How the bay leaf blooms. Laurel (laurel tree) - cultivation, care and reproduction

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 - an interesting detail of the interior: a laurel, properly groomed, 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

AT natural conditions 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 being kept in flat room conditions. Daily fluctuations are also welcome. Generally temperature regime is:

• 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 will do universal soil from those that are found on sale. 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 done carefully, and even better to cover trunk circle 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, in winter, the earthy lump is only slightly moistened.

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 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.

There are several ways to get laurel planting material:

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

Laurel cuttings

Most efficient way- 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. Good idea – fertile soil under a layer of sand. Roots, having strengthened in safe environment, 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, a plastic bag with a substrate is fixed on the stem. 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 Ivan-tea;
• 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 extremely 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 her laurel endures stoically, young tree can be given any shape. 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. AT 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 their 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.

Laurel noble - small evergreen tree or shrub. Its homeland is the Mediterranean. It is this plant that has leathery fragrant leaves that we are all used to using as a culinary seasoning. In addition, the leaves have high healing properties Therefore, they are used in the treatment of many ailments, including chronic cholecystitis, cholelithiasis. Broths promote digestion, stimulate appetite.

Laurel leaves contain essential laurel oil, as well as acetic, valeric acid, bitterness, tannins and many others useful substances.

Many amateur gardeners have long and successfully grown laurel on their own. personal plot and even at home. Let's try to figure out how to grow a bay leaf at home. We will talk about this today on the website www.site.

Plant care rules

as decorative indoor plant, noble laurel has been used since the 16th century. When the plant reaches the age of 3-4 years, start collecting its leaves. They are harvested during the cold season, from November to February. The twigs along with the leaves are cut off, after which the leaves are separated and dried in a dry, dark place. Then they are stored in glass jars or canvas bags.

Laurel is not whimsical, adapts to both sunny and shady rooms. But in the summer it is better to place it in the garden or on the balcony. AT winter time it can be determined in the kitchen or other bright and not hot room. At home, the bush can live up to 15 years. An adult tree is very beautiful and can become a real decoration for a winter garden.

In summer, when it is hot, the tree needs to be watered intensively. For irrigation, use water at room temperature, as laurel does not like cold water. In winter, water less often, but do not let the soil dry out in a pot. If the air in the room is too dry and hot, spray the tree with lukewarm water.

Choose a light, calcareous soil for planting. It is best to purchase a ready-made mixture. Well suited specialized ready mix"Cactus". Until the bush has reached the age of 5 years, it should be replanted every year. After 5 years of age, transplant it once every 4 years.

For better growth and development of your tree, be sure to feed it. Fertilize at least once a month. He will definitely "like" concentrated fertilizers Cactus "or" Palm.

How to grow a laurel bush from seeds?

It is best to grow laurel from seed. Such trees are better adapted to life at home. It is best to start planting seeds in autumn or spring. If this is not possible, store them until this time covered with sand in a cold place.

First, prepare a small box with an earthen mixture. It should consist of soddy, leafy soil, with the addition of sand (1: 1: 0.5). Now the seeds need to be cleaned of pulp, as it prevents their germination. Then plant them in a box with prepared soil, cover with glass or plastic wrap on top.

After the seedlings germinate and give 2 leaves, they should be planted in small pots. Cups of yogurt will do. Later, plant the grown plants in separate convenient ceramic pots.

Reproduction of laurel cuttings

To grow a tree from a cutting, you need to wait until March-April. You will need mature, but not yet stiff shoots from a healthy bush. Cut them 6-8 cm long. Be careful: when cutting the cutting with a knife, they do not cut to the end, but partially tear off the bark with adjacent tissues. It turns out such a small protrusion (heel) below the lower node. The lower leaves should be removed.

