Growing bay tree at home. Laurel: home care

Laurel trees are cultivated in subtropical latitudes, and they grow there with pleasure. In Russia, laurels can be found in nature in the southwest Krasnodar Territory. However, like many other heat-loving plants, noble laurel can be grown at home. You just need to pay attention to the needs of this Mediterranean miracle and take care of it in the same way as we take care of fish, parrots and other pets. Laurel trees are cultivated in subtropical latitudes, and they grow there with pleasure.

In Russia, laurels can be found in nature in the southwest of the Krasnodar Territory. However, like many other heat-loving plants, noble laurel can be grown at home. You just need to pay attention to the needs of this Mediterranean miracle and take care of it in the same way as we take care of fish, parrots and other pets.

Laurel - indoor plant

Fresh laurel leaves have a calm pleasant green color that will brighten up any interior. Fragrant leaves will refresh and purify the air in the house, thanks to their ability to release phytoncides that prevent the development of bacteria and fungi.
Laurel is a rather unpretentious plant. It is not as demanding on growing conditions as, for example, lemon. And if you plant a bay leaf at home, it will develop perfectly even in the northern part of the house in conditions of less lighting. But still, with sufficient illumination, the plant will turn out much more magnificent and thicker.
The full-fledged bay leaves that are used will appear on your personal bay tree in two years. It is at this age that the leaves acquire a rich aroma. IN room conditions laurel grows up to two meters, and especially good care and higher. So you can generously share your own harvest of bay leaves with friends.
For laurel, propagation by seeds, layering, cuttings and seedlings is acceptable.

The method of growing laurel from seeds is the most reliable, since the development of young plants from the very beginning takes place under the same conditions, and therefore they are not subjected to special stresses.
Bay tree seeds can be found in flower shops or ordered online. Great luck and almost one hundred percent guarantee - freshly harvested seeds. But in any case, until the time of sowing, the seeds must be stored in the refrigerator. This is the guarantee of their best germination. In addition, laurel seeds have a thick skin, and to facilitate the emergence of a sprout into the world, the seeds are soaked for several days. To accelerate germination and stimulate growth, you can soak in a special activating solution. For example, the growth preparation "Epin" proved to be excellent.
For sowing seeds prepare any fertile soil, but the top layer in a container 2-3 cm thick must necessarily be steamed or calcined sand. This is the best environment for the development of laurel seeds.
Seed peas are planted to a depth of 1 cm and covered with a film to retain moisture in the soil. Seeds germinate for quite a long time, up to several months. If you have patience and treat this process with love, they will definitely hatch.
The optimal period for sowing seeds is in the winter months (January, February). Then, even if the seeds are late and lie in the ground for six months before germination, they will begin to develop in a favorable period both in temperature and in light.
And when this happens, the film is removed from the greenhouse and waiting for the formation of the first leaves. Small laurels with two leaves can already be transplanted into a separate pot.
The site has detailed instructions on .

Growing laurel from cuttings

Growing a plant from cuttings is a more time-consuming process than sowing seeds. Laurel cuttings are harvested from an adult plant in the spring, when the trees wake up after winter, or in the first half of summer. Very successful cuttings are obtained from annual shoots that have not had time to lignify. The branches are cut into pieces of 6-8 cm.
Each cutting should have three internodes, that is, three free areas between the places where the leaves are attached. For cuttings, it is better to use the lower or middle part of the branch. Each cutting should have an oblique cut from below. Then the first leaves must be removed, and the upper ones should be cut off, leaving half of the sheet in order to minimize the evaporation of moisture.

Any land is suitable for bay leaves, but for planting cuttings it is better to prepare a nutrient substrate of your choice:
 mixture of 1 part of leafy soil with 1 part of marsh moss;
 mixture of 1 part of sod land and 1 part of sand;
 mixture of 1 part of sand and 1 part of moss;
 just coarse-grained sand.

Laurel plants are very tolerant of any soil. The only thing they do not tolerate is excessive waterlogging. So almost the main condition successful cultivation laurel is good drainage.

It is desirable to steam the prepared soil in order to avoid damage to the cuttings by pathogenic bacteria. Sand can be ignited. Any suitable drainage is placed at the bottom of the container.
For better rooting, you can use special stimulants that promote root formation. Kornevin powder is suitable for this purpose. The lower part of the cutting should be dipped in the powder of the growth preparation. And you can withstand the base of the cuttings (immersed by 2-3 cm) for a day in a special solution of heteroauxin. The roots from this procedure will turn out to be well branched and strong. Some gardeners use phytohormones for better rooting, and also arrange bottom heating for cuttings.

