Help with Bay Trees and Olive Trees

tryingtocutback

Hello everyone

I wondered if anyone can offer any advice on some bay trees and olive trees I have in pots in my garden.  Unfortunately they have been affected by the frost - the bay trees have brown leaves in the exposed areas and the olive trees have lost many leaves.  I have now managed to move some of the smaller ones to the porch area but I fear it's too little too late!

I have googled what to do and advice differs from keep watering to refrain from watering!  I think what I am really worried about is that they won't recover but I guess only time will tell as we move into spring.  Should I just leave them alone for now or is there any action I should take?

Any advice would be great!

Thank you all.

twopenny

It's unusual for bay trees to be affected by frost but I live in the soft south.
They are as tough as old boots and should start to produce new leaves when the sun appears and spring starts. 
I would leave them alone until that happens then you can take off the brown leaves or they will fall anyway.
Did the compost in the pots freeze?

Are you in a very cold area?
 Frost, snow and cold winds can burn the leaves. You can use garden fleece to wrap the plant loosely and use a peg or two to secure.
You could wrap the pots in bubble wrap. I'd staple that together. And put them somewhere sheltered if you can

Not sure about olives, I've never grown them. But this seems to cover a lot of what might happen.
https://www.nature-and-garden.com/gardening/olive-tree-freezing.html
If you can't put them inside id do the same as I suggested for bay.

Jjust be sure the leaves are dry before wrapping. That's important because otherwise they will go mouldy. And don't feed.

Good luck. I'll be interested to see what others suggest.

tryingtocutback

Thank you twopenny.  I live just north of London so not particularly cold but we did have heavy snow that stayed for around a week in mid-December.  Thinking about it now, I should have at least brushed the snow off the leaves but I just left it.  I don't think the soil in the pots froze but can't be sure.  The side of the trees that was against the fence/wall hasn't been affected, just the exposed areas so I do believe it is the weather that has caused the problem.
As you say, I will wait for spring and then remove the brown leaves and hope for the best.  Next winter, I will group them all into the sheltered corner of the garden.  I will also look at wrapping them
Thank you!

[Deleted User]

Both are large plants/trees, if their pots are less than 2' (61cm) high they'll simply be struggling to stay alive through root restriction and drought.
Repotting to a more suitable size would help instantly, and then copious watering though drier months, normal through the rest.
If the plant side closest to a building has better foliage it's most likely windburn and drought combined causing the problem.
Expecting a large tree/shrub to thrive in tight conditions is unrealistic.

someshkumar

It's great that you have taken the time to ask for advice on your bay and olive trees. Here are some steps you can take to help the trees recover:

1. Watering: Bay trees prefer well-draining soil and don't like to be overwatered. Olive trees, on the other hand, need regular watering to maintain their health. Make sure to water the trees appropriately and avoid over-watering.

2. Light: Make sure the trees are getting enough light. If you moved them to a porch area, check if the area is getting enough sunlight.

3. Pruning: Prune any damaged or dead branches to allow the tree to focus its energy on new growth.

4. Fertilizer: Consider using a balanced fertilizer to help the trees recover.

5. Wait: It's possible that the trees just need time to recover. If they have survived the frost, they may still come back in the spring.

It's important to be patient and give the trees time to recover. If you have any concerns, consider consulting a local gardening expert for further advice.

Slinky

I'd disagree that olive trees need regular watering. Just look at what they put up with in places like Greece with endless months with no rain. They're as tough as old boots. We used to cover ours with fleece but they got too big (we have both a bay and an olive in a pot) so they just have to take their chances now.  I have covered a standard Bottle Brush with some bubble wrap as the leaves were showing signs of frost damage, and coming from Australia it's used to a better climate than ours.  Our olive did benefit from being fed with Olive Focus last summer, it's thickened up on a lot of branches where there were only leaves at the ends.

-taff

I've got a couple of olive trees that are planted in the hardest clay when it's dry soil you can think of, they love it. And a couple of bays which were both in pots and yellow, also planted in rubbish soil, totally thriving after a couple of years.

But I suspect what they meant was they need regular watering if they're in pots, which is  sound advice really, because mine may be ok, but they're in the soil, not in a pot.

My advice? Leave them alone and see what they're like in April or May. Try and move them to a more sheltered spot.