Despite the fact that the cherry laurel is one of the relatively robust trees, it is occasionally attacked by fungal diseases. Pests can also affect the laurel cherry so badly that it suffers from a lack of nutrients and, in the worst case, can even die.
Fungal infection of laurel cherry
In the case of fungal infestation, the leaves show unsightly deposits or appear as if shot at. However, these diseases are not just an optical problem. The fungi disrupt the vital photosynthesis of the laurel cherry and can massively weaken the plant.
Common fungal diseases
Powdery mildew or downy mildew
This fungus shows up as flour-like coatings on the upper or lower side of the leaf. The young foliage also grows crooked and cannot develop properly. Some of the leaves turn yellow, later brown and are then discarded.
The shotgun disease
You can recognize this fungal disease of the cherry laurel by the small brown spots on the leaves. At first, these occur only sporadically, so that they can easily be confused with the nectar glands. As the infestation progresses, the plant sheds the necrotic tissue parts so that the leaves appear to be perforated. Eventually the foliage dries up and falls off.
Effective measures
- Remove the affected foliage.
- Dispose of clippings in the household waste, as many fungi survive in the compost.
- Pick up leaves from the ground and destroy them as well.
- Treat the infested laurel cherry with a suitable fungicide.
Pest infestation of cherry laurel
aphids
Like many garden plants, laurel cherries are occasionally attacked by aphids, mealybugs, mealybugs or scale insects. Proven household remedies are sprays with a soft soap solution mixed with a dash of spirit. If this gentle remedy does not bring the desired success, there are highly effective aphid remedies on the market.
leaf miners
You can recognize an infestation with leaf miners by the light brown wavy lines on the leaf tissue, which are caused by the moth caterpillars. Another distinguishing feature is the butterfly cocoon, about half a centimeter in size, on the underside of the leaf. You can fight the pests with insecticides and the consistent removal of all cocoons.
vine weevil
If you discover bay-shaped or circular feeding marks on the leaves, the vine weevil has nested on the laurel cherry. However, it is not the beetles that are dangerous for the laurel cherry, but the larvae that feed on the roots of the cherry laurel in the soil. Collect the beetles consistently by placing flower pots filled with wood shavings under the laurel cherry. Released nematodes, which you can get in specialist shops, penetrate the larvae and kill them.
tips and tricks
Always use insecticides and fungicides exactly as directed to avoid polluting the environment with the chemicals more than necessary.
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