How to grow bay leaves at home. Seeds at home

One of the most popular evergreens grown at home is the laurel flower. He may be a small bush or a miniature tree.

In ancient times, bay leaf wreaths were worn on the heads of the victors and famous people. This plant is very convenient to grow at home, because it, apart from decorative ornament apartments, and has useful features. No need to run to the store for a bay leaf, you just need to pick it from a tree.

Characteristics

Laurel is an indoor plant that is easy to care for. This can be done even by a beginner in flower breeding. In nature bay tree grows very tall. There are specimens exceeding 18 meters. Today, in the forests of Sochi, you can see the laurel, reaching 15 meters in height.

Although this plant is not very pretentious, but for its good growth requires the creation of a favorable environment. This indoor plant loves the sun very much, but is able to grow well in a shaded place.

Laurel does not react to drafts, he is not afraid of drought. Laurel tree at home does not require much care, it is necessary that there is always enough water, without waterlogging the soil.

Home laurel perfectly copes with diseases, is not afraid of pests. To give a certain shape, laurel bushes can be trimmed. FROM Modern gardeners manage to grow tall laurel trees, differing from their counterparts in an openwork, intricately intertwined trunk.

Types of room laurel

This plant is divided into two groups:

• Noble;
• Canarian.

The Canarian laurel has wide large leaves, the edges of which look somewhat wrinkled. This species loses to the noble laurel in terms of the strength of its aroma.

Main botanical variety laurel is divided into three types:

• narrow-leaved;
• Golden;
• Wrinkly.

Each variety is characterized by the shape of the leaf and its color.

How laurel is planted

Noble laurel should be planted in early spring. If you have already grown laurel before, then you need to pick up a pot whose diameter is a couple of centimeters larger than the previous one.

First, a drainage layer is laid in the pot. To do this, you can use expanded clay or broken brick. Substrate is placed on this layer. For a noble laurel, the soil should consist of sand, turf and leafy soil.. Such a composition is sold in a store as land intended for breeding cacti.

home laurel care

This houseplant is not very capricious. But, it must be constantly sprayed and cut so that the crown has decorative form. It is also necessary to monitor the appearance of pests or diseases in order to prevent their development.

For good growth, the laurel does not interfere much at all sunlight. It can grow well in partial shade. In summer, when the temperature is over 25 degrees, laurel bush can be left on the balcony. At proper care, room laurel can live more than 15 years.

To get a good indoor growth noble laurel, it is necessary to create conditions for him that resemble his native places. With the onset of cold weather optimal temperature, in which room laurel can safely be, is considered 18 degrees.

Where should the laurel bushes be in the apartment?

To grow nice flower laurel, it is very important to find the right location for it. It is desirable that the plant does not fall into drafts, the laurel does not like them. But you need to ventilate the room with laurel regularly.

It is not required to create special lighting for the noble laurel. Normal is enough room light. In order to achieve flowering of laurel at home, it is necessary to take care of it, trying to bring the conditions of its location closer to real ones.

For example, a pot with a tree should be placed where there is a lot of light. So, with a large amount of scattered sunlight, laurel leaves will become more decorative look. The bush will be very bushy, which rarely happens if the bay tree grows in more shaded areas.

How to water laurel bushes

In spring and summer, you need to water the bushes regularly. When it is very hot outside, watering should be more vigorous. But, prolonged waterlogging should not be allowed, because stagnation of water in the soil can lead to rotting of the roots and death of the plant.

watering schedule for winter time very different from summer. The substrate needs to be watered only after it starts to dry upper layer soil in a pot. You need to water with well-settled water at room temperature.

With the onset of heat, the noble laurel should be sprayed in the morning and evening hours. Can also be installed around laurel pot, container with water.

Experienced flower growers use another method. Pebbles are poured into the pan, then it is filled with water, a pot of laurel is placed on top.

How Laurel Reproduces

Usually the reproduction of this unpretentious plant carried out by cuttings, but laurel and seeds can be propagated.

To grow laurel from seeds, you need to have special soil. To obtain rapid growth, it is recommended to pre-soak the seeds in heated water and hold for a couple of hours.

Seeds do not need to be buried deep in the soil. It is enough to sprinkle them with earth and cover with a film.

When propagating laurel by cuttings, they must be cut from shoots that have not had time to completely lignify.