The cuttings are buried in the ground by 1.5 cm. They need to be watered and the temperature is at least 22 degrees. To maintain the temperature regime, the cuttings are covered with a suitable transparent material: film, glass or jar. Every day, the shelter should be briefly removed or slightly opened for ventilation. Cuttings are useful not only to water, but also to spray with water. The first three weeks - this should be done 4-5 times a day. Then gradually reduce the number of sprays.
Rooting will take approximately one month. As soon as the plants take root, you can transplant them into another container. For the substrate, garden or sod land, leafy soil and sand are taken. You can add a little peat and lime (5-10g).

Bay tree can be grown from cuttings, as they do with grapes. They take one of the lower branches, lay it in a groove, pin it to the ground and sprinkle it with soil. In the place where the earth will cover the branch, you need to make an incision or at least a scratch on the bark.
A prerequisite for successful germination is a sufficient amount of moisture.
As soon as a green sprout appears from under the ground, you can dig up layers and cut off from the main branch. Then plant a young plant in a separate container.

Buying ready-made seedlings of noble laurel is no longer a problem. And their prices are very affordable.
As soon as pets appear in the house, they need to be placed where there is diffused lighting or partial shade. At least they do not need direct sunlight for the period of acclimatization.
It should also be the coolest place in the house, since laurel does not belong to lovers of high temperatures. A pleasant thermal regime for laurel is 15-20 degrees in summer and 10-12 in winter.
Laurel loves moist air. Therefore, moisturizing can be arranged for him different ways: spraying, water containers next to the potty, shower.
When it's time to pinch and trim the bay trees, they need to be moved to a more lit area for better branching.

Laurel responds well to organic fertilizers. It can be, for example, pigeon droppings. It is diluted with water, preferably settled. For one part of the litter take 20 parts of water. Laurel will also accept mineral fertilizers well. You can feed him once every three weeks.

Laurel loves water very much, so at least once a month he needs to arrange a warm refreshing shower. The plant should also be watered with warm settled water. In the cold season, this is done once every five days, and in the warm season more often - once every three days.
Laurel trees need to be replanted periodically. At a young age, transplantation is done after two years, and older trees need to be disturbed less often - once every five years. After transplanting, the laurel does not need to be fertilized for about six months. But it doesn't bother him Fresh air. As long as temperatures allow, laurel can be kept on the balcony or in the garden, and brought indoors before winter.

Please note that this website is for informational purposes only.

When using bay leaf, you should consult with a specialist (doctor).

There are contraindications when using bay leaf: pregnancy and lactation in women, acute form of kidney, liver and heart disease, gastric and duodenal ulcer, allergic reaction to bay leaf, severe diabetes and etc.

Laurel tree is used in interior design, landscaping of street flower beds and creating decorative compositions. Laurel differs in leaf shape and size, suitable for growing both indoors and outdoors.

Laurel is used in pharmacology, leaves and fruits are used, from which extracts, infusions and oils are subsequently made. The plant is widely used as a diuretic, relieves flatulence, intestinal colic, laurel esters are removed from depressive states. Laurel leaves are used as a seasoning.

plant description

The laurel tree comes from a genus of evergreen plants in the laurel family. For a long time, laurel trees have been grown in many subtropical countries.

Laurel includes three types: camphor, noble and Azores.

The tree contains essential oils from 3.5 to 5.5%. The tree is dioecious, with a dense crown, has a pyramidal shape and evergreen foliage, hard and smooth. In nature, it reaches about 25 meters in height.

Flowering begins in spring, the tree is covered with umbellate, unisexual, axillary inflorescences of milky or pale yellow color. The fruits are single-seeded fragrant drupes of blue and black shades, ripening in autumn.

The life span of a laurel is amazing, a tree can exist for about three hundred years. An ennobled tree without proper care quickly runs wild. Bay leaves are considered one of the indispensable seasonings in brines and marinades.

Laurel is often found in Georgia, Greece, Crimea, Asia, on the Black Sea coast and Transcaucasia.

Types of laurel

Laurel tree is of three types:

Camphor, whose homeland is China. The plant is quite popular in Asia and India. This evergreen with hard, lanceolate, fleshy leaves, speckled.

