Bay Tree on its last legs

Peter Gallagher2

 Here's a pic of a bay tree I bought from a houseplant store a couple of months ago. I wanted a plant for my bedroom which is normally quite dim and when the heater is on, it can get quite warm. I'm a total novice when it comes to any form of gardening and so I purchased this on the advice of the shop assistant. I was advised that this would be a hardy plant and would be fine in my room with a weekly watering in the shower as to get water on the leaves. For the first few weeks I followed this advice and kept the plant at the other side of the room from the window however the leaves began to discolour and shrivel, I suspected this may have been because the room was getting quite warm and drying out the plant. I stopped using the heater and when the plant didn't recover I began to water the plant every couple of days and moved it close to the window. Does anyone know if it is beyond repair and what if anything I can do to correct this? Some of the leaves are looking relatively normal, if I was to cut off the 'bad' stems is there a chance it could recover? Cheers! Any help would be very much appreciated.

Welsh Daffodil

I have a baytree which I keep outside my back door.  It is thriving.  It has survived very cold frosts and I have also forgotten to water it and it has dried out completely, but it is still alive.!  Maybe your plant is not a houseplant but needs to be outside?

Dovefromabove

A Bay needs to live outside - it's not a houseplant.   If the sales assistant truly told you that it was a houseplant then I would take the plant back and ask for your money back.  If however you asked if it was a 'hardy' plant and the answer was yes this may have been the point of confusion, as in gardening the term 'hardy' is used to refer to outdoor plants that can cope with the severity of frost which is normal in the UK (or wherever the shop is).

A Monstera deliciosa also known as the Swiss Cheese Plant would be much happier in your bedroom. 

Dovefromabove

Sorry, I meant to say, I think your bay is salvageable, but it needs to be outside and it needs it's roots to be dry in the winter.  Have you anywhere outside where it can live?

DorsetUK

There used to be a bay tree about ten feet high in a nearby garden.  When I say garden I mean a dump attached to a house and surrounded by a fence. Never did find out how it got there but it certainly wasn't nurtured.  It got removed when the long term occupant of the house went elsewhere along with the various sheds, mysterious piles of rubbish and other such delectable items.  The new occupant had to get the rodent control people in to clear the loft for starters so you can see that the house had enough problems let alone the garden.  But the bay tree flourished regardless

mollis

Totally agree, it should be outside - However, don't just move it out..... if you can acclimatise it to the colder conditions it won't stress so much... If you have a cold greenhouse, that would be good, if not, close to a house wall preferably south facing. Make sure it doesn't dry out as it can be in rain shadow being so close to the house.... Once it has been outside for a while, it can go wherever you want it. I hope it survives.  

pansyface

Incidentally, that isn't a bay tree. It is a load of baby bay trees. Take them out of the pot, pot each one up in its own pot and you might end up with a small forest. I bought one of those and I now have a hedge. My hedge fund.