Potted bay tree going to pot

twopenny

My pyramid bay that I've loved for 6 years has succumbed to the dry heat, hardly any rain for 3mts.

It's been watered and seems thoroughly but I can't get it out of the pot to check for a problem.

The small end stems are dying now, more than half the leaves brown and it's beginning to get bugs in the foliage buds.

I'd thought of cutting back to good green stems and hoping it will throw out green leaves.
What do you think? Any ideas?  

fatbelly

It looks like it is struggling to get enough out of a very constricted root system

Either a bigger pot with fresh compost, or plant direct in the ground, would seem to be the way forward.

Farway

Agreed, it looks dry

Is it possible to submerge the whole pot in water, say overnight, to thoroughly soak it to the core?

Maybe a very large bucket, bowl, or perhaps into a strong bin bag, fill up & tie top to secure

twopenny

Unfortunately the pot is too big and heavy to lift.

I did fill 3 times to the brim with water and it feels wet as far as I can feel and at the bottom too.
Maybe too late.
Neither will it come out of the pot. I've tried with it on its side and central stem. Same has happened with my lilac, same rough clay pot

I have a bay in the ground out back and that's showing signs of browning leaves too.
Climbing rose and a tough winter flowering plant as well.

We've had about 3mm of rain in 3 months and watering just runs off. It's 33c outside still.

fatbelly

One drop of washing up liquid in a gallon of water helps it to soak in by breaking the surface tension.

Unfortunately a lot of the modern peat-free composts don't help matters

twopenny

Fat belly it's in original John Innes no3.
It's not been repotted for 4 years or so because it's been fine. 
I wasn't concerned at first, just a few leaves in a hot summer. Then it failed in a couple of weeks.

-taff

You can try giving it a severe prune and see what happens. Itmight be ok if the main trunk hasn't split, usually they're tough as old boots. 

Mine that had been in the ground for a few years died after winter from the wind...

subjecttocontract

We have a couple of potted bay trees, we find giving them a feed a couple of times a year helps. Have you given the pots any feed over the past 4 years ?

fatbelly

I put some growmore on the top of mine a couple of timed per year and let it filter down

twopenny

Feed? 😬

The tough evergreens I don't think I do.
I usually scatter some blood fish and bone on the pots spring and autumn. Fruit some liquid feed during fruit formation.

I have a horrible feeling I've neglected this one because as said, bay is tough as old boots.
But then they are cold weather resistant. Apparently not heatwaves this long.

fatbelly

Interesting video https://youtu.be/kyREPXZ6Krg