With the onset of spring, the cut shoots are planted in slightly moistened soil. It is desirable to remove all leaves from the trunk, leaving two or three. The length of the handle should not exceed 8 cm. In order for the plant to take root faster, it is worth using wet sand. Usually young seedlings take root well within one month.

How is a transplant done?

This operation does not need to be done very often. A small tree should not be transplanted into a large pot. Laurel will do great in a small pot.

When he grows up and the pot becomes cramped for him, another container is taken, with a larger diameter of about 4 cm.

Transplantation is performed by rearranging an earthen coma. The missing soil is filled into the pot. Then the transplanted laurel is well watered. Interchange work usually done in spring or summer.

Problems that may arise when growing

• Shchitovka;
• Spider mite;

Laurel bush is usually affected fungal diseases. This may be due to over watering. At this time, brown spots appear on the bay leaf.

It is necessary to fight such diseases removal of damaged areas and transplanting the plant, with the addition of a new fresh substrate.

If you follow all the rules for growing laurel at home, you can always have a beautiful, fragrant and healthy plant in the room.

It is always present at home - as part of our culinary arsenal. Sending a prosaic "laurel" to the pan, few people think about its origin. Meanwhile, dried leaves are a gift from a tree that was considered sacred by the ancient civilizations of the Mediterranean.

Laurus nobilis, noble laurel, does not bear the title in vain. At home, this is a stately handsome man of almost twenty meters in height, living for over three hundred years. In addition to the exquisite aroma, its leaves have a number of healing properties. Having settled the cult tree of the Hellenes at home, we will gain, in addition to the freshest seasoning, a fraction of health. And at the same time - interesting detail interior: laurel, properly maintained, looks very stylish.

The inexhaustible patrician

Contrary to the noble status, the laurel is not distinguished by excessive claims to living conditions. Compared to, for example, citrus fruits, caring for it is quite simple.

Laurel is a plastic plant. The tree form, as it moves into the mountains, turns into a squat shrub and, instead of rich soils, is content with rocky soil. But since the room conditions themselves are an uncharacteristic environment for a space-loving tree, it would not be bad to bring all other parameters closer to the comfort zone.

Light for the tree of the world

Under natural conditions, the laurels are open to all winds and receive a full dose of insolation. Home laurel will willingly settle near the south window and will not object to direct rays. Western and eastern exposure is also acceptable, except that the branching of the tree will become somewhat weaker.

Is laurel shade tolerant? Many sources say yes. And in a way it is:

• A young laurel is more shade-tolerant than an adult.
• When the plant is at rest, it can be placed to the north windows.

The laurel can spend the entire warm period under open sky. When moving a seedling to a brighter light, you should take care of a light screen, otherwise the leaves and even the bark will get burned.

You should not rotate the laurel pot, trying to ensure that all parts of the crown receive their dose of light: the trees are oriented relative to the magnetic poles of the planet and the displacement is perceived as stress.

Temperature

A seasonal schedule is more natural and preferable than keeping in flat room conditions. Daily fluctuations are also welcome. In general, the temperature regime is as follows:

• winter - from 7 to 10 degrees Celsius;
• spring-summer period - 17 ° C at night and 25 ° C or slightly higher during the day (that is, the usual range of the middle band).

If possible, in the spring, the laurel is placed on the terrace, balcony, or taken out into the garden. They return it under the roof when night temperatures drop below plus three.

Even the subtropics occasionally, but are severe. Especially in the mountains. Laurels easily tolerate small, up to minus five degrees, negative temperatures for quite a long time. In regions with a mild climate, they overwinter in unheated greenhouses. They can withstand a short-term drop to minus ten and below. The main thing is that the wind, which brings dehydration and death, does not join the cold: dormant roots do not drive moisture up, and the leaves continue to evaporate, at least a little.

Soil and fertilizer

The main condition is that the soil should be light, well-drained. For laurel, any universal primer from those found on sale is suitable. To make soil mixture by hand, you will need:

• leafy earth - one part;
• sod land - one part;
• quartz sand - two parts;
• humus or compost - one part.

The reaction of the substrate must be neutral. If peat is used as a baking powder, then the pH should be balanced by adding a little wood ash.

Laurel is not so easy to root rot, but still better soil disinfect by heating for twenty minutes in the oven. The temperature is close to the boiling point, but not higher, so as not to destroy all the beneficial microflora.

