We grow the bay tree ourselves. Bay tree, growing at home

Laurel is the most famous evergreen tree or bush that came to us from the Mediterranean. IN Ancient Greece This beautiful plant It was called Daphne, in honor of the nymph Daphne. Captivated by love for her, Apollo wove a wreath from the laurel, which became his integral accessory, and from here came the glory of the laurel as a symbol of triumph and victory.

In our country, this same plant is the best and favorite kitchen spice. After all, without laurel it will not be possible to prepare delicious homemade soup, fish soup or borscht and, of course, aromatic main courses. It has become a common ingredient in preparing vegetables for the winter and pickles.

This irreplaceable plant can be grown quite easily at home. Laurel is very easy to grow and will require very little effort to grow normally. If we can grow laurel at home from seeds or in another way, then it will not only become useful as a spice, but will be a spectacular home ornamental plant.

Laurel: description of a spicy plant

In nature, laurel can be either a tree or a very tall bush, 9-11 m high. The thickness of its trunk can reach 40-45 cm. When growing laurel at home, it grows only up to 2 m. Its bark and shoots are smooth, mostly brown in color.

The leaves of the laurel are whole, straight, bare, short-petioled and entire, reaching up to 20 cm in length and up to 5 cm in width. They are dark green above and lighter below. They have a very pleasant spicy aroma. Laurel flowers are small, yellowish and unisexual, appearing in inflorescences at the ends of branches, 6-12 staminate and 2-3 pistillate.

Did you know? If you grow laurel at home, it may not bloom at all, and if it does bloom, it will be late spring period.

IN natural conditions laurel grows for more than 100 years; when grown at home, the lifespan of a laurel tree can be up to 15 years.

Is it possible to grow laurel indoors?

When grown at home, laurel is a noble plant; it is very hardy and easy to care for. Therefore, absolutely anyone can grow it at home.

But still, you should not start development; caring for indoor laurel, although minimal, is extremely necessary. At proper cultivation you can do it excellent plant, which will thank you for the efforts spent on its development with lush, healthy foliage.

Necessary conditions for a bay tree

IN room conditions Noble Laurel is best suited for planting. For the healthy development of a laurel tree, in addition to standard care, you will need timely pruning of the crown and spraying so that the laurel feels comfortable. Laurel, like any indoor plant, requires attention to disease and pest control.

Location and light

The bay tree needs a well-lit place with diffused light. Since this plant is shade-tolerant, it can be kept in a shaded place, but when grown in diffused light, the laurel may bloom, and the bush itself will be denser than when grown in a shaded place.

During the hot season, you should avoid constant exposure to direct sun rays. In summer, the laurel can be safely taken out into the garden or onto the balcony. In an apartment, pots can be placed on the floor near the windows, in the hallway or hall. The plant should be regularly ventilated, but do not create constant drafts.

Air temperature and humidity

In summer, the plant will feel great outdoors; it is unpretentious, but it will benefit from fresh air. The most comfortable temperature for laurel is 15-20 °C. In summer, the bush needs to spray the leaves twice a week to maintain a subtropical climate.

Starting in autumn, the plant needs rest. The dormant period for laurel at home is created artificially from October to March. The laurel should be placed in a place with low light and humidity. The temperature should not be higher than +10 °C and not lower than -5 °C.

Did you know? The dormant period is created to prevent the growth of weak, unwanted shoots that weaken the bay tree.

In the spring, if the frosts have stopped, then from April the plant can already be taken out into the garden. If it is still cold at this time, then it is better to keep it in the house until the warm period and do not forget to spray it at least once a week.

Soil requirements for successful growth

Seedlings bay leaf, after we can grow them from seeds, they will need to be replanted. When transplanting a seedling into a pot, be sure to fill it with a good drainage layer of expanded clay. Laurel loves moist soil, but stagnation of water should not be allowed, as this can lead to the death of the plant.

The soil should be light; any version of the universal soil found on sale is suitable for laurel. Your own soil for planting laurel can be prepared from two parts of turf soil, one part of leaf soil, and half a part of fine, well-washed river sand. Before planting the seedling, the soil can be heated in the oven at a sufficient temperature for disinfection. Too much high temperature When warming up, it should be avoided so as not to destroy all beneficial microflora.

How to plant laurel, methods of propagation of laurel tree

Bay leaf is an indispensable ingredient in the kitchen of any housewife. It is an inexpensive spice, but it is much more pleasant when the leaves of this plant are grown and dried in a dish. Let's look at how you can grow laurel from seeds, cuttings and dividing the bush at home.

