaged. The leaves are curling, some have small scale spots, other leaves are normal shape but yellowed or brown and dried up. Entire branches are wilted. The back half of the plant that faces my neighbors' house looks healthy. But over the past several weeks when the other plants have grown tremendously, this one isn't thriving. I appreciate your help. I can send more photos if necessary; the limit appears to be three.
Kind regards,
Jennifer
Montgomery County Maryland
Expert Response
Your one skip laurel is fast declining. We doubt that it is a disease, particularly as the others look so well. There is likely something wrong with the root system on that plant- perhaps it was rootbound or that space is not draining water as it should- they hate that.
It is not likely to recover and we'd suggest removal. You don't need to replace it though because these shrubs each grow about 5-7 feet wide and the others should fill in for you.
More about these:
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/prunus-laurocerasus-schipkaensis/
Christine
It is not likely to recover and we'd suggest removal. You don't need to replace it though because these shrubs each grow about 5-7 feet wide and the others should fill in for you.
More about these:
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/prunus-laurocerasus-schipkaensis/
Christine