When choosing a container, take into account that its size directly affects the growth rate of the tree. The larger it is, the higher the annual growth. If you plan to keep the laurel miniature, there is no need for extra space for the roots.

Transplanted when the roots completely fill the available volume and are shown in the drainage holes. The next pot is taken with a diameter of only two centimeters wider than the previous one.

The frequency of transplants depends on age:

• from one to three years - annually, in early spring or at the end of the growing season;
• from three to five years - once every two years, at the same time.

The root ball is cut from below, removing about a third. For laurel, the loss of the lower part of the root system is not particularly noticeable, since its bulk is based in the upper horizons. Without forgetting about drainage, fill the remaining space with fresh soil. It is useful to immediately enrich it with organic matter - for example, add a tablespoon of fish bone meal.

Please note: the roots of the laurel are shallow. Loosening is carried out carefully, and it is even better to cover the trunk circle with mulch. For some reason, pots with laurel especially attract cats. colored pebbles will serve as an additional decoration, and at the same time protect from four-legged "diggers".

Laurel is a slow growing tree. Starting from the sixth year of life, it can not be transplanted at all, but only replace the upper (2–3 cm) layer of soil.

An indication for an extraordinary transplant is the loss of a pleasant leathery gloss by the leaves - a sign that the substrate is “tired”.

Depletion will not occur if the strength of the tree is maintained in a timely manner with fertilizers. During intensive vegetation, universal complexes are used for deciduous plants according to instructions. Laurel seedlings are fed once every two weeks, mature tree- once a month.

In laurel, the growing season has a pause, which initially fell on a summer drought. This time-out must be taken into account in all care operations, including fertilization.

Water

Drought-resistant laurel is not particularly picky about the irrigation regime. It must be assumed that the lack of water is tolerated more easily than its excess. If, having immersed a finger in the soil, they do not feel moisture, it's time to water. Seasonality is also important. In spring and early summer, young shoots consume more water, while in winter they only slightly moisten the earthen ball.

Stagnation at the roots should be completely eliminated.

Excess water from the pan is removed immediately. Or fill the pallet with gravel so that the bottom of the container rests on its layer.

Spraying will benefit the laurel - the leaves will be glossy, with a beautiful texture. Soft water is taken so that it does not leave a whitish coating of lime. Can be diversified water procedures"- in the heat, along with sprinkling, pamper the tree with a shower at room temperature. The above is true if the plant receives plenty of sunlight. For those that are kept in the shade, the leaves are wiped with a damp cloth as they become dusty, and this is enough.

Where the air is too dry (in rooms with air conditioning), it is desirable to provide a minimum “water mirror” for the laurel. Whether it will be an aquarium or a pallet filled with wet pebbles depends on the taste and ingenuity of the owner.

Reproduction: one laurel is good ...

... And two, if weave their stems into a spiral, turn into a fashionable topiary.

Receive planting material laurel in several ways:

• cuttings;
• dividing the bush;
• air layers;
• seeds;
• vaccination.

Laurel cuttings

The most effective way is cuttings. The material can be parts of branches removed during the pruning process. Or fatty shoots (tops, or in English "suckers"), which periodically form at the base of the bole. Semi-woody shoots are cut obliquely so that each has 2-3 healthy buds. The lower leaves are removed, the upper leaf blades are cut in half.

Root in wet sand, sphagnum or calcined soil. Perlite, vermiculite and other artificial substrates can be used. An acidic environment is undesirable - roots will appear, but will develop sluggishly. Peat is recommended to be pre-soaked. A good idea- fertile soil under a layer of sand. Roots, having grown stronger in a safe environment, will penetrate into a more nutritious area.

Planted at an angle, after dusting the cut with a root formation stimulator. Without the use of heteroauxin, root or zircon, you will have to wait three to four months. Preparations will save a third of the time, or even half.

Keep the cuttings warm and diffused light, protected from drafts and evenly moistened. Best of all - covered with a mini-greenhouse. Six months later, young plants are ready to occupy personal flowerpots.

Division of the bush and layering

The division of the bush is carried out in autumn or early spring, when the plant is in the sleep phase. Divide fairly - so that each of the branches gets a part of the viable roots.