Sowing seeds

In order to grow a laurel tree as best and with the highest quality possible, it should be planted from seeds brought from the south. Best time to start sowing - this is mid-February, early March. Laurel seeds should be planted 1 cm deep in the prepared soil. The soil temperature should be approximately 20 °C. In this case, the seeds will sprout in 3-4 months.

Before planting laurel from seeds into the ground, the seeds can be kept in a solution of potassium permanganate for 3-5 days, this will speed up the germination process. After planting the seeds in the soil, the pot should be placed in a warm place, well moistened and covered with polyethylene or glass.

Before the sprouts appear, you will need to remove the polyethylene from the pot to ventilate it for at least half an hour a day. It is also necessary to monitor soil moisture, it should be moderate, and do not allow water to stagnate. In dry soil the seeds will die, and in too wet soil they will rot.

Important! Watering laurel seeds and sprouts should be done after standing and warm water. The water temperature should be 4-5 °C above room temperature.

When the first green shoots appear, the cover from the pot must be removed, but still continue to monitor the soil moisture. When the first pair of leaves is formed on the sprouts, the seedlings need to be transplanted into a larger container; 1 part of humus and ½ part of peat can be added to the previously prepared soil.

After transplanting the seedling, the plant must be placed in dark place, remembering to maintain soil moisture. After 2-3 weeks, the seedling is moved to the light to begin its active growth.

How to plant a laurel by dividing the bush

You need to divide the bay bush very carefully; on each branch separated from the main plant, some viable roots should remain. Division should be carried out only at a time when the laurel is in a dormant period, and this is from October to March. The laurel is divided after 3-5 years of its growth. It is worth dividing the bush into a small number of parts for the first time. Separating 2-3 branches from a three-year-old laurel will be quite enough.

Important! It is categorically not recommended to divide the laurel bush during its development; a weak, not strengthened plant may die.

Laurel cuttings

You can propagate laurel either by seeds or by cuttings, but this is much more difficult to do than growing laurel from seeds. Laurel cuttings are carried out in late spring and early summer. Annual and mature laurel shoots are used as cuttings.

Cuttings 7-9 cm long are cut from the middle or lower part of the bush at an oblique angle. The lower leaves from the cuttings must be removed and the upper ones cut in half. Then the cuttings are planted in the substrate. The substrate is prepared from equal parts of leaf soil and bog moss; it is also recommended to add half a part of sand.

Place expanded clay drainage at the bottom of the pot, cover it with substrate and thoroughly moisten it. The cuttings are planted 2 cm deep and covered with polyethylene or ordinary glass jar.

The seedling must be sprayed and ventilated every day. You should also ensure that the soil is constantly moist. At proper care The cuttings will take root in 1-2 months.

How to properly care for a bay tree

After planting the laurel, the work does not end, because when growing, you need to regularly take care of its condition, water and fertilize the soil. And for the formation decorative look it needs to be trimmed.

Watering and fertilizing the plant

Watering the laurel is important at any stage of its development. When planting seeds and for the development of roots in cuttings, you need to use warm, soft and settled water. Watering an adult plant should also be done with settled water, but the seasonal intensity of watering the tree should be distinguished.

In spring and summer, laurel needs constant watering to avoid drying out of the soil. In autumn, watering is reduced. In winter, it must be strictly limited, and if the laurel is in a room with a temperature below 6 °C, then watering should be stopped altogether.

Young plants need to spray their leaves for better growth; adult plants are sprayed to eliminate dust on the leaves and crown of the tree. The laurel needs feeding not only at the time of transplantation, but throughout its entire life period. An adult laurel is a slow growing tree, so in order to avoid depletion of the plant, you need to change the top 3-4 cm of the soil in which it grows.

One of the most popular plants is laurel (Laurus nobilis). Its leaves are actively used in cooking as a spicy seasoning. Laurel is native to Mediterranean countries. The ancient Greeks brought the plant to Black Sea coast, and after that they began to plant it in open ground in the warm region of the country. Occurs in nature wild plant as tall tree 10-12 m high. In colder climates, bay laurel grows in the garden in the form of bushes.

– This dioecious plant with unisexual flowers. Some types of laurel trees bear small inflorescences with staminate flowers. Fruit – fragrant drupes of black-blue color up to 2 cm long with a large stone. Laurel usually blooms in March-April, and the fruits ripen in mid-autumn.

