Relict laurel tree at home: care, growing conditions, planting and propagation

• November 8, 2018
• Houseplants
• Ksenia Stepanishcheva

Houses are decorated with many indoor flowers. But why do they plant laurel? In what conditions can this evergreen plant grow? In appearance it may be a small bush or a miniature tree. Bay trees are very easy to grow at home. It has decorative and useful functions. The nuances of its cultivation are described in the article.

Description

In nature, laurel grows as a tree or large shrub, the height of which can reach 9-11 m. The thickness of the trunk is 40-45 cm. When growing it at home, you can see how the laurel reaches two meters in height. The bark and shoots of the brown plant are particularly smooth.

Its leaves are entire, straight, short-petioled and entire-edged, can reach up to 20 cm in length and up to 5 cm in width. Their upper part is dark green and the lower part is light. Laurel has a special aroma. The flowers of the plant are small, yellowish and unisexual, formed in inflorescences at the tips of the branches, 6-12 staminate and 2-3 pistillate.

When growing a tree at home, it may never bloom in its entire life. And if there is flowering, it will be in late spring. In nature, laurel grows for over 100 years; at home, life expectancy can reach 15 years.

Laurel is considered a noble plant; it is hardy and easy to care for. Therefore, anyone can grow it. But development should not be neglected. Caring for a bay tree at home is quite simple, but it is necessary.

How to grow a bay leaf from a cutting (twig)

Ideally, if you have the opportunity to get branches of at least 15 cm from an adult healthy plant and plant them. The cuttings should be slightly firm, flexible and green. This material is well suited for growing new bay leaves at home.

The more cuttings you take, the greater your chances of successfully rooting a new plant.

Step-by-step instruction:

1. Mix equal parts soil, sand and vermiculite and fill a small container with the mixture.
2. Remove leaves from the cuttings, except for the top two. Cut the top leaves in half horizontally.
3. Dip the bay sprig into the liquid root growth stimulator and, according to the directions on the package, soak in it for the required amount of time.
4. Stick the bottom of the bay laurel cutting into the soil mixture to a depth of 5 to 6 cm.
5. Firm the soil around the cuttings and water to settle the soil around the stems.
6. Cover the container with a clear plastic bag to create a moist environment for the cuttings to root.
7. Place the cuttings in a warm, well-lit area, but not in direct sunlight. The air temperature should be up to 22 C.
8. Monitor the plantings daily and throw out rotten or wilted cuttings. Water when the soil layer dries 1-2 cm.
9. Check the roots once a month to determine if they are growing. Gently pull the branches up to feel if there is resistance.
10. Once the roots reach 2-3 cm, transplant the new plants into separate pots.

Propagating laurel from cuttings can take several months. This time is necessary for a normal root system suitable for planting to develop. Still, sometimes the branches never take root.

If you are not a fan of challenges and experiments, then it is best to simply buy a small bay tree from a garden store. This way, you can enjoy it without frustration and effort.

Benefits of laurel

Due to its aroma and pleasant bitterness, laurel has become a popular spice that stimulates appetite and promotes digestion. Essential oil has a disinfectant and insecticidal effect.

To prevent intestinal diseases and inflammatory processes in the upper respiratory tract, you just need to grow the plant in the room and inhale its aroma. The smell can be enhanced by watering the plant twice a week with a solution of aspirin (5 g per 1 liter of water) or glucose (1 ml per 1 liter of water). You can make medicinal decoctions and infusions from the leaves.

How to plant bay leaves with seeds?

Bay leaf is a well-known spice all over the world, which is usually added to first and second courses, marinades, sauces and even desserts. Dried bay leaf has a strong spicy aroma with a slight pleasant bitterness. In addition to cooking, the leaf is actively used in folk medicine as a diuretic, antiseptic and antimicrobial agent.

Decoctions and infusions, baths and lotions are prepared using bay leaves. Bay leaves are simply added to tea and hot drinks, or fresh leaves are chewed to get rid of bad breath or have a bactericidal effect. The laurel bush deserves special attention as an esoteric symbol. This plant is credited with protective properties for humans and the home from negative influences from the environment.

As a house plant, a laurel “tree” or bush is useful in any home. Laurel will not only decorate your home, but will also make the atmosphere in your home more favorable, friendly and kind. In addition, the leaves of the plant secrete special essential oils, which, as aromatherapy, have a beneficial effect on the moral and physical health of a person.

The easiest way to grow a bay bush is with seeds. It is grown in a pot and only from fresh seeds, which can be quite difficult to obtain (they are taken only from an adult plant). After you get the seeds, you should definitely soak them. This is done in regular and warm water.

Instead of water, you can also use a special product "Epin" , which was specially invented to regulate plant growth. Before placing the seeds in water, you should first carefully remove the scales (the shell that protects the inside) from them. The scales will hinder shoot growth and therefore removing them will speed up germination.

The seeds are kept in water until they swell (this is noticeable visually). Then they should be planted in a plastic cup with wet sand, cover the neck of the cup with cling film and leave at room temperature with enough light. 3-4 weeks for shoots to emerge . All this time, you should moisten the sand so that it does not dry out.

After the seed sprouts, you should remove the film from the cup and grow the plant until 2-4 small leaves appear . The field of this plant is planted in the ground. Laurel loves soil containing sand; “soil for succulents” is ideal.

How to grow a bay bush in a pot from seeds at home?

Use in cooking

Dry and fresh leaves, fruits, and powder made from dried leaves are used as a spice. They also use briquettes into which the crushed plant is pressed. The leaves are used in canning. They enhance and flavor sour dishes – sauces, gravies.

The leaves are added to first courses - soups, cabbage soup, borscht. They make savory second courses of lamb, beef, pork, boiled and stewed fish. They are combined with vegetable side dishes: beans, peas, beans, cabbage, carrots.

The bay leaf is added 5-7 minutes before the end of cooking. It is enough to put from 1 to 4 leaves. When the spice is added, the lid must be closed. The spice is removed from the prepared dish before serving.

The leaf allows you to straighten the taste and smell of jelly and offal dishes. It is used in the food industry in the creation of cheeses, sausages, pates, stews, sauces, marinades, for canning fish, making mayonnaise and ketchup. At home, the leaf is also used in canning. With other spices it gives a pleasant taste and aroma.

Types of indoor plants

A tree can be:

1. Noble.
2. Canary.

The second variety does not have such a strong aroma as the first, although it is considered the main botanical variety of laurel. Noble laurel can be narrow-leaved, golden, wrinkled. The Canarian species has wide, large leaves and also slightly wrinkled edges.

It is better to choose noble laurel for your home. For normal tree development, in addition to normal care, regular pruning and spraying are needed. You also need to monitor for diseases and control pests.

Place and light

The noble laurel needs an illuminated area with diffused light. Since this plant is shade-tolerant, it is also kept in a shaded place. However, growing it in diffused light conditions leads to flowering, and the bush itself becomes much denser.

In hot weather, do not expose yourself to constant direct rays of the sun. In summer, the plant is taken out into the garden or onto the balcony. In the apartment, pots are placed on the floor near the windows, in the corridor or hall. The plant needs regular ventilation, but should not create constant drafts.

Calendar of basic work on growing laurel

When growing and caring for laurel in open ground, you can follow this schedule for basic work.

In autumn and winter, the plant is disturbed minimally, since it is in a dormant state.
Such seasonal work is carried out at home.

In spring and summer, the plant needs to be periodically fed, watered, and pruned.
The plