My container-planted bay tree suffered from being pot bound this year. I found my tree was fine and healthy that way for a few years, but in summer it was beginning to suffer with leaves starting to brown and drop. When I checked it later in the year it was pot bound despite being repotted into a larger pot only the previous year. Worse still I had it in a metal container and we had a short-term heatwave - I wonder if the roots close to the edge of the pot were getting scorched. I took the decision to plant it in the ground - I'll still clip it - and it's made an excellent recovery. They are hardy outside all year here in southern England and I never took it indoors even when it was potted, so I'd have thought definitely would be OK in the ground in California. That said, my problems were gradual - I saw it worsening over months, not all at once. That does make me wonder whether it could be some disease. My bay tree, Acer palmatum and Ribes odoratum are all prone to get scale but I wipe the things off the bark with a damp cloth. Doesn't entirely eradicate them but reduces the numbers considerably so that they don't do too much harm.

Not a disease and not aphids. Did you see any aphids on the leaves? Sawfly larva, slugs, and a number of other thingys do that kind of damage and observation will eventually reveal what that is. Before doing anything to "control" what ever this might be properly identify what is causing the problem. Decide if that problem really needs to be "controlled". Once the real cause is identified then the least toxic means of control can be applied. Evaluate what you did. Did that do what you wanted it to do? Was it successful in controlling what the problem was? Return to step one.

I have just moved here (Vancouver, WA) and am just getting started on my garden. We have an enormous English Laurel hedge that borders our neighbor's property. It is very lush and green except for one small area where the leaves have turned completely brown. Here is a photo of one of the leaves that is beginning to turn brown. Can anyone identify this problem for me? What should I do? I have cut off the dead leaves but do not want this to start spreading.

Thanks for all these ideas! A couple of answers: Deer are not a problem. There are tons in the vicinity thanks to a lot of nearby nature, but our house is on a busy-ish street so in 20yrs we've probably had a deer on our lawn only a handful of times. We would like a hedge with some height. Our lot is small, houses here are mostly 8-10 feet apart, and our neighbors' driveway runs on the property line. Their house is unfortunately a DIY salvage job being used for AirBnB, which means the very small driveway is filled with cars. I'd like something that screens that view from my front door and windows and which will hopefully prevent their "guests" from using our front lawn as a turnaround! I'd rather spend money on greenery than on a fence! The photo below is from a house nearby and it's the general idea of what I'm aiming for.