What conditions need to be provided for comfortable plant growth?

For proper care, do not forget where the laurel comes from. The plant develops excellently on the southern coast of the Crimean Peninsula, in the Caucasus, Belgian, Dutch and British coasts. For good development and growth, a warm and humid climate is needed.

To grow in open ground, you need to focus on the south of our country. Ideally, laurel is not immediately planted in open ground. Frost resistance of the plant with a range from -9 to -12°C. The branches and trunk can withstand sub-zero temperatures of 15 degrees without obvious damage. When planting laurel in the country, take care of the soil, humidity and light.

The plant takes well different types soil, but excess moisture in it must be avoided. To ensure high essential oil content in the leaves, choose a well-lit planting area. It is advisable to prune laurel in early spring, before active leaf growth begins. During the first year, the soil does not require additional fertilizing. In the second year of life, laurel bushes can be fertilized with a small amount of mineral solution.

How to plant bay leaves

Preparing the soil for planting

To plant laurel in an open area, select light soil, saturating it with carbonate matter. You can purchase ready-made soil mixture"Cactus" or its analogue under a different name. For homemade carbonate soil, you need to prepare the turf and leaf soil, mixing it with sand in a ratio of 1:1:0.5.

A small amount of lime can be mixed to ensure proper planting of bay leaves by seeds, cuttings or offsets. To transplant young laurel, prepare the following mixture: 2 parts leaf and turf soil, 1 part peat, humus with sand. Such a mixture should be neutral or slightly alkaline.

Technology for planting laurel in the garden

Laurel propagation by seeds

The most popular and productive way to plant laurel is to sow seeds in the soil. If you want to grow laurel in your dacha, think about planting and care. Other methods are less convenient - the roots do not take root well in the ground. Out of a hundred seeds, 95 sprout. The grains must be collected from the mother plants.

Important!Bay seeds have a hard protective shell, which it is advisable to remove immediately before sowing into the soil.

To propagate laurel seedlings, seeds should be sown densely in boxes with soil. Keep in mind that the shelf life of seeds is not that long, so place them on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator until spring. To grow laurel from seeds, you need to prepare a pot with wet sand or sawdust. For sowing in open ground take care that the depth of the holes is 4-5 cm. After the first shoot, the crops must be thinned out, leaving 6-8 cm between plants.

Laurel tree cuttings

For the procedure, shoots that have not completely turned into lignified branches are selected. They can be cut from the middle or lower part of the bay bush. Each cutting suitable for further planting must contain at least three internodes. Make the bottom cut at an oblique angle. The top two laurel leaves need to be cut in half, the bottom one completely. Material for laurel cuttings for propagation should be prepared in March-April or June-July.

At the bottom of the container, lay drainage made of coarse sand or a mixture of turf and sand. Plant laurel cuttings, deepening them 1-1.5 cm into the moist substrate. Cover the plants with a glass jar. At an air temperature of +16-+20 degrees, with daily spraying and ventilation of the room, the cuttings will take root reliably within a month.

Laurel propagation by layering

Laurel, which belongs to the group spice plants, has flexible shoots that can be propagated without problems by layering. Many experts who know the peculiarities of growing laurel from seeds consider the third method to be no less reliable in propagating spicy plants (including sage, thyme, rosemary and others).

To propagate by layering, choose low branches of the mother plant for pruning in winter, so that new strong shoots for layering will appear in the spring. Prepare the soil near the laurel from which cuttings will be taken. Mix the soil with peat fertilizer and fine gravel for drainage. Young mature shoots are taken to summer period.

Each shoot of the plant must be placed in a groove of the prepared soil, then covered with them and the soil compacted in the place where it pinches. Try to maintain adequate humidity levels until the bay stem has potentially hardened (about 2-3 months).

Then you need to rake the ground between the rooted cuttings and the mother bush. After a month, pinch the cone of the growing layer and remove it from the ground with a well-developed rhizome. It is advisable to protect young tender plants from frost and dry wind with straw or non-woven material in cool climates.

To avoid the risk of premature death of cuttings, instead of open ground, try planting rooted cuttings in a container with prepared soil: equal shares of peat, fine gravel, crushed bark. Laurel cuttings in pots can be placed in a cold greenhouse until spring, with careful cultivation and care.

Spraying and watering

Laurel easily tolerates drought. Although in the hot season it is advisable not to forget about watering and spraying. In the summer months, watering should be plentiful, in spring and autumn time– moderate. Limit soil saturation with water in winter - waterlogging negatively affects the condition of the plant.