Flowering lasts about one and a half weeks, yellowish inflorescences.

The laurel tree contains a lot of camphor oil, most of which is found in the trunk and wood of the laurel, about 90%. The production of camphor is widespread in Japan and China, where oil is obtained from bay shavings and twigs by distillation.

In addition to camphor oil, laurel leaves contain a large number of selenium and tannins. Camphor oil is considered one of the best medicinal substances in the fight against heart disease, depression, and for the prevention of infectious diseases.

Externally, camphor oil is used to rub diseased joints and bruises, as an analgesic, distraction and anti-inflammatory agent.

Noble laurel. The most common type of bay tree, grows in the southern part of the country and the Mediterranean. Laurel trees reach up to 5 meters in height. The branches are bare and fleshy.

The foliage is lanceolate, short-stalked, with a glossy surface, oblong in shape. Laurel blooms in spring, lasts about a week. Inflorescences with small flowers, collected in yellow umbrellas.

The noble laurel is used to make decorative compositions and decorate interiors. The noble species is unpretentious and resistant to drought, grows well in pots at room conditions. The leaves are used to obtain essential oil and as a spice.

branch noble laurel winners were awarded in ancient Greece, the plant was attributed a divine origin.

Azores laurel or Canarian laurel tree. The plant is native to the Azores. Trees grow up to 12 meters in height with large leaves, dark green in color, 5.5 cm wide.

Blooms in spring. Pale yellow inflorescences are collected in umbrellas and are located in the axils of the foliage. Azores laurel is often used for decoration.

The most common varieties of laurel tree are narrow-leaved and willow laurel.

How to grow bay tree in a pot

For home growing the noble type of bay tree is best suited. Timely care, pruning, watering and feeding are integral parts of a healthy plant.

It is best to grow a bay tree from a mature seed, southern species. auspicious time for planting laurel seeds is the end of winter - the beginning of spring, the seeds should be planted in a specially prepared substrate.

To do this, black soil is mixed with sand and peat in a ratio of 3: 1: 1, a pot is filled with it and a seedling is planted to a depth of 1.5-2 cm.

The soil must be disinfected before planting, for this, warm it up to 120 degrees in the oven.

For intensive growth, the tree will need a temperature of at least +22 degrees. The first “fruits” of planting laurel seeds will be visible after 3.5 months.

Lavrushka seeds do not require special preparation, but it will not be superfluous to keep them in a strong solution of potassium permanganate for a day to protect and increase the rate of sprout appearance. Excessive watering is not required, it will be enough to water the seedling 3 times a week.

The seed pot must be placed on a sunny windowsill and covered with a glass lid to better warm the soil, but do not forget to arrange ventilation and make sure that the fungus does not start in the soil with high moisture.

As soon as the first green sprout appears, the glass is removed and the soil in the pot is not allowed to dry out, but also moisture is not allowed to stagnate. This should be taken care of in advance by laying out the bottom of the pot with expanded clay or river pebbles and making drainage holes in the container.

special attention the tree requires in the first year of its existence, since during this period the young plant is too vulnerable and capricious. A good lighted place, warmth, lack of draft and plenty of moisture are the first on the way to the healthy growth of an evergreen laurel.

Avoid prolonged direct exposure to sunlight on a young tree, otherwise the foliage may fall off or dry out. It is better when the light is diffused or with variable solar activity. A shaded window sill will not allow the laurel to grow in breadth, the tree will begin to hurt and stretch upwards, sometimes giving out ugly, long, bizarre forms of weeds.

In summer, the laurel tree can be left outside, in places with changeable sun, the temperature of the special comfort of the tree ranges from +16 to +22 degrees. Laurel will respond to daily spraying with a thick, dark crown, a glossy sheen of leaves and will acquire a wide trunk.

IN autumn months the plant goes into a dormant phase, but just at that time comes heating season, therefore, the conditions for sleeping Lavrushka must be recreated independently, artificially. Or place the plant on south side insulated balcony, where the temperature would not fall below -3 degrees, or put in a lighted room, but with a temperature not higher than +13 and maintain this temperature from November to the end of February.

How to care for a bay tree

Laurel, like other plants, needs care, and a young tree requires twice as much attention. The laurel tree does not like dry air and hot rooms; this can cause the plant to turn yellow or lose foliage.