Cuttings usually take root quite difficult. So it's best to use special means- root formation stimulants, for example "Kornevin". Wet the cuttings, dip in the preparation, shake off the excess. Plant the prepared cuttings in coarse clean sand to a depth of about 2 cm. Stretch from above polyethylene film. Just make sure that it does not come into contact with the cuttings, so set the pegs inside. It turns out something like a mini greenhouse.

After about 30 days, the cuttings will take root. Plant them in pots with prepared soil. The diameter of the pots is better to use 7-9 cm.

Growing bay leaves at home is a very exciting experience. After all, a grown plant can be given any interesting shape. In many southern countries, there are entire parks with evergreen animals, figurines, hedges, which are made of laurel bushes. At home, in a room, you can also form various compositions from bay leaves. Just trim your plant frequently. Give your tree the shape of a ball or pyramid.

The crown can be formed starting from the 2nd year of life. For this upper part the main shoot must be cut off, leaving a sprout 10-12 cm above the soil surface. After some time, 2-3 young shoots will appear from the lower buds. After they grow by 15-20 cm, they should be pinched. Thus, the tree grows by 8-10 cm per year.

So we talked about the bay leaf plant, growing at home in the room and caring for it. By growing a bay tree, you will get not only a very beautiful, ornamental plant, but you will get a real green doctor and cook. Good luck in your endeavors!

noble laurel in wild nature grows throughout the Mediterranean. Laurel noble is often grown as a houseplant.

If wild specimens growing in open field, reach 10 m in height, then potted trees are much smaller. In height, they do not exceed 1.5 m. With the help of pruning, it is easy to get a beautiful lush and compact plant.

Laurel leaves have a pleasant smell. They distribute essential oils that have bactericidal properties.

In the article, we will take a closer look at caring for a bay tree at home.

In summer, the plant can be kept at room temperature (22-25°C). Laurel tolerates heat well above 30 ° C. But in winter it is necessary to provide the tree with a cool wintering: during this period it will be at rest. AT winter period laurel is transferred to covered veranda with a temperature of 8-10°C.

In the room where the noble laurel grows, there should always be fresh air.

This plant is not afraid of drafts and responds positively to the daily airing of the room. Laurel should be kept in good diffused lighting.. In summer, it requires shading from direct sunlight.

In winter, lighting should be maximum: at this time, direct rays do not harm the plant. It is best to place the tree on the windowsills of the east and west windows.

In winter, the noble laurel should be moved to the south or southwest side, where there is more light.

Laurel is adapted to a subtropical humid climate. In the apartment, it is desirable to create similar living conditions for him. Humidification is especially important for a plant in the summer heat.

In summer, laurel should be sprayed with separated tap water 2 times a day. It is also useful to humidify the surrounding air by placing the pot in a deep pan with moistened sand, expanded clay or pebbles.

Weekly, the tree is washed in the shower to wash off dust and pests falling on the leaves. In winter, when the laurel is at rest, it does not need to be sprayed.

Watering and fertilizing

Laurel is a moisture-loving plant, but it does not tolerate stagnant water in a pot. Therefore, in the summer it is watered abundantly, but they make sure that excess moisture leaves the ground into the pan. After watering, the top layer of soil should dry out by 2-3 cm. Only after that it is necessary to moisten the soil again.

An earthen ball near a laurel should in no case dry out completely. Such drying will be detrimental to the tree.

In winter, when the room temperature is maintained at about 10ºС, the plant is watered very rarely. Excessive moisture at low temperatures contributes to the rapid development of fungal infections.

Watering is carried out only when the top layer of the earth, as in summer, dries up by 2-3 cm. And just like in summer, the clod of earth in a pot should not be allowed to dry completely.

Usually in winter, laurel is watered every 3-4 weeks.

Feed the tree only in spring and summer during the growing season. Fertilizers are applied to moist soil 2 times a month. For top dressing, you can use any mineral complex fertilizers. In winter, during the dormant period, top dressing is not carried out.

Transplantation and propagation of laurel

Transplantation of young plants is carried out annually. Trees from 5 years of age can be every 3-4 years. Transplantation is carried out in the spring at the end of March or beginning of April after the end of the dormant period before the start of active growth.

It is useful to add a little crushed to the soil for room laurel charcoal

The best soil for laurel is a mixture sod land, humus, leaf ground, peat and coarse sand in equal proportions.

It's also useful to add a small amount of crushed charcoal to prevent the development of fungal infections.

However, this tree is not too demanding on the composition of the soil. You can use any purchased universal land for transplanting a plant, and even soil brought from the garden.

To transplant a laurel, you need to take a not too large pot., it should be larger than the previous one by only 1-1.5 cm in diameter.

The drainage hole is closed with a shard, and a drainage layer 2-3 cm thick of pebbles or expanded clay is poured onto the bottom.

The tree is taken out of the old pot and part of the old earth is carefully shaken off the roots. Then the roots are placed in a new pot, covered with soil and lightly crushed. After transplanting, the plant should be watered abundantly.

With the reproduction of laurel at home, difficulties arise.

This article is often read:

It is a plant by seeds and cuttings. The first method is rarely used by amateur flower growers: laurel seeds cannot be stored for a long time, since their germination is quickly lost. Therefore, when buying seeds, the chance to acquire defective goods very large.

Laurel cuttings are carried out in March, since only in spring the cut cuttings can take root. In summer and autumn, cuttings do not take root and disappear.

Semi-lignified branches about 10 cm long are suitable for rooting, on which there are at least 3 internodes. They are treated with a stimulant root growth and rooted in soil covered with a thick layer of sand.

For successful rooting, it is necessary to cover the cutting with a glass jar and maintain a temperature of 22-25ºС. Usually cuttings take root in a month.

Pruning laurel and shaping its crown

Indoor laurel is good for pruning, so it can be given any desired shape, for example, spherical, cone-shaped or cubic. Pruning a tree can be started from the age of 5. It is important to know that having shaped the plant once, it should be maintained annually by trimming the tree with pruners.

Here is one of the methods that allow you to grow a laurel not a low stem. The grown seedling is pinched at a height of 12-14 cm. Of the lateral shoots that appear after that, 4-6 pieces are left. When they grow up to 12-14 cm, their tops are pinched. In the same way, pruning of subsequent shoots is carried out, which allows you to form a beautiful, lush crown.

Most optimal time for pruning - August-September when the plant ends active vegetation. In this case, the eyes remaining on the tree will be able to develop well before the start of winter, and in the spring they will give strong shoots. Also, pruning can be carried out in the spring, in March. With this temporary variant of crown formation, weaker eyes remain, so the growth will not be as large as with autumn pruning.

Bay leaf diseases at home

Growing laurel at home is rarely accompanied by disease. It is very resistant to fungus and viral infections. Only with regular waterlogging of the soil can it suffer from root rot, so the watering regimen for this plant must be strictly observed.

Of the laurels, the scale insect most often affects. The first sign of damage is the appearance of sticky secretions on the leaves of the plant. essential oils. The shield is hard to deal with.

Adult insects from the plant must be manually removed.. Young scale insects can be washed off with a jet warm water, but after that it is still recommended to treat the plant with insecticides several times until the pest is completely destroyed.

Much less often the plant is affected spider mites and mealybugs. Only purchased pesticides will help against these insects.

Now you know everything about caring for indoor noble laurel at home.

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 a container under plastic bag, suspended from a wire or something 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 locations, but a potted bay tree will need to be constantly repotted and replaced with soil to ensure the best growth. Spring is the 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.

How to grow bay leaves at home? Laurel noble - a small evergreen tree or shrub. Its homeland is the Mediterranean. It is this plant that has leathery fragrant leaves that we are all used to using as a culinary seasoning. In addition, the leaves have high healing properties, so they are used in the treatment of many ailments, including chronic cholecystitis, cholelithiasis.
. Broths promote digestion, stimulate appetite.