Laurel is unpretentious in care. It requires:

• - abundant watering in summer - once a week;
• - moderate watering winter period– 1-2 times a month;
• - spraying with warm water if young laurel shoots are in a cold house or greenhouse (+3..+5 degrees).

The key to growing laurel is an optimal watering schedule.

Laurel Tree Fertilizer

To properly fertilize the soil, you need to follow the basic rules:

• - the soil for planting should easily absorb water and allow air to pass through;
• - ideal mixture composition: equal parts of soil, peat and sand;
• - fertilize the soil with organic and mineral substances in spring and summer once every 2 weeks, in autumn and winter - once a month.

How to prune laurel

It is recommended to prune laurel in winter. The operation on the stem is carried out at a level of 10 cm from the soil. Short trunks are covered with soil. The plant has high restorative abilities. In the process of growing, bay laurel will quickly show new sprouting branches from dormant and root buds in the spring. In the middle climate zone, do not allow the laurel to grow in height - grow the plant in small bushes.

Bay leaf is one of the most commonly used aromatic seasonings in cooking, as well as folk remedy for the treatment of a range of diseases. In addition, laurel has high decorative qualities, due to which it is used for landscaping terraces or balconies as a tub plant. Find out how laurel is propagated by cuttings in a greenhouse and layering in the garden, how to plant and what care needs to be provided when growing bay leaves, from this article.

How to propagate laurel by cuttings in a greenhouse

Since laurel is small tree or a shrub, the easiest way to propagate it is in a greenhouse using semi-lignified cuttings. Harvesting of annual shoots of bushes is carried out 2 times a year:

• March-April;
• June-July.

Bay leaves can be grown at home or in a greenhouse

Attention! As planting material cuttings with 3 internodes are used, cut at an angle of 45° from the middle or lower part of the shoots.

For cuttings up to 8 cm long, remove bottom sheet, and the top ones are cut by ½.

• from sand and moss;
• from sand and turf soil.

Place turf soil or moss in a 4 cm layer at the bottom of the boxes, pour sand in a 3 cm layer on top, and moisten it. Plant the cuttings to a depth of 1.5 cm, having previously treated their lower ends with Kornerost, Heteroauxics or any other root formation stimulator. Planting density - 10x10 cm.

Bay leaves are propagated by cuttings

To create an optimal microclimate for rooting cuttings, it is recommended to cover the boxes transparent film, avoiding contact of the cuttings with the film cover. Necessary conditions for accelerating the rooting process are: constant maintenance of the substrate in a moist state, as well as a temperature regime of +24-25° C.

Advice! Daily spraying will help maintain the required soil moisture. To avoid rotting of the cuttings or the development of fungal diseases, you should ventilate the mini greenhouse daily, opening it briefly.

If these conditions are met, the rooting of laurel cuttings occurs within 1-1.5 months. After this, they are transplanted to a permanent place in the greenhouse.

Bay leaf can grow up to 3 m in height

How to propagate and grow laurel in the garden

As the experience of gardeners shows, laurel can be grown in open ground middle zone Russia. To do this, you should choose 2-3 seedlings summer age, which are planted in the ground in the spring, with their root collars deepened into the soil by 10 cm.

In late autumn, shortly before the onset of frost, laurel bushes should be trimmed, leaving 10-15 cm above the ground surface, spud up and. As soon as snow falls, in order to protect the laurel as much as possible from freezing, it can be covered with snow. Next year, with the onset of spring warmth, the laurel root should be opened, which will allow the underground buds to actively begin to grow, forming a lush shrub.

Attention! Possessing strong restorative properties, laurel can grow up to 3 m in height during the growing season.

Bay leaves can be grown in central Russia in open ground

No less effective ways The best way to grow laurel in gardens in central Russia is to plant it in shallow trenches. At this method growing, the above-ground part of the bush will freeze out every winter and recover with the arrival of warmth. To avoid freezing of the above-ground parts of the plant, some gardeners recommend using foam boxes to cover the bushes.

When growing laurel bushes in the garden, it can be propagated using cuttings or seeds.

1. When propagating laurel by seed, its seeds should be sown immediately in the harvesting field, since they quickly lose their viability. The seed depth is 4-5 cm. Before planting, the hard shell should be removed from the seeds. When seedlings appear, to avoid crowding, they should be thinned out, maintaining a 6-8 cm interval between plants.
2. A simpler and more productive way to propagate laurel bushes in the garden is the method of propagation by layering. To do this, the branches should be pinned to the ground, deepening the rooting site and sprinkled with a layer of fertile soil.

