Welcome to the Garden Ninja Gardening Forum! If you have a gardening question that you can't find answers to then ask below to seek help from the Garden Ninja army! Please make your garden questions as specific and detailed as possible so the community can provide comprehensive answers in the online forum below.

Welcome to the ultimate beginner gardening and garden design forum! Where no gardening question is too silly or obvious. This online gardening forum is run by Lee Burkhill, the Garden Ninja from BBC 1's Garden Rescue and a trusted group of experienced gardeners.

Whether you are a beginner or an expert gardener, it's a safe place to ask garden-related questions for garden design or planting. If you have a problem in your garden or need help, this is the Garden Forum for you!

Posting Rules: This space is open for all garden-related questions. Please be polite, courteous and respectful. If you wouldn't say it to your mum's face, then don't post it here. Please don't promote, sell, link spam or advertise here. Please don't ask for 'cheeky' full Garden redesigns here. They will be deleted.

If you need a garden design service, please use this page to book a design consultation. I will block anyone who breaks these rules or is discourteous to the Garden Ninja Community.

Join the forum below with your gardening questions!

Ask a Gardening QuestionGardening Questions & Answers: Plant ProblemsSpotted Laurel: dying?

Please or Register to create posts and topics.

Spotted Laurel: dying?

#1 · 1st August 2024, 7:26 am

Hello again,

There's an acuba japonica outside my WFH office window, which has always flourished like crazy. It was here when I came in 2007, so I've no idea how old it is. I've been away for a few years, and returned this spring to find that the laurel had piles of rubble, bricks, stones etc heaped around its base, no idea how long for. Its leaves are tiny and yellow, many with black spots, and fall off fairly quickly.

I removed all the rubbish immediately, and gave the soil a good clean and a heavy mulch of compost. The soil is heavy clay, and at first I thought it might have been root rot due to its feet being too wet, but that didn't help at all. I then cut out all dead wood, and thinned the bush quite a bit by removing the weakest canes, but that hasn't helped either.

Web searches have been less than helpful, to say the least. The laurel has always been incredibly vigorous and happy, although it possibly gets more sun than it ought, but that has never bothered it before now. I've been removing the leaves as fast as they drop, in case the problem is some spore lurgy which would reinfect the plant. However, it continues to fade away as I watch.

I'd hate to lose this shrub. Even though I don't like laurels all that much, I really like this one. Hoping you can help with this.

#2 · 29th August 2024, 10:15 am

Your Aucuba japonica seems stressed due to recent rubble, potential root rot, and possibly excessive sun exposure. To help it recover, ensure the soil is well-drained by gently aerating it and improving drainage with organic matter. Monitor water levels to avoid waterlogging and consider providing some shade if it’s getting too much sun. Address potential nutrient deficiencies with a balanced fertilizer and apply a fungicide if you suspect a fungal infection, like leaf spot. Regularly remove fallen leaves and prune only dead or diseased branches. Check the roots for rot, and if found, trim the affected areas and improve soil conditions. With these steps, your laurel should have a good chance of bouncing back.