An interesting way air layers. On a healthy shoot, several notches are made and, dusted with growth hormone, wrapped in sphagnum. As an option - fixed on the stem plastic bag with a substrate. Roots will appear in the area of ​​​​the incisions. When the substrate is penetrated by them, the cutting is separated from the main stem.

Laurel from seeds

Homemade laurel can bloom, but it is unlikely to give seeds. He is a dioecious plant, and it is not a fact that a specimen of the opposite sex will be nearby. Nevertheless, the seeds of the noble laurel (fresh, after two or three months they lose their germination capacity) can be brought back from the trip. They germinate, as they say, painfully long. From half a year or more. However, patience will be rewarded. Laurel of seed origin is durable (fifty years of life versus twenty for those obtained by vegetative means). In addition, having appeared from a seed in a room environment, it is maximally adapted to it.

When is vaccination needed?

Reproduction of laurel by grafting is used when replicating its decorative forms. There are not many of them, but they are:

• Laurus nobilis f. Aurea - young leaves are painted in a pale golden color;
• Angustifolia - with narrow long leaves resembling willow or willow-herb;
• Undulata - with grooved leaf edges.

There is another type of laurel, Laurus azorica (Azores, or Canarian). Its leaves are somewhat smaller, and the shoots are pubescent. For enthusiasts, you can try to graft L. azorica on a less whimsical Mediterranean counterpart.

Pests and diseases

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

Shchitovka settles where there is insufficient moisture. The colonies of scale insects are cleaned, the plant is washed with infusion of garlic. They normalize the conditions, feed the laurel, and then he will cope on his own. Do the same when whiteflies are found.

Infected specimens are subject to mandatory isolation!

Fungal infections in the form of various spots affect the laurel with a lack of sunlight and fresh air, in an excessively humid environment. And also if the soil is acidic. It is recommended to remove the affected leaves (it's not scary if the tree is completely bare), change the substrate and optimize the conditions.

Noble, stylish and useful

Laurel is a true decoration of the interior. Organically, as it should, fits into the Mediterranean style.

With the help of pruning, and its laurel endures stoically, a young tree can be given any shape you like. Spherical and cone-shaped are considered classic. The laurel in the form of a ball, on a high trunk, looks especially elegant.

Laurel pruning should start from a young age - then its crown will be thick and symmetrical. The terms are not strictly limited, but it is best to work with pruners in the spring, before the buds awaken. Or at the end of the current growth.

It is easier for the plant to tolerate more frequent, but less intense pruning.

The stem can be formed both straight (for this it is tied to a peg) and spiral. The second is achieved with a special wire. Through weaving, you can turn a jacket of several laurels into an art object.

He will set the tone in the "garden of aromas". It is enough to plant rosemary, lavender and oregano (that is, oregano) nearby. Its dark green foliage makes a great backdrop for other plants.

Laurel is a powerful source of phytoncides. Moreover, the characteristic aroma is not detected in a normal environment - for this, the seasoning needs to be dried. If you rub a living leaf, then it will exude a delicate smell, slightly sweet and with a nutmeg tint. IN Western Europe laurel is often called "sweet".

We take care of him, and he, in return, takes care of us. The presence of laurel in the house will reduce the likelihood of migraines. And - it is not for nothing that talent is associated with a laurel wreath - it will improve the blood supply to the brain, gently affecting the vessels through the same phytoncides. Its infusion will soothe joint pain, and crushed fresh leaves will heal the wound better than plantain. There are hundreds folk recipes based on laurel.

But the most interesting thing is that this laconic tree, having neither fanciful leaves nor exquisite flowers, in itself creates a good mood.

***
Bay leaf from the store and the one that is grown with your own hands - as they say, heaven and earth. Leaves dried within 48 hours should be used to remove excess bitterness. The older the leaf, the richer its bouquet.

In pursuit of beauty appearance you can stumble upon a beautiful Laurel tree. An additional effect of growing it indoors will be a pleasant aroma, and a bonus - protection from blood-sucking insects!

Laurel (from lat. Laurus) - low evergreen laurel family. The most common and popular is the laurel variety Nobilis or Noble. The homeland of this tree is the Mediterranean region, from where it then spread throughout the subtropical part of Europe. In Russia, it is often found in the southern part Krasnodar Territory and in the Crimea.