Laurel seeds

Features of laurel care

As soon as the plant reaches 15 cm in height, it should be pinched to ensure active growth of side shoots. Using the pinching and pruning method, you can achieve abundant branching and a lush crown. When the laurel bush reaches two years of age, it is time to shape the crown, trimming it in the form of a ball, cone or any other shape. The plant should be pruned in the first half of summer.

Attention! When growing a bay tree as a potted crop, it should be replanted annually, or once every 2 years, into a larger container, each time using soil with a neutral or slightly alkaline pH. Once the plant reaches five years of age, it can be replanted every 4 years.

If the laurel is grown in a pot, it must be replanted annually.

If, when transplanting, the root neck of the laurel is buried 10 cm into the soil, this will stimulate the formation of underground buds, which will develop into additional shoots, allowing the plant to grow in the form of a bush.

Despite the fact that laurel is an unpretentious plant, caring for it has its own characteristics:

1. Lightly moisturized upper layer soil, which can be achieved by moderate watering in winter time and more frequent - in summer time. In addition, in the summer, it is recommended to spray the laurel daily, and also wipe its foliage with a damp sponge from time to time.
2. Good lighting will be the key to the rapid growth of the plant, the lush development of its crown, and the greater content of essential oils in the leaves, despite the fact that, even being in the shade, they feel quite comfortable.
3. Carrying out 2-3 single feedings during growing season using mullein solution or a complex of mineral fertilizers.

Sheets are collected from November to December

Attention! In the first year of cultivation, rooted laurel cuttings do not require additional feeding.

Harvesting the aromatic foliage for use as a culinary herb should be done when it is fully ripe, which occurs from November to December.

Laurel - beautiful and useful plant, the cultivation of which will not cause much trouble. Using the recommendations presented in this article, this will be even easier.

Growing laurel at home - video

Growing bay leaves - photo

How to grow a laurel tree, plant propagation, caring for laurel at home, diseases and photos - read all this and more in our article.

Home and garden care

When caring for a laurel tree at home and in the open ground, you must follow some points. Let's take a closer look at them.

Lighting

Laurel is a quite hardy plant; it can grow in moderate light, but it will develop best - and actively branch - in bright, mostly diffused light. It should be protected from excess scorching sun rays.

Temperature

Before growing laurel at home, you need to know that the best summer temperature range is from 18 to 20 degrees, and winter - from 10 to 15 degrees.

The laurel lives most pleasantly in the fresh air - on the balcony, in the courtyard or in the country, including throughout the year - if winter temperatures stay at +5-6.

ATTENTION: zero temperatures for it are already a risk zone, and the laurel can only withstand a drop in temperature to -10-12ºС for a short time.

Priming

To grow laurel at home and in open ground, you need to prepare a soil mixture - this is ordinary garden soil, universal soil from the store, or a loose nutrient mixture with a neutral reaction, independently prepared according to one of the following recipes:

• one part of leaf, the same amount of turf soil and humus with the addition of two parts of river sand;
• two parts of turf soil and one each of leaf soil, humus, peat and sand with the addition wood ash in small quantities.

Watering

The plant needs to be watered abundantly in spring and summer.

IMPORTANT! At the same time, moisture should not be allowed to stagnate in the soil: water flowing into the pan after watering should be immediately drained.

Irrigation water is taken soft, not cold - well-settled water supply or rainwater.

During a cool winter, which will bring great benefits to the laurel, moderate watering is needed - about once a week or less, to prevent the soil from drying out. If the winter is warm, water more often and be sure to regularly humidify the air.

Air humidity

IMPORTANT: air humidity in winter should be sufficient, and in summer – increased. This - necessary condition successful cultivation Lavra

When caring for indoor laurel, you should: Carry out regular spraying with soft water. You can also place the plant in a tray with wet pebbles, and place wide vessels with water nearby.

ATTENTION: at the same time, the air must be sufficiently fresh. At home, the bay tree should be in a well-ventilated place.

Top dressing

During the spring-summer period of active growing season twice a week the plant is supported with complex fertilizers, alternating mineral and organic compositions.

In autumn and winter, the frequency of fertilizing is reduced to monthly or even less frequently. It depends on the thermal regime, which contains laurel: during cool wintering you will need to fertilize much less often.

