Bay Tree

jordan_searle

Morning All,

Some advice on a Bay Tree would be greatly appreciated. I moved into a new property and in the front garden is a bay tree but it needs some care. How would you recommend pruning this to try and spark some growth and life back into it as it looks rather sparse and not very green? I have attached a picture below (ignore the box plant - I am aware this definitely needs pruning back and will be done this weekend).

Many thanks for your advice as always.
Jordan

Posy

It looks like it is being grown as a standard. It is flowering well so I think you just need to shape it slightly to encourage the form you want and make sure it gets enough to drink. I can't see the base but it does look overcrowded.

Hostafan1

The foliage is rather pale too, so I'd say it needs feeding as well as more water.

jordan_searle

Thanks all.

Picture of the base below.
What would you recommend feeding with?

Posy

Ooh, it shouldn't look like that! Does that damage to all round?

jordan_searle

At that part of the tree, it is peeling behind but completely gone at the front. There are some parts of the bottom of the base where there is no bark around it at all!

Posy

I don't know if it can survive that, Jordan. We need someone who is an expert.

LToby

I love nursing a plant like this; would trim the box plant around its base to aerate the base and that part of bark, trim a bit of the crown to shape or leave it as natural looking bush, then remove the stones on top of the soil, scrape the top most part of the soil and spread an organic compost to feed it, put back the stones, give a regular watering .. hopefully it will survive... nice specimen to save if you can.

nick615

The above is all good advice but, as a goal to work to, this is what it should be like with care (partially obscured by the bird table).  Then you just clip it like a hedge.