Types of laurel

Noble (from lat. Laurus nobilis)

- in conditions open air and soil grows up to 12 meters high. It has a pleasant and strong aroma of leaves.

Canarian, also Azorean (from Lat. Laurus azorica)

- the tree is even taller, reaching 15 meters in height. The leaves are larger than those of the noble, have a wavy edge, but the aroma is somewhat weaker than that of its brother.

How to care for noble laurel at home?

Lighting

First of all, choose a bright place, preferably with bright diffused light - an east or west window, a spacious ventilated balcony without direct sunlight. Then you need to pick up the soil and prepare the plant itself - germinate a seed, root a cutting or root layer, or take an already grown bush in a flower shop.

The soil

The tree is unpretentious to the soil, but it is better to choose a light soil for room laurel - for example, a mixture garden soil with sand in a ratio of 5:1. When buying soil in a store, pay attention to mixtures for indoor palms or cacti - they are also suitable in composition. It is better to grow Laurel nobilis homemade in pots small size, gradually changing them - a young plant is recommended to be transplanted regularly.

Temperature and watering

At home, caring for laurel is quite simple. After a small tree is rooted and green, it is important to provide it with comfortable conditions and regular watering. In summer, the laurel is watered with water at a temperature of 25-30 degrees. If tap water in your area is too hard, it must first be filtered or boiled. The plant should not be flooded - too wet soil harms much more than dried earth, and can even kill a tree. On especially hot days, you can also spray the leaves from the spray bottle twice a day (morning and evening). This will help wash dust and dirt off the leaves and reduce the chance of pests.
IN winter period common laurel prefers special care behind him: concerning low temperature– +15 degrees at room humidity. Therefore, it is recommended to remove the pot with the plant away from the heaters, leaving it on a cool windowsill or insulated, but not heated loggia. Watering in winter is usually less intense - a couple of times a week is enough.

Fertilizer

Caring for a noble laurel at home includes top dressing during a period of rapid growth. For this purpose, ready-made mineral or organic fertilizers for house plants, both special "Laurel", and intended for cacti and palm trees. The frequency of feeding - up to two times a month.

Transfer and transshipment

Laurel transplantation is carried out, depending on the age of the plant, once a year for a young tree and after a year or two for an older tree. Fulfill it better in spring before the start of the active period. Laurel is usually grown in small pots, each new pot is chosen 5-6 centimeters larger in diameter. Laurel transplantation at home occurs in the following order: first, the root ball is removed from the old pot and gently shake off part of the earth; then transferred to a new pot with drainage laid on the bottom and half filled with soil; the roots are carefully straightened, covered with earth and compacted so that the tree holds firmly. It is important not to pour too much earth, keeping the same relative level as in the old pot. If everything is done correctly, the laurel will grow with renewed vigor, continuing to delight with its beauty and aroma.

reproduction

How to grow from seed?

Growing laurel from seeds at home is not a difficult process, but you need to be patient. Seeds can remain viable for up to a year after ripening on a tree, but this is possible only if right conditions storage, so most often they are recommended no later than 3 months. Before planting, you can remove the “shell” from the seeds - the pericarp, this will speed up the germination process. Laurel from the stone at home without pre-treatment sprouts rather slowly - sometimes the sprouts can remain in the ground for up to six months. Do not despair, it is only important to periodically water the soil. When the seedlings hatch and unfold two or three leaves, it is time for picking - the plants are dug up and the root is pinched 2/3 of the length. After this procedure, laurel seedlings are planted in a permanent "place of residence".

How to grow from a cutting?

If among your friends there is already a flower grower who grows laurel, a new seedling can be obtained from an old tree by cuttings. The most suitable time for propagation of indoor laurel by cuttings is spring, but if necessary, the cuttings can be rooted both in summer and in autumn. Twigs are cut 6-8 cm long (two or three internodes) from mature, but not yet lignified young shoots. Then for a day, for better rooting, they are kept in a solution of heteroauxin or potassium permanganate, after which they are buried in the ground for half the length and looked after in the same way as in the case of growing laurel from the stone.

Visual design

The formation of a laurel at home is a simple and, one might say, optional process. Regular, careful pruning creates a beautiful crown shape and enhances branching, due to which even a small house tree make it look like tall street counterparts, giving the appropriate look - a ball, a pyramid or a classic standard one.