Laurel for normal development and rapid growth needs a lot of light, direct sunlight with variable activity should become a reliable companion young plant.

IN summer period the plant must be taken out into the air, but accustoming to direct sunlight should occur smoothly to avoid possible sunburn. IN winter period bay tree is kept in a room with diffused light at a low temperature.

The optimal temperature regime for the bay tree is from +22 to +27 degrees. But during wintering, the tree should be at a temperature not higher than +12 degrees.

Watering should be carried out at least 3 times a week, and more often in hot weather. In winter, watering is limited and reduced to once a week.

Like any plant, the laurel tree prefers high humidity, so spraying is necessary. An alternative can be a container filled with wet expanded clay, on which a pot with a plant is placed.

Top dressing is carried out once every 3 months with mineral fertilizers.

Laurel tree pruning is performed in order to transform the bush, into decorative purposes. The plant tolerates pruning well.

The bay tree can be given any shape, however, frequent pruning can harm the plant, so the tree should be radically cut once, and then only maintain the given shape. Frequent pruning can harm the laurel.

The bay tree grows slowly, but as the pot fills with roots, it needs to be transplanted. The need for a transplant occurs every two years. The tree prefers a non-acidic soil with a neutral PH level.

Laurel is watered to soften the soil and pulled out of the pot, along with the soil, into a new pot. bigger size expanded clay drainage, a substrate of soddy soil mixed with sand and peat are poured, then a tree is placed and sprinkled with soil on top.

The bay tree is propagated by cuttings, seeds and division.

The harvesting of cuttings is carried out in the summer, the branches should be mature, flexible, with several internodes, 7-9 cm long.

The prepared cuttings are planted in soddy soil to a depth of about 1 cm, and 1.5 cm of sand is poured on top and constantly moistened.

+ 17-21 degrees is considered the standard temperature for better germination of the cutting. The planted cuttings will take root in a month and a half, after which they can be transplanted into ordinary pots for permanent place growth.

Transplanted cuttings should be sprayed like mature trees to keep them gave faster layering and foliage. Top dressing is necessary for cuttings, they grow slowly, therefore, in order to avoid depletion, you should change the top layer of soil to fertile black soil or use mineral top dressing.

Diseases and pests of bay tree

Laurel is not very susceptible to disease, but there are some harmful insects that can lead to the death of the plant.

For example:

the insect settles on the surface of the leaf and gradually sucks out the juice. From the outside it looks like yellow or white spot, constantly increasing in size, until it covers the entire sheet, which dries and curls. Scale insects differ in the color of the shell (shield), due to which the pest got its name. Insects are white and light yellow, they multiply quickly and settle in neighboring plants. Therefore, it is very important to isolate the infected plant from healthy vegetation.

The scale insect does not die from insecticide treatment, the insect protects the shell. They can only be removed by hand, getting rid of them with a bandage treated by Ankara or an infusion of garlic with vodka.

The treatment should be carried out on all affected areas of the plant, with the replacement of the top layer of soil in order to get rid of the possible presence of larvae in it.

Another not me dangerous pest- spider mite. A small insect that is very difficult to see with the naked eye, but the web is in a pot and white coating on the plant should alert.

Prevention will be spraying the soil with a weak solution of manganese. In a neglected state, the bay tree is sprayed with insecticides or the foliage is wiped with soapy water, followed by rinsing.

Fungal disease accompanied by a touch of black. Does not lead to the death of the plant, but noticeably spoils appearance the tree itself, striking the foliage with black and large spots.

Fungicidal preparations for house plants, as well as treatment with Bordeaux liquid, can defeat the fungus.

In addition to pests, the bay tree can shed its leaves or turn yellow, in order to prevent an undesirable phenomenon, the tree must be sprayed and bathed weekly. Protect from prolonged exposure to the sun, fertilize, do not exceed temperature regime, avoid standing water in the pot.

If you follow all of the above measures, a healthy plant will please the eye for a long time.

Purchase a bay tree seedling or cut cuttings. Many nurseries and garden centers sell bay trees in the plant section. If you prefer to cut a cutting to propagate the plant, then follow these steps:

Cut the stalk at the root of the young shoot or top in early summer or autumn. Cut off a mature bay tree. The cutting should be about 8 cm (3 inches) long.
Remove the top and bottom leaves from the cutting.
Dip the selected root tip into the cutting hormone mixture. This will stimulate the rapid growth of the root.
Place the cutting in a container filled two-thirds with coarse sand and one-third with peat moss.
Place the container under a plastic bag hanging from a wire or similar so that nothing touches or falls on the handle. This will create a mini greenhouse for the cutting.
Be patient. It will take about 9 months until the stalk acquires a root.

