Help with bay tree

My bay tree seems sick any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

It looks parched to me...they do need generous pots to thrive. How big is the pot and how long has it been in it?

 

Are there drainage holes in the bottom of the container? It looks as if it has had too much or too little water. Once you've sorted that issue, it could probably do with a feed. If it was mine, I'd put it in a new container with fresh compost and no stones

 

Pot bound?

 

Needs planting in
a midden!

 

I can barely see the plant in the little photo, but I can see the pot is topped with chippings.
I just wonder if they may be limestone chippings e.g. Cotswold chippings.
If they are, then they will make the compost very alkaline and cause many problems.

 

So I’ve just recently repotted the bay, this is a larger pot then it’s last, I’ve had this bay about 5 years I need the stones as my dog eats the soil from all my pot’s unfortunately

 

It’s only just recently been repotted it was in its last pot around 4years

 

Yes the new pot has drainage holes the reason for the stones is that my dog eats the soil

 

I'd tidy up the straggly bits and maybe replace stones with grit or bits of holly, put it somewhere sheltered not too much hot sun ( fat chance!) and hope for the best.

 

This RHS link might help.

 

Probably best to wait a bit and see if it improves then.

 

I was trying to find a pic of an egregiously neglected bay tree. Not quite as bad as yours, but close. I can only find the 'after'. With a bit of TLC it is doing well. It needs a bit of a prune, but I'll get around to it.