Pests

Among the pests of indoor laurel, scale insects, spider mites, mealybugs and aphids. At the first signs of an unhealthy tree: massively falling yellow or gray leaves, white cobwebs on leaves and branches, damage to the bark and sprouts of the plant, you should immediately begin to isolate it from healthy neighbors. Shchitovka damages almost the entire plant: both leaves and twigs and trunk. With a weak infection, pests can be removed with a cotton swab with soapy water, and with a strong one, Actellik or Karbofos insecticides will be needed (after such treatment, the leaves become unsuitable for human consumption). Spider mite appears on a tree in dry rooms with high air temperatures. The signal for tick damage is grey colour fallen leaves, the juice of which he feeds. Aphids pass to nobilis from other plants, including those brought from the garden. To combat it, it is recommended to use a tobacco decoction with soap, which is repeatedly sprayed on the plant.

Diseases

Improper care at home leads to a deplorable state of home laurel. Over-watering results in leaf spots and root rot, while under-watering results in yellowing of the leaves. In winter, without proper care, the leaves may fall off the tree.

Application

At home, some housewives grow noble laurel as a spice, fresh and affordable. The leaves of the plant have a pleasant aroma and a bitter taste that goes well with fish and meat. They are often found in soups, second courses, autumn preparations. The slight scent of wood essential oil freshens the air and helps to reduce the number of insects in the room - for example, mosquitoes do not like it. Homemade laurel is unpretentious in care and takes root in a variety of apartments without any problems. With proper care, this ornamental leafy plant will delight with its beauty and aroma for many years.

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What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you say "laurel" — evergreen shrub Or a popular spicy seasoning? Or maybe a solemn laurel crown, which honored the heroes of antiquity?

Once the ancient Greeks decided that it would be nice to combine the useful with the pleasant and began to grow laurel at home.

In addition to gardening and cooking, its leaves are widely used in traditional medicine, and all virtues of laurel taken together, they become a strong argument to grow it on your windowsill.

Well, isn't it tempting to have a plant in your house, which was awarded in ancient times the most worthy of the worthy, winners of the Olympics, the best poets and musicians?

And, of course, the great ancient rulers adorned their heads with laurel crowns, believing that an evergreen branch would bring them immortality. No wonder the most famous species of this plant is called "noble laurel".

Types of laurel

Laurel noble (Laurus nobilis)- dioecious evergreen shrub or a big tree, reaching 18 m in height with a smooth brown or dark gray bark and a dense pyramidal crown.

Leaves entire, on short petioles, arranged alternately; glabrous, leathery, simple, up to 20 cm long and up to 8 cm wide, lanceolate or oblong, narrowed towards the base and sharp at the apex, glossy on outside and lighter inside out. Have peculiar spicy smell.

Less known Azores laurel (Laurus azorica) decorative, tree up to 15 m tall and camphor laurel (cinnamomum camfora), the leaves of which contain 94% camphor - a means that excites the nervous system.

Features of care

IN natural environment habitat laurel without problems endures a variety of whims of nature: rains, winds, snows, droughts. Therefore, at home, he can easily adapt to any, even the most unfavorable conditions.

Location and temperature

On which windowsill to place the laurel is not so important, it will withstand both the scorching midday rays and shading. And yet, if you choose between two extremes, then better for laurel sunbathe in the sun than be bored in the shade.

its dense, strong leaves are not afraid sunburn, they are resistant to drafts and are very fond of Fresh air.

The vital activity of the laurel is tuned to the natural cycle subtropical belt, with warm summers and cool winters. In summer, the plant will be satisfied with the usual temperature for this season - from 20 to 27 ° C.

But in the winter season better send a pot of laurel on the loggia - to be in complete peace. The temperature in this case can vary from + 2 to 15 ° С (optimally - + 5 ° С).

Home laurel after wintering need to re-accustom to the sun, gradually exposing him under the rays - at first a little, son-in-law more and more.

Watering and spraying

During the growing season, in spring and summer, a homemade laurel bush requires regular and fairly plentiful watering. On hot summer days, it should be daily.

And yet, make sure that the substrate in the pot has time to dry out a little: after all, the most common cause of serious illness and even death of this plant is waterlogging and stagnant water on the ground.

For winter time the watering regimen should be different: 1 - a maximum of 2 times a week. Use only soft, settled water with a temperature of up to +20 degrees.

