How to grow bay leaves at home?

The use of bay leaves in cooking has become a tradition; no hot dish is complete without it. But not many people know that you can grow bay leaves at home. It will perfectly enliven the home interior and fit into the landscape design of the garden area.

Laurel noble adapts to any place of stay. Some tricks and rules for caring for a plant make it possible to grow a beautiful green shrub even in the open field.

How to care for a plant at home

If you decide to grow laurel at home, you need to find a suitable place for it.

1. The plant should be placed on a windowsill or on a flower stand, where there is a lot of light and sun. In the shade, the plant develops more slowly. Do not expose foliage to direct sunlight.
2. Ventilate the room often to prevent discoloration and drying of the leaf tips.
3. Water as the soil dries. The tree requires good drainage so that the root system does not rot from excess moisture. A refreshing shower and spraying will moisturize the crown and avoid pest damage.
   

   Advice

   It is recommended to use a water solution with baking soda for watering. To prepare it, you will need 1 liter. running water and ½ teaspoon of soda.

4. It is worth maintaining the average temperature in the room, not higher than 25 degrees, in the cold season, the laurel should arrange a winter period at home, when the temperature of the content is 10-14 degrees, and watering is reduced and carried out once every 2 weeks.

How to plant correctly?

The growth and development of the plant depends on the correct planting. Before starting, it is necessary to prepare all the components of the process: layering, pot, soil, mineral fertilizer, drainage, spatula.

1. Take a small pot, because the plant develops slowly, and a large container will inhibit growth.
2. Fill the bottom with drainage (2–3 cm). You can take expanded clay or ordinary foam, which must first be broken into small pieces.
3. Prepare an earthen mixture: sand (1 part), peat soil (1 part), leafy soil (2 parts), turf soil (4 parts) - and fill the pot halfway.
4. Place the bay leaf in the middle, cover with the mixture and tamp lightly.
5. Water the plant with the diluted mineral complex.

The plant is transplanted at home into a new pot once every 2.5–3 years due to the slow development of the root system and the upper part.

An adult tree is transplanted once every 4 years or the top layer is renewed once every 2 years. In the warm season, the plant can be placed outdoors.

Reproduction methods

There are several ways to propagate a noble laurel at home:

• grafting;
• planting seeds;
• separation of offspring.

Reproduction requires not only experience and skill, but also patience.

Cutting is one of the most time consuming methods, using a large, sturdy tree. To do this, you need to proceed according to the following algorithm.

1. Separate the twigs with 4 internodes neatly with a utility knife or blade.
2. Dip each of them in a substance for active growth of the root system (it can be found in any specialty store). Place in a container of water until roots form. The cuttings can be placed in moist perlite by covering the top with a glass jar. The plant needs to be periodically ventilated to prevent decay.
3. After the roots appear, transplant into a ceramic or plastic pot.

Seed propagation is the longest process; seedlings may appear 60–65 days after planting.

Sowing should be carried out in early spring, as a soil, you can use a universal planting mixture. The seeds are placed to a depth of 1.5–2 cm, slightly moistened on top and covered with glass containers, which must be removed periodically to ventilate and moisten the soil.

Advice

Opt for fresh seeds that have been recently packed, because bay leaves tend to quickly lose germination quality.

Growing a leaf by separating the offspring is an easy and fast way to reproduce. When transplanting an adult plant, it is necessary to separate the “children” with roots from it and plant them in a separate small container.

Proper maintenance in the garden

Average frost resistance allows you to grow shrubs in the open field or in a greenhouse. Bay leaves can freeze at temperatures below 13-15 degrees.

Advice

If, nevertheless, you took the risk of purchasing a plant in a region where the temperature in winter drops below this norm, plant it in a wooden tub or garden pot. This will transport the laurel to a warmer location.

Conditions that must be observed when growing in the garden:

• choose a sunny place for landing;
• neutralize the acidity of the soil;
• provide moderate watering;
• timely feed the plant.

This plant easily tolerates pruning, therefore it is a favorite shrub of experienced gardeners. In the southern regions, laurel hedges are common, which are given various interesting shapes and adjusted to the design concept.

Bay leaf is an unpretentious plant, it can be grown with pleasure at home, with little experience in floriculture.

By planting shrubs in the open field, you will get a versatile decorative element in your backyard. Simple rules for planting and caring for a plant will allow you to grow an environmentally friendly seasoning for culinary masterpieces at home.