Growth and flowering

IN indoor culture the plant lives for about 15 years, on the site, in the same place - up to 60 years. Bush capable of growing to 10-15 meters in height. Laurel at home is limited to 1.5-2 meters using pruning.

Small yellowish flowers bloom in early spring, in March-April, and on some plants there are only staminates, on others only pistillates. When growing Flowering in a room is very rare. After pollination, the fruits ripen - blue berries.

Trimming

When caring for a laurel tree at home - bush responds well to pruning, shaping lush crown: spherical, cubic, pyramidal.

Laurel pruning is carried out starting from the age of 5.

There are two deadlines for this operation: end of summer (August), immediately after the end of the active growing season and late autumn (October-November), in the transition to a state of rest.

On open area Damaged branches are pruned in early spring.

Landing

How to grow laurel at home? When answering this question, it is important to remember that when planting laurel at home, a container with a mandatory drainage hole must have standard sizes And optimal ratio with seedling growth: The vertical size of the pot is between a quarter and a third of the height of the plant.

Before planting the laurel, a drainage layer (expanded clay, small pebbles, broken bricks) is placed at the bottom of the container.

Then pour a small amount of prepared soil, on top of it - root system with saved if possible, earthen lump. Add soil mixture to the desired level, carefully compacting it.

Transfer

Young, first five years of life, plants are replanted, as a rule, every year, adults - once every 2-3 years, and then even less often.

ATTENTION! The method of transplantation should be transshipment, in which the earthen lump is preserved as much as possible, and new pot not much, 2-4 centimeters, larger in diameter than the old one.

For your attention, an indoor laurel and its photo:

You can also watch a video on how to care for laurel at home:

Reproduction

Laurel can be propagated by seeds, as well as vegetatively - by cuttings and layering.

Seeds at home

ATTENTION! When growing laurel from seed, there are two main difficulties: laurel seeds quickly, in 3-5 months, lose a significant percentage of germination and, due to the high oil content, germinate very slowly, up to six months.

Therefore, the seed should be as fresh as possible, and in order to see the sprouted seeds, you should be patient. Laurel is sown in January-February. To speed up germination seeds are treated with a solution growth stimulant, and then planted to a depth of 1-1.5 cm in moistened light soil.

Close plastic film, kept at 18 degrees, regularly ventilated and maintain substrate moisture.

IMPORTANT! They're watching possible appearance mold on seeds, monitoring their condition weekly. If white plaque, remove it and wash the seeds in a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

As soon as germination begins, the seed shell cracks and then they can be immediately planted in separate containers, placing it in the ground at a depth of five centimeters,- but you will need to wait about another month for seedlings.

IMPORTANT: Young “bay leaves” should be protected from heat and excess sunlight.

In the open ground

Laurel fruits ripen in October-November. After collecting them, the seeds are released and scattered in a permanent area, at a depth of about 5 cm. Shoots, usually appear from late spring to late summer, at a temperature of +20-22ºС.

When planting laurel seeds, seedlings are thinned to a distance of 5-8 cm between individual plants. Sometimes there are January shoots, which, for the most part, die.

Propagation by cuttings

The best time for harvesting and rooting laurel cuttings in indoor culture is March–April or June–July;

ATTENTION: in an open area, cuttings are carried out only in June-July.

Cuttings with three internodes (usually their length is 6-8 cm) are cut from the middle and lower parts of semi-lignified shoots.

The bottom sheet is removed the rest are shortened by half and the prepared cuttings are sent for rooting.

At 16-20 degrees, they are buried 1-1.5 cm in moistened sand. Cover with plastic wrap, ventilate, spray.

Rooted cuttings begin to grow, as a rule, after a month and, when they grow by 2-3 cm, they are planted in separate containers.

Here is a video about propagating laurel by cuttings at home:

Reproduction by layering

Usually, laurel produces lateral shoots with a more or less developed root system, which are carefully separated and planted. The injured areas are sprinkled with crushed charcoal.

Thus, when growing laurel You can refer to the following calendars of main works:

In the open ground

Spring

March, April - sanitary pruning: removal of damaged and frostbitten branches. Rooting cuttings in a cold greenhouse.
Top dressing

Summer

The entire period is the germination of seeds sown in autumn. Regular feeding
August – formative pruning

Autumn

October-November: pruning, harvesting leafy raw materials, collecting fruits, sowing seeds

At home

Spring

March – sowing seeds.
March-April – propagation by cuttings, separation of lateral shoots.
Top dressing

Summer

The entire period is the germination of seeds sown in February-April. Regular feeding.
June-July – propagation by cuttings
August – formative pruning

Autumn

October-November: pruning, harvesting of leafy raw materials. Rare feeding.

