Cherry laurel has yellow / brown leaves: what to do?

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Mandy
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Cherry laurel with yellow leaves

Table of contents

  • Floor
  • Iron and nitrogen deficiency
  • frost drought
  • potassium deficiency
  • shotgun disease
  • sunburn
  • lack of water
  • frequently asked Questions

Cherry laurel is one of the hardy garden plants in the garden. Nevertheless, it can happen that the leaves of the cherry laurel turn yellow or brown. The causes are manifold. Since some can kill the cherry laurel, you should investigate.

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Floor

Although the cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) does not make high demands on the soil, the subsoil can be the cause of yellow leaves. The leaf discoloration usually occurs in garden soils that

  • are poorly ventilated or
  • moist.
Cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)

Since the taproot of the laurel cherry grows a good two meters deep, the soil should not be compacted even in deeper layers.

A notice:

In the case of compacted soils, there is often the problem of waterlogging, since the rainwater cannot drain off. Typical signs of root rot are yellow leaves.

The solution to the problem is complex:

  • Dig up laurel cherry
  • incorporate coarse building sand into the soil
  • Put back the cherry laurel

A notice:

Is a compacted soil the cause of yellow leaves, this is already evident in the first years of the laurel cherry. This makes the tedious digging up a bit easier, as the plant does not grow as quickly.

Iron and nitrogen deficiency

Iron and nitrogen deficiencies cause cherry laurel foliage to turn yellow. It is easy to tell whether nitrogen or iron is missing:

  • iron deficiency: yellow leaves with green veins
  • nitrogen deficiency: Yellowing of the entire leaf including leaf veins

Give the cherry laurel a portion mineral fertilizer as emergency aid. As a preventive measure, feed the plant with three liters compost per square meter in spring.

nitrogen fertilizer

Tip:

Despite iron deficiency fertilization repeated on, you should use the Test soil pH. If it is very high, this can be the cause of the deficiency symptoms.

frost drought

Do the leaves or entire branches of the cherry laurel turn color in winter yellow, it is the so-called frost drought.

Leaves that have dried up due to frost can no longer be saved. You should therefore make sure that the laurel cherry does not suffer from drought even in winter:

  • if the ground is not frozen, water occasionally
  • Leaves against the drying winter sun with a fleece cover
  • Cut off frozen branches in spring
  • Fertilize laurel cherry with Patenkali in autumn (increases resistance to frost damage)

potassium deficiency

have older Leaves brown, dead leaf edges and spikes, Prunus laurocerasus suffers from potassium deficiency. If nothing is done about it, the symptoms will also show up in younger leaves.

Tip:

Potassium deficiency is particularly common in sandy soils with a low pH value. There is also an increased danger in heavy clay soils, since the potassium is fixed there.

PH test soil
measure the pH of the soil

In acute cases, you can help the cherry laurel with a potassium fertilizer. Since the plant absorbs the fertilizer quickly, you should notice an improvement promptly. In the long term, you can prevent a potassium deficiency by regularly fertilizing the laurel cherry with a tree, shrub or hedge fertilizer with a high potassium content.

shotgun disease

The shotgun disease occurs particularly frequently and strongly after a rainy spring. You can recognize the fungal disease by the following symptoms:

  • Leaf parts with yellow marbling
  • round holes in some places

If you find an infection, you should to act quickly:

  • Cut off infested parts of the plant (disinfect secateurs after each cut)
  • Collect clippings and dispose of in organic waste
  • Treat cherry laurel with clay or copper preparations
Sour cherry (Prunus cerasus) Shotgun disease
Shotgun disease in a sour cherry (Prunus cerasus)

Horsetail manure or net sulfur is used as a preventive measure to strengthen the laurel cherry. A thick layer of mulch also prevents infection.

sunburn

If the soil is very dry, the sun will burn the leaves of the cherry laurel. The damage occurs on those parts of the leaf that are particularly exposed to sunlight. It does not necessarily have to turn the entire leaf yellow or brown.

In the case of sunburn, there is no real solution, because the burnt leaves can no longer be saved. You should therefore make sure that the laurel cherry does not suffer from drought.

lack of water

If the water supply of the cherry laurel is poor, the leaves will turn yellow after dry summers. However, since this occurs with a time delay, it is difficult to identify the cause, because the leaves often only turn yellow when the lack of water has long since passed.

To solve this problem, mulch the cherry laurel with leaves or other organic matter.

frequently asked Questions

How cut compatible is the cherry laurel?

The cherry laurel tolerates pruning very well. To avoid yellow or brown leaves or To remove branches, you can cut down to healthy wood. After cutting, you should water the plant extensively. Choose an overcast, frost-free day for pruning.

How do onions and garlic help against shotgun disease?

A broth of onions or garlic helps prevent the fungal infection. Water the cherry laurel with it regularly. Alternatively, you can put onions and garlic as neighbors to the laurel cherry.

author Mandy

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