All types of laurel are very fond of spraying and high humidity. In the summer, do not be lazy to arrange a shower bush twice a day, in the morning and in the evening. You can solve the problem differently - put the pot in a tray with moistened pebbles or put a container of water next to it.

Landing, soil, transplant

Laurel planting carried out in the spring. First of all, at the bottom of the pot you need to lay good layer drainage, then fill the soil. You can use a substrate that is sold in stores, or you can cook it yourself. Soil composition:

• leaf ground - 1 part;
• sod land - 1 part;
• humus - 1 part;
• sand - 2 parts.

Until the laurel reaches the age of five it is transplanted every year, and then this procedure is done once every 2-3 years. When transplanting, be sure to use fertilizer.

Ideal top dressing for laurels - "Cactus".

Take a slightly alkaline or neutral substrate for transplantation. The plant will take better if you do not take dishes "for growth".

Prepare new pot slightly larger in diameter (2.2.5 cm) and as much deeper. If your laurel is an adult and grows in a tub, take a new one 5 cm more.

Watch the video below for a master class on transplanting laurel at home:

Reproduction of laurel

Propagate laurel mainly by seeds, less often by cuttings. In spring, seeds are sown in pots, boxes or bowls filled with a mixture of 2 parts of leafy earth and turf and one part of sand.

The soil should not be cold (from 18 ° C). In the phase of the first two leaves, the seedlings must be dived into another container at a distance of 2 cm from each other.

When they are properly and get stronger, you can start transplant every seedling in separate dishes 7 cm in diameter. Here you will need a different composition of the soil:

• 4 pieces of turf;
• 2 parts of leaf land;
• one part sand;
• one piece of peat.

young seedlings you need to constantly water, spray, keep at a cool temperature (up to 10-12 ° C) and in a well-lit place.

Shoots for propagation by cuttings are cut in mid-spring or early summer.

Choose non-lignified, with 2-3 internodes, up to 8 cm long. Lower leaves need to be removed, and then planted in a box at a distance of at least 10 cm from each other.

The soil mixture should be of 2 layers: 3-4 cm of turf on the bottom, and 2-3 cm of sand on top. Cuttings should grow at a temperature of 16-20 ° C, in a bright room.

Rooting will happen about a month later, then the seedlings are determined in a permanent dish - 7-centimeter pots. The soil can be taken the same as when planting seedlings.

Diseases and pests

Most often, homemade laurel bushes strike, greenhouse or leaf thrips, laurel psyllid, .

If the attack of insects has just begun, and there are not very many of them yet, you can use mechanical methods control (in other words, collect pests by hand).

And the spider mite does not care about this way of fighting, they will have to be hit immediately with chemicals - for example, "". If the moment is missed, then use the appropriate pesticides against other insects, without forgetting about safety.

Laurel is quite resistant to diseases. If troubles happen to him, then only the plants provoked by the owners themselves due to excessive watering.

leaf spot- dangerous, just is the result of stagnation of water on the surface of the soil due to excessive waterlogging.

Here it is, laurel - a noble plant of heroes and monarchs. In your homeland, in the Mediterranean, as well as in Abkhazia and Western Georgia, laurel grows on limestone forest slopes.

Grown as an ornamental plant in the Crimea, Krasnodar Territory and Azerbaijan.

Leaves and fruits of laurel – drupes- collected in winter. They contain a lot of useful elements: essential and fatty oils with triglycerides - lemon balm, lauric acid, hydrocarbons, resins and phytosterols.

From fruits (they are called "beans") get bean oil for the treatment of paralysis, rheumatism, tumors, heart diseases and as a sedative.

use in the form of infusions and decoctions. And, of course, what kind of soup without lavrushka!

Grow in your kitchen and pinch off the leaves - but only when necessary!

Or laurel, is famous not only as a spice, which has many useful properties.

The tree is a symbol of nobility, wisdom, glory and intelligence. Also in ancient rome and Greece, the laurel wreath was awarded to poets, winners, those people who did a lot for their country.

Later, already in the sixth century, the plant began to be grown as an ornamental.

If cut correctly, laurel easily acquires various forms. For example, you can make a ball and other shapes out of it.

The bay tree grows mainly in the Mediterranean, as well as in the Caucasus and the Canary Islands.