Winter

February - sowing seeds

Signs of trouble

Leaves turn yellow, curl and fall off– insufficient air humidity. Regular spraying should be done.

The outer side of the leaves becomes covered with brown spots– waterlogging of the soil, especially in combination with low air and/or irrigation water temperatures. Watering needs to be optimized.

Why do the leaves turn black?

The leaves are covered with a spotted black coating, which is easily erased from the surface of the leaf blade - a sooty fungus that settles where there is traces of insect pest activity: scale insects or mealybugs. First of all, they get rid of pests, then remove plaque. In case of severe damage, remove the affected leaves.

Diseases and pests

A healthy, properly cared for plant is practically not susceptible to diseases and pest attacks. If incorrect home care on the laurel may appear spider mite, scale insect, mealybug. This is especially likely when there is insufficient air humidity.

As a first measure, treat the affected areas soapy water, and most reliable means Insecticides for controlling insect pests are directed action insecticides.

Beneficial features

The aroma and pleasant bitterness inherent in laurel have made its leaves an extremely popular spice that stimulates appetite and aids digestion.

Essential Bay oil has disinfectant and insecticidal properties.

As a preventive measure against painful processes in the intestines and inflammation of the upper respiratory tract, it is enough to simply grow laurel in the room and inhale its aroma.

To enhance the smell of the plant Twice a week you can pour in an aspirin solution(5g per liter of water) or glucose (1 ml per 1 liter of water). Healing decoctions and infusions of bay leaves are also prepared.

Application

Fatty oil is extracted from the fruit and is used in medical practice for making balloons and candles. Moreover, it is good antiseptic, and is also used in massage procedures. Laurel fruits are also used as a spice.

You learned the difference between a laurel tree, caring for it in the open ground and at home, how to grow it from seeds, and that having your own personal bush-tree completely covered with ready-made laurel leaves, you can say goodbye to colds forever, all year round inhaling air saturated with phytoncides tree of winners.

Laurel or bay laurel (Laurus nobilis) - small evergreen tree or bush. Laurel leaves are simple, elongated at the tip, pointed, leaf length can be from 5 to 10 cm. In indoor conditions, laurel can grow up to 1 meter in height, and in a natural environment the height of the tree is impressive - up to 15 meters.

Laurel leaves have a bitter taste and a spicy smell; the leaves contain essential oils that are used as a seasoning for food and for canning; laurel essential oils are also used in perfumery. The laurel is blooming. The flowers are white or cream, small, collected in inflorescences that grow from the axils of the leaves. After flowering, an adult (5-year-old) laurel produces inedible berries.

From laurel branches to Ancient Rome and in Greece, wreaths were woven, which were used to reward the winners of Olympiads and other competitions, as well as to reward poets. Laurel wreaths were worn by famous people.

Laurel, as a flowerpot, began to be grown in the 16th century. V Central Europe. The plant was trimmed and given the desired shape (ball, square, pyramid). The laurel genus includes two species of plants from the laurel family. The laurel that is most often found and adapted to indoor environments is Laurus nobilis.

Bay leaves contain essential oils that are used in medicine. A tincture of laurel leaves was used against colds and as a diaphoretic. An ointment is made from the fruits of laurel, which is used in the treatment of rheumatism.

Growing Laurel Noble

Laurel feels best in lighted areas, but can also tolerate shade. Tolerates short-term drops in temperature to 10-12 degrees below zero. It tolerates drought well and is not picky about soil. Organic and mineral fertilizers have a beneficial effect on the growth and development of laurel. As an industrial crop, laurel grows in one place for about 60 years.

On plantations, laurel is grown in subtropical areas, where the annual sum of effective temperatures is from 3000 degrees Celsius, and the minimum temperature does not fall below 12 degrees. Before sowing the seeds, the soil is plowed to a depth of 40−45 cm. Organic (4−6 kg/m²) and mineral (in full dose) fertilizers are applied under plowing. After this, the area is harrowed and cultivated two or three times. Planting is carried out in autumn or early spring with intervals between rows of 1-2 m, with intervals between plants of 1-1.5 meters.