Laurel leaves contain essential laurel oil, as well as acetic, valeric acids, bitterness, tannins and many other useful substances.

Many amateur gardeners have long and successfully grown laurel in their backyard, and even at home. Let's try to figure out how to grow a bay leaf at home.
Plant care guidelines.

As an ornamental houseplant, noble laurel has been used since the 16th century. When the plant reaches the age of 3-4 years, start collecting its leaves. They are harvested during the cold season, from November to February. The twigs along with the leaves are cut off, after which the leaves are separated and dried in a dry, dark place. Then stored in glass jars or canvas bags.

Laurel is not whimsical, adapts to both sunny and shady rooms. But in the summer it is better to place it in the garden or on the balcony. In winter, it can be determined in the kitchen or other bright and not hot room. At home, the bush can live up to 15 years. An adult tree is very beautiful and can become a real decoration for a winter garden.

In summer, when it is hot, the tree needs to be watered intensively. For irrigation, use water at room temperature, as laurel does not like cold water. In winter, water less often, but do not let the soil dry out in a pot. In the event that the air in the room is too dry and hot, spray the tree with lukewarm water.

Choose a light, calcareous soil for planting. It is best to purchase a ready-made mixture. A specialized ready-made mixture "Cactus" is well suited. Until the bush has reached the age of 5 years, it should be replanted every year. After 5 years of age, transplant it once every 4 years.

For the best growth and development of your tree, be sure to feed it. Fertilize at least once a month. He will definitely "Taste" concentrated fertilizers cactus "or" palm tree ".

How to grow a laurel bush from seeds?

It is best to grow laurel from seed. Such trees adapt better to life at home. It is best to start planting seeds in autumn or spring. In the event that this is not possible, store them until this time sprinkled with sand in a cold place.

First, prepare a small box with an earthen mixture. It should consist of soddy, leafy soil, with the addition of sand (1: 1: 0.5. now the seeds need to be cleaned of pulp, as it prevents them from germinating. Then plant them in a box with prepared soil, cover with glass or plastic wrap on top .

After the seedlings germinate and give 2 leaves, they should be planted in small pots. Cups of yogurt will do. Later, plant the grown plants in separate convenient ceramic pots.

Reproduction of laurel cuttings.

To grow a tree from a cutting, you need to wait until March - April. You will need mature, but not yet stiff shoots from a healthy bush. Cut them 6-8 cm long. Be careful: when cutting the cutting with a knife, they do not cut to the end, but partially tear off the bark with adjacent tissues. It turns out such a small protrusion (heel) below the lower node. The lower leaves should be removed.

Cuttings are usually difficult to root. Therefore, it is best to use special tools - root formation stimulants, for example, "Kornevin". Wet the cuttings, dip in the preparation, shake off the excess. Plant the prepared cuttings in coarse, clean sand to a depth of about 2 cm. Stretch a plastic wrap on top. Just make sure that it does not come into contact with the cuttings, so set the pegs inside. Something like a mini greenhouse.

After about 30 days, the cuttings will take root. Plant them in pots with prepared soil. The diameter of the pots is better to use 7-9 cm.

Growing bay leaves at home is a very exciting experience. After all, a grown plant can be given any interesting shape. In many southern countries, there are entire parks with evergreen animals, figurines, hedges, which are made of laurel bushes. At home, in a room, you can also form various compositions from bay leaves. Just trim your plant frequently. Give your tree the shape of a ball or pyramid.

The crown can be formed starting from the 2nd year of life. To do this, the upper part of the main shoot must be cut off, leaving a sprout 10-12 cm above the soil surface. After some time, 2-3 young shoots will appear from the lower buds. After they grow by 15-20 cm, they should be pinched. Thus, the tree grows by 8-10 cm per year.

So we talked about the bay leaf plant, growing at home in the room and caring for it. By growing a bay tree, you will not only get a very beautiful, ornamental plant, but you will also get a real green healer and cook. Good luck in your endeavors!