Plant a bay tree. Decide if you want to grow a bay tree in the garden or in a pot. The plant will grow well in both places, but the potted bay tree will need to be constantly repotted and replaced with soil to provide best growth. Spring is best time, for planting a young bay tree.

Laurel trees are very fond of the sun and love to grow in cool and warm areas. In a hot area, give the tree partial shade from a very hot or tropical climate. The seedlings must also be protected from the wind.
Choose soil that is of medium fertility and that dries well. If you are going to plant a bay tree in a pot, add some lime to balance the acidic soil.

Water the plant, but allow the soil to dry completely between waterings. Water more often in hot weather.

Potted laurel trees require more regular watering.

Mulch the bay tree. Do this for both the bay tree growing in the ground and the plant growing in a pot. Upper layer soil appropriate. However, be sure to keep any mulch away from the tree trunk.

Fertilize the plant once every spring. Give the bay tree a full feed.

Trim the plant. There is really no need to prune bay trees unless you want them to form a certain shape or for the plant to grow beyond a certain height. Laurel trees grow about 10-20 meters (33-66 feet), but if they are in a pot, they will grow shorter.

The laurel tree responds well to being trimmed; this is more often done for bay trees grown in pots.

Laurel is a subtropical tree or shrub. There are several types of this plant. IN natural conditions they grow in the Mediterranean and in the south of the Krasnodar Territory.

Laurel tree: description, types

Laurel belongs to the Lavrov family of the same name. Types of laurel:

Azores is distinguished by large decorative leaves ovoid shape. Blooms in May with light yellow flowers.
Camphor, so named because of the high content of camphor in the leaves and stems. The crown of the plant is wide, branched. The leaves emit a spicy scent. The leaves are lanceolate, with small dots throughout the field. The flowers are yellow-green.
Noble, the leaves of which are used for food. It is a perennial evergreen tree or shrub. IN vivo he lives up to 100 years. During this time, its height reaches 10 m. In an apartment, it grows up to 3 m. Its stems are covered with leathery leaves about 8 cm long. In spring, noble laurel blooms with small yellow flowers. When grown at home, flowering is rare, after reaching 5 years of age. Laurel fruits are small.

Laurel can be propagated by layering, cuttings and:

The easiest way to get a new plant is from cuttings. They may appear on their own. If this does not happen, in the spring they add a branch of laurel, water the place where rooting takes place. next spring plant a new plant in a separate pot, after cutting off the layering from the main tree.
Laurel should be propagated by seeds in the fall. To do this, take a pot, lay drainage on the bottom, then sprinkle with soil. Watered. Cover the pot with plastic wrap. Waiting for shoots to appear.
It is faster to get a young plant from a cutting of a young plant. To do this, take non-lignified cuttings with 2-3 buds or leaves. The soil is prepared in the same way as for growing from seeds, but the soil is covered with a layer of sand from above. The length of the cutting is up to 8 cm. The cuttings are immersed so that the lower edge is immersed in the sand by 1 cm. The soil for the laurel is prepared by mixing humus, turf, and old foliage. Add peat and sand. If there are no such components, you can plant laurel in universal soil purchased in flower shop.

Good neighbors for the laurel in the room will be,. They will create a beautiful corner, in addition, they will positively affect the well-being of the owners. After all, phytoncides, which secrete laurel leaves, contribute to this.

Although laurel belongs to subtropical plants, it can withstand even a drop to 5 degrees below zero. But this applies only to old sheets. Young, spring ones can freeze even with slight frosts. Therefore, do not rush to take the tree to fresh air. It hibernates best at a temperature of 12-15°C. He needs warmth in the summer. Optimal will be 25-28 degrees. Laurel does not like sudden changes in temperature.

When choosing a place for a laurel, they take into account that it feels best in a well-lit place. But direct sunlight on the leaves should be avoided. It also grows in the shade, but in this case the branches will stretch out and lose their decorative effect.

In an apartment or office, in no case should you put a laurel near a radiator or other heating devices.