On plantations, laurel is cared for through weeding, cultivation, watering and pest control. Laurel can also be grown indoors.

Laurel leaves are collected from November to February from trees that have reached three to four years of age. The branches with leaves are cut off and dried in the shade for seven to ten days. Then the leaves are removed, sorted and placed in bags, which are stored in dry rooms. In order to obtain essential oil, the leaves are sent fresh for processing.

How to care for laurel

Laurel is considered unpretentious plant, easy to care for.

Light brightness

Laurel easily adapts to its growing location. It will grow best in bright sunny places, but it needs to be shaded from direct lunch rays, and partial shade is also suitable for the laurel. In winter, laurel needs bright, diffused light; during this period it will grow best on southern windowsills. In the spring-autumn period, the laurel can be taken out into the fresh air.

Air temperature

The air temperature for laurel in the spring-autumn period can be moderate (16 - 25 ° C). Laurel is resistant to low temperatures, in winter he needs to ensure the air temperature is about 0 ° C, but not lower.

Watering and air humidity

In the spring-autumn period, the laurel should be watered regularly and moderately; the earthen lump should not dry out completely. In winter, when growing laurel in a cold room, watering should be reduced (once every 14 days). Adult laurels, when grown in open ground, are quite resistant to drought.

Air humidity for laurel should be high; spray the plant 2 times a day on hot, sultry days and during heating periods (if the air temperature is more than +20 ° C).

Fertilizer for laurel

From spring to early autumn, laurel is fertilized once a month with complex mineral fertilizer For deciduous plants, and you can also fertilize the plant with organic fertilizers (dilute 1 liter of rotted humus in 10 liters of water, or compost tea). Fertilizing with mineral and organic fertilizers should be alternated (1 month use minimal fertilizers, 2 months - organic fertilizers and so on).

Transplantation and soil

Young laurel (up to 5 years of age) needs to be replanted annually. Adult laurels are replanted once every 3-4 years, replacing the top layer of soil annually. The soil mixture for laurel should be non-acidic. The soil composition should include turf, leaf soil, humus, sand (1: 1: 1: 2). When replanting, be sure to provide drainage; choose a small pot: only 2 cm wider and 4 cm higher than the previous one.

Laurel pruning

Laurel easily tolerates pruning; it can be given any shape: pyramid, ball, square or any other shape. You need to prune the laurel in the fall (when the dormant period begins), giving it the required form. If you don't prune your laurel annually, you will end up with a very large plant.

Laurel propagation

Perhaps the most labor-intensive and least predictable process is reproduction. Laurel is propagated in two ways - cuttings and seeds. This process is quite lengthy. Cuttings take a long time to take root, and seed germination takes about three months.

Seeds

Seeds placed in storage in the fall may not germinate at the beginning of spring (this depends on the storage conditions; they should neither dry out nor freeze), and cuttings are also a very capricious material and take a long time to take root. Branches 10-12 cm long should be planted in light (with a fairly high sand content) soil, covered with film or a glass container. We put the plant in a warm place and wait until it takes root.

This may happen a few weeks after planting, be patient and remember to water when the soil dries out. Don’t rush to “pluck” (for culinary purposes) the tree, let it grow, and it will thank you with wonderful, delicious-smelling leaves that cannot be compared with those that we buy in the store, because they are fresh and have not lost their unique aroma over long periods of time. transportation and storage and, most importantly, grown with your own hands.

Cuttings

The most suitable time for propagating laurel by cuttings is March. Semi-lignified branches, the length of which has reached approximately 10 cm, are suitable for this purpose. To ensure that the cuttings take root better, they are treated with Kornevin or Heteroauxic. They are rooted in a pot in a mixture of sand and peat, placed in a mini-greenhouse or covered with a glass jar. The room temperature should be between 24-25 degrees.

Pests and diseases

There is little threat to a healthy laurel - its fresh leaves are so rich essential oils that there are no hunters to taste them. On the contrary, they themselves serve as a repellent.

Scale insects settle where there is insufficient moisture. Colonies of scale insects are cleaned off and the plant is washed with garlic infusion. They normalize the conditions, feed the laurel, and then it will cope on its own. Do the same if a whitefly is detected.

Infected specimens are subject to mandatory isolation!

Fungal infections in the form of various spots affect laurel with a lack of sunlight And fresh air, in an excessively humid environment. And also if the soil is acidified. It is recommended to remove the affected leaves (it’s okay if the tree is completely bare), change the substrate and optimize the conditions.