Many garden owners suspect pests when they discover unsightly holey leaves on the cherry laurel. However, insects or animals are only very rarely responsible for pitting. The holes in the leaves are rather the plant's reaction to an infestation with fungi or, more rarely, bacteria.

Infestation with the fungus tigmina carpophila (shotgun disease)

The leaves infected with buckshot initially show reddish-edged brown spots, which later dry up and are shed. The fungal mycelium causes wounds on the shoots and branches that heal poorly.

Since the fungus overwinters in the diseased shoots, fruit and fallen leaves, it infects the young leaves again shortly after they have sprouted. In humid weather conditions, it spreads explosively and also affects other trees such as cherries, plums or peaches.

Measures against buckshot:

  • Cut the cherry laurel regularly, making sure that the bush is airy. This allows the leaves to dry off quickly and the fungus is deprived of its water basis.
  • In the case of an infestation, cut down to the healthy wood and dispose of the clippings in the household waste.
  • Collect fallen greens and also put them in the household waste, as the fungus survives in the compost.
  • Mulch areas under the hedge.
  • In the case of severe infestation, clay preparations and fungicides support the long-term success of the treatment.

Infestation with the bacterium Pseudomonas syringae

If bacteria and not fungi are the cause of holey leaves, the foliage of the cherry laurel shows circular necrosis surrounded by a light green halo. The fruiting bodies typical of shot shot or a fungus coating are missing. As the disease progresses, the spots become clearly differentiated from the healthy tissue and eventually fall out of the leaf.

Humid weather promotes the spread of the bacterium, which is why the plant disease is often confused with buckshot. From May onwards, the bacterium primarily infects the freshly sprouted leaves, while the buckshot appears on both the old and the fresh leaves.

Consistent pruning and treatment with copper preparations can help. Since the bacterium is only reliably destroyed at temperatures above sixty degrees, all infected parts of the plant must be disposed of with household waste.

tips and tricks

Some cherry laurel species are very often affected by shotgun blasts, while other varieties are largely immune. When planting a new hedge, choose hardy species.

SKb

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Trees