We have compiled here why your cherry laurel has brown or yellow leaves - as well as tips on how to avoid it.

Cherry laurel leaves may turn yellowish or brownish

Cherry laurels (Prunus laurocerasus) impress all year round with their light to dark green leaves, which also offer a pleasant privacy screen in winter. But this lush green splendor of leaves only appears when the cherry laurel is he althy and feeling good.

If the plant suffers from an illness, is stressed or undersupplied, this has a direct effect on the evergreen sea of leaves. The leaves then turn yellowish or brownish. The causes of this are just as varied as the ways to avoid the unsightly discolouration. Prevention is therefore always the best measure.

Causes of brown and yellow leaves on cherry laurel

  • If the leaves of the otherwise evergreen cherry laurel turn yellow or even brown, this can be due to a variety of reasons. Whether it's improper care or a disease - we provide information on the ten most common causes of yellow and brown leaves on cherry laurel.
  • Although the cherry laurel is considered to be extremely site-tolerant, waterlogging should be avoided at all costs. This can occur when the soil is compacted and there is insufficient aeration. Yellow leaves usually appear quite early after planting due to site-related waterlogging.
  • A excessively sunny location combined with an insufficient water supply can also lead to yellow leaves. Sunburn then occurs, causing the leaves to turn yellow irregularly. Young plants that have been raised in the greenhouse are particularly at risk. They are not yet used to the intense sunlight. Additional dangers lurk in winter. In the case of frost, the leaves on entire sections of the branch usually turn yellow.
  • Whether there is drought stress or too much water in sandy soil, both can eventually lead to yellow leaves. The problem with this: The symptoms only become visible later, sometimes even when the water supply is restoredworks fine.
  • Also fungal infections can lead to yellow leaves. Shotgun or leaf spot disease, caused by the fungus Stigmina carpophila, results in yellow marbled leaves with holes. The shoot and tip drought caused by the fungus Monilinia laxa in turn leads to yellow, wilted leaves.
If the leaves of your cherry laurel are turning brown, there can be many reasons
  • If the nutrient supply is not right, the green color of the leaves will also decrease. If there is a lack of nitrogen, the entire leaf - including the leaf vein - turns yellowish. With an iron deficiency, on the other hand, the leaf turns yellow down to the leaf veins.
  • A change of location when transplanting or replanting is pure stress for plants and unfortunately can also lead to yellow leaves.
  • Although the cherry laurel is also very tolerant with regard to the soil pH value, too high a lime content in the soil inevitably leads to chlorosis (i.e. discoloration due to a lack of chlorophyll) , as certain nutrients can no longer be absorbed.
  • If the cherry laurel is fertilized again too late in the year with a high nitrogen content, the newly formed shoots can no longer lignify until winter and are therefore very susceptible to frost damage, which can result in a Voice browning of leaves.
  • A cherry laurel should be pruned once or twice a year. If the wrong time is chosen or the leaves are injured, this also leads to an unsightly brown discolouration.
  • If you have decided to pot culture for your cherry laurel, you must ensure sufficient space, because the plants grow quickly and have deep roots. If the space in the bucket is too sparse, the leaves will slowly but surely turn yellow.

Bow brown and yellow leaves on cherry laurel

For some of these causes, it is enough to simply cut off the yellow leaves and give the cherry laurel time to recover. But other reasons call for targeted countermeasures. The numbers below refer to the causes listed above.

  • If the soil is heavily compacted, the plant is dug up and half of the soil is loosened with sand. Otherwise it is sufficient to loosen the soil in the root area with a fork. But always be very careful not to damage the roots.
  • You should plant thatshould be watered sufficiently once the soil dries out on the surface. This not only applies to summer, but also to winter. In winter, therefore, water on frost-free days and shade young solitary plants with a fleece.
  • Water the plant deeply when the top layer of soil has dried. Avoid waterlogging by laying out a drainage layer when planting and loosening the soil well.
A few yellow leaves are no problem. You should only look for the cause if the discoloration gets out of hand
  • If you notice diseased regions, you should immediately remove them down to the he althy wood. Dispose of the plant material in the household waste and not on the compost, otherwise you will spread the infection throughout the garden. Young plants should be additionally treated with a fungicide. For older plants, however, it is sufficient to spray with a more environmentally friendly sulfur preparation.
  • In the event of deficiency symptoms, fertilize with a readily available fertilizer such as our Plantura organic indoor and green plant fertilizer. You should also adjust the annual fertilization. If you only fertilized once a year before, you should switch to fertilizing twice. Also check the soil pH and adjust it down if necessary. This alone can lead to your cherry laurel being able to absorb enough iron again.
  • After moving, you can only wait until the root system has established itself and the yellow leaves have grown back.
  • So that the lime can be better washed out of the ground, the earth is loosened and sand is mixed in. If this does not help, the entire soil must be replaced. Mulching with acidic coniferous compost also helps to lower the soil pH again.
  • The last fertilization is in June at the latest. In late summer you should only fertilize with potassium to make your cherry laurel less sensitive to frost.
  • Pruning is done before new shoots appear in February or immediately after flowering. To avoid unsightly brown edges, you should also use hand shears instead of electric ones.
  • If the pot is too small for your cherry laurel, there is only one thing to do: repot it into a larger pot.
If the leaves of your cherry laurel shine in lush green, you have shown a skillful hand as a hobby gardener

Precaution is therefore still the best measure against yellow and brown leaves. That's why we have in for youspecial articles everything about the right cherry laurel care and the ideal choice of location for the cherry laurel.

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