Laurel noble loves fresh air. Therefore, the room where it grows must be regularly ventilated. And in summer, it is better to take the plant out onto the balcony or into the garden, setting it in partial shade. Laurel is not afraid of drafts. It tolerates heat well, but grows worse at the same time.

Like all subtropical plants, laurel grows well with high humidity air. To provide the tree comfortable conditions, regularly spray the leaves with water. It should be soft and not cold. Once a month, you can shower by covering the soil in the pot with plastic wrap.

How to water the plant:

In summer, you can provide suitable humidity by placing a pot with a tree in a large pallet, at the bottom of which pebbles and moss are laid. Some water is poured into it. If possible, you can spray the plant from the sprayer several times a day.
Watered abundantly in the warm season, but do not fill in, so as not to get stagnation of water in the pot. In hot weather, it is better to water in the morning and evening. Do not water during the day, so as not to get water on the leaves. From this they may appear sunburn.
Water for irrigation can be taken tap, then only after it has settled well. Its temperature should be higher than in the room.
In winter, the number of waterings should be reduced, and the interval between them should be increased. But it is also impossible to overdry the soil, the plant may die. At this time, the laurel is not watered. Periodically, you can wipe the leaves with a damp cloth.

In order for the laurel to be strong and beautiful, it needs to be fed. During the period of active growth, this is done once a month. It is easier to use complex fertilizers. You can alternate organic and.

The root system of laurel does not like to be disturbed. But the tree is growing and needs to be replanted. Therefore, it is better to do this by transshipment. So the root system moves from one flowerpot to another, along with a clod of earth, with little or no damage.

Young laurel trees are transplanted approximately once every 2 years.

If it does not grow very actively, and there is enough space in the pot for the roots, you can do this even less often. Five-year-old plants and older are transplanted after 4 years. A new pot is taken 3 cm wider than the previous one. A layer of drainage is laid at the bottom. It will ensure the timely outflow of water and save root system from stagnant water.

The soil can be taken almost any, even the usual garden. Add some humus. If the soil is clayey, add sand to increase moisture permeability. If it is sandy, add a little clay. It will help you keep required amount moisture. Plentifully water the laurel, wait until the water is absorbed, and the soil lags behind the walls of the pot. Carefully take out the tree, laying it on its side on a matting or oilcloth. Examine the root system. If there are damaged roots, they are carefully cut off, powdered with crushed charcoal. If possible, take out drainage stones braided with roots.

Laurel crown lends itself well to shaping and pruning:

It is carried out in early spring, so that young shoots have time to grow. Lignified branches are shortened by 20 cm. New shoots will appear from the buds located below the cut point, the bush will become curly and voluminous.
Pruning can give laurel desired shape: ball, cone, pyramid or other figured.
To form a crown unusual shape you need to start at a young age, cut more often, but little by little.
Some flower growers advise cutting laurel at the end of summer. Leave young shoots that will grow in the spring.

To remove scale insects manually, remove them with a damp cotton swab. This is a longer process. Processing must be carried out until the scale insects become. But then you need to control for some more time, because juveniles may appear. Laurel at home is susceptible to some diseases, fungal or viral. A sign of damage can be a black sooty coating on the underside of the leaves. To combat them, biological preparations are used, for example, Gamair.

If the conditions for growing laurel are violated, it reacts by changing its appearance:

If the air in the room is too dry, the leaves begin to curl.
If they dry, you need to lower the air temperature in the room.

These same symptoms may indicate high air density. Lower the temperature or transfer the plant to a cool place. Cover with a plastic bag. This will help increase the humidity. Soon, young leaves will begin to grow.

If the indoor temperature is too high in winter, the laurel can completely shed its leaves.

In this case, you need to move it to a cooler room. If you put it on plastic bag, then the leaves will recover very quickly. Laurel leaves are almost the same as those sold in the store. But experts do not advise using it for food. It may happen that when grown in a greenhouse or in a flower shop, it was amenable to processing chemicals, harmful to human body. And in modern apartments and offices, it can absorb hazardous substances. In addition, as a result of drying at home, the leaves may lose their aroma.

More information can be found in the video:

Laurel is beautiful, useful and rather unpretentious. It is not capricious, it develops well in the shade and in partial shade, and on a sunny windowsill. Will grow more or less luxuriantly in any soil. The leaves become more fragrant if the tree gets enough sunlight. Laurel is beautiful, useful and rather unpretentious. It is not capricious, it develops well in the shade and in partial shade, and on a sunny windowsill. Will grow more or less luxuriantly in any soil.

