Laurel Bushes Disease

I have a mature laurel hedge bordering a lawn. A few weeks ago I used lawn sand to kill off moss on the lawn's edge next to the laurel bushes. The moss has disappeared and the lawn is growing well but the laurel bush is withering. About half of the leaves are curling up with a white powder on them.
I can olnly think it is the lawn sand which is the cause and so I have dug in plant feed and new topsoil to help replenish the soil nutrients.

Any suggestions what the problem is and possible solutions?

thanks

MM

 

It could be mildew. We've had quite a lot of rain these past few weeks, and there are one or two plants in my garden that are suffering with white leaves. Have a look here to see if this is what it looks like.

Hope this Helps!

 

Yup, almost certainly powdery mildew. I used to have a very large laurel hedge in my previous garden and it would get powdery mildew in patches every year, whatever the weather.

You can trim off the worst affected extremities if you like but it will return from time to time. Mildew is one of those diseases that you never eliminate completely.

You've done the right thing by giving your hedge a bit of a boost. It will be fine. Laurel is extremely tough with a massive root system. Try digging out a length of mature laurel hedging if you want to see just how tough it is!