Help! I think I’ve killed my bay tree 😓

[Pinkunicorn21]

Our bay tree had white sap on and brown leaves, I’ve cut it back but my husband thinks I should have left it be. Have it killed the bay tree? What can I do to encourage new growth? Any hips and tips on how to maintain bay trees please let me know as I am clueless! Thank you :-)

Difficult to tell from that photo if it is dead or alive, but you never know - just leave it alone in a sheltered corner and don't let the compost dry out.

Mine sprouted from the bottom so I started again with it.

Ah …! Mine did this but I cut it out 😂. Would that have grown into a whole new tree over time?!?

Eventually! But it may try again. Next time, don’t cut it off 😅

It won’t make a standard like you had, but you could make a ball, cone or pyramid.

The pot seems quite small for the size of the tree to me.

Is it perhaps pot bound? You could pop it out of the pot and see if the pot is full of roots. If it is then you could repot it in a much bigger pot with nice new compost round about the old root ball. The top should sprout again in time.

If it doesn't sprout within 6 weeks, then you probably need to start again with a new one.

Looking at that picture I would suggest you buy some fairy lights, drape them over those bare branches and bring it indoors in December as a 'moderne' Christmas Tree.

I regularly (every couple or three years) prune mine back to nothing and it comes back better than ever, you just need to keep watering/feeding and be patient!

I chopped one down and thought I’d got rid of it. 10 years later I realised it was back. There’s a good chance it will grow again from the base

They are pretty indestructible. Cut mine back from 10ft by 4ft down to 3ft by 2ft. It is now sprouting side shoots like mad. The difference from yours is that it has been in the ground not in a pot.
I would put it in the shade and make sure it’s watered, maybe feed it and wait.

Don’t think there’s a lot of point feeding it till it’s started growing again