The leaves become more fragrant if the tree receives enough sunlight.
Lavra needs fresh air, while it is not afraid of drafts and sudden changes in temperature. In the summer, the plants are exposed to the street.

Indoor bay leaf care
Temperature regime

When kept indoors in winter, plants require fairly cold air. A temperature of 10 degrees is unacceptable for human habitation, but it is comfortable for laurel plants to winter in such conditions. If there is a cool place in the house for hibernation, at least 15 degrees, then with the onset of heat, the laurel will thank with violent growth. And in the coolness, the plant rests, gaining strength.
In the spring season, laurels are ready to migrate to the street already at the first positive temperatures, especially at night. In the spring season, they will like temperatures of 18-20 degrees.
But in summer - a little below 30 degrees, optimally 20-25. Closer to autumn, the temperature of the content is gradually reduced and the plant is prepared for a painless wintering.

Bay leaf care at home
Lighting

Laurel is steadfastly not afraid of direct sunlight at all and blissfully thrives on brightly lit southern windowsills. In the summer, of course, he will like it more outdoors- in the garden or at least on the balcony, veranda. However, you should not abuse the sun's rays immediately after buying a seedling, as well as after a cool winter. Out of habit, laurel can get sunburn. Therefore, bright sunlight should be added gradually.

Watering

Lavra needs watering with soft water room temperature. It should be watered every time the topsoil dries up - about once every three days. But if it is very hot and the earth dries, then you can water it several times a day.
Closer to autumn, when the air temperature drops, watering is reduced. In winter, once every few days is enough. You still need to focus on the drying of the soil surface.

Laurel home care
Humidity

Laurel just loves moist air. You can provide him with constant comfort by the following conditions:
warm shower;
spraying;
tray or stand with wet drainage material.

The pot itself should be above the surface of the water. The roots of the plant should not be blocked. It is necessary to spray in good faith so that moisture gets not only outside, but also inside the crown.

How to care for laurel
Feeding and transplanting

In the first year of life, a bay seedling will feel good without additional nutrition. But already in the second year it will need to be fed. A little will be enough to provide the plant mineral fertilizers. They are paid monthly.

Laurel does not particularly suffer from the scarcity of the soil. The only thing he does not tolerate is excess moisture in the ground.

The bay tree grows slowly. When kept in containers, trees need to be replanted periodically. Young growth is transplanted often - every couple of years. When transplanting, take a pot 2 cm wider than the old one. For older trees, the pot is changed after 3-4 years.

Laurel will respond gratefully not only to mineral, but also to organic top dressing. You can use diluted with water and infused pigeon droppings. Sometimes diluted slurry is also taken. Mineral and organic top dressings need to be alternated. Before fertilizing, the soil must be well wetted so as not to burn the roots.
After transplant nutrients The plant will last for a long time, for 4-5 months. Ideal for transplanting the same soil composition as before.
For planting and transplanting laurel plants, containers and pots made of natural materials.

Laurel at home care
Pest protection

In an apartment or inside a house, laurel develops beautifully if you provide it with moist soil (but without waterlogging!) And a regular shower. If the air is too dry, the plant begins to shed its leaves. Under normal conditions, some leaves fall off naturally, mostly old ones that are at least three years old.

Laurel care
pruning

Laurel can accelerate in growth and grow up to six meters. But uncontrolled growth will lead to a chaotic formation of the crown. The bay tree will look untidy and indoors can even create inconvenience. Timely pruning of the crown is needed not only to give the plant aesthetic appearance, but also for better ventilation - as a prevention against diseases and pests.

They begin to deal with the crown when the tree reaches the age of two. The top of the main shoot is cut off, leaving 10-15 cm above the ground. When they grow from the remaining stem side shoots and reach 15-20 cm, they need to be pinched. Thus, the laurel will branch magnificently.
Laurel easily tolerates a haircut, so it can be given any, even the most fantasy forms: a ball, a pyramid, a stem, an interesting sculpture, a composition, or even a whole hedge. If pruning is done after mid-August, when the growth of the plant stops, then the remaining growth buds will form well before the onset of winter and will grow in the spring.
Shearing does not contribute to the fruiting of the laurel. Domestic laurel trees that grow in tubs or in the garden do not bloom.
Growing laurel, due to its unpretentiousness and versatility, can be an exciting experience.