It's evergreen small trees or shrubs. In some cases, trees can reach 16 meters in height. Life time up to 300 years.

There are only two species from the genus Laurel.

The leaves are simple, on short petioles, slightly oblong.

The color is dark green, the size reaches an average of 10 cm.

The flowering period of the tree begins from April to May.

The flowers are collected in umbels of inflorescences with white or cream color. In room conditions, Laurel rarely blooms.

Types of bay tree

Bay tree at home: care

Caring for a Laurel tree at home is not very difficult. It can easily adapt to different conditions.

Lighting: Laurel prefers bright light, but grows very well in the shade. It is advisable to protect the tree from direct sunlight, otherwise it can dry out quickly.

good place there will be a balcony or loggia, slightly darkened with curtains or special reflective paper. It is necessary to regularly ventilate the room, but beware of drafts.

For successful crown growth, the tree periodically needs to be turned towards the light source.

Temperature regime: best temperature at growing season, is a mark of 17-19 degrees.

In the spring, during a warm period, take the plant to fresh air. The bay tree is not afraid of wintering, so it easily tolerates even small frosts. In winter, you can grow on the windows from the cold side.

If you live in an area with a mild climate, laurel can be grown in a garden and used as a hedge.

Soil and humidity: soil for bay tree should be very well pass air and moisture. Therefore, the composition for it is made of two parts, leafy earth and one part of turf, peat and sand.

Be sure to make good drainage from small stones or expanded clay.

Laurel is very fond of humidity.

In the summer, it is allowed to “bathe” in the shower so that pests do not settle on the leaves; in winter, the plant must be sprayed with soft water.

If the temperature in the winter in the room is above 18 degrees and the air is dry, the room must be moistened by spraying.

With insufficient moisture, the plant may begin to dry, often because of this, various pests appear on the surface of the leaves.

Transplant: Transplant the lava tree, like most plants, into spring period. When transplanting, it must be borne in mind that the soil must breathe well.

When transplanting, a pot is picked up a little more than the previous one. It is enough to increase by 2-3 cm in diameter.

young plant, it is better to transplant every year, and from the age of five, once every 3-4 years.

Reproduction of laurel: You can propagate using its cuttings, seed or root processes.

If you propagate the plant with seeds, it will be better adapted to room conditions. the procedure is carried out from February to March, maintaining a temperature of 18 degrees.

Cuttings with two or three internodes should be cut from green shoots from April to June. They are best planted in coarse sand, at an angle of 45 degrees, and also make sure that the soil is well moistened and the temperature in the room is 22-25 degrees.

Shoots from the roots are also separated and transplanted into the soil, like cuttings with the same conditions, using small pots.

Watering: Starting in spring, the plant should be watered regularly, but sparingly. Water should be at room temperature and settled. Closer to autumn, watering is slightly reduced, in winter they are practically not watered. The plant can not be flooded, it may begin to rot.

Top dressing: It is necessary to feed the bay tree only in the warm spring and summer once a month. To do this, it is best to use liquid or full mineral fertilizer. In the winter season, the laurel does not need to be fed.

Pests, diseases, danger of plant death, difficulties in maintenance and care

The most common pests for laurel trees are aphids, spider mites, scale insects and mealybugs. If you have several plants, healthy ones must be removed separately from the infected ones.

At the initial stage, when pests are not a large number of they are simply removed. If there are a lot of pests, you should use various means for spraying plants.

The most common disease in Laurel is leaf spot. Occurs from an excess of moisture. It is necessary to carefully monitor watering and not overdo it.

The plant may die if the pests are not destroyed in time, this is insufficient or excessive watering, and also if direct sunlight falls on the plant for a long time.

In case of yellowing or curling of the leaves, it is necessary to moisten more and increase the humidity in the room.

Beneficial features: Starting from excellent culinary properties, the leaves of the bay tree also have medicinal properties.

Into the leaves of this wonderful plant there are essential oils, which are often used in medicine and perfumery.

When grown indoors, it perfectly cleans the air of toxic contaminants and refreshes it.

Often the tree is used for medical purposes, in the treatment of:

• diabetes,
• rheumatism,
• arthritis,
• paralysis
• gout,
• respiratory disease,
• pain in the intestines.

It is very useful to inhale the aroma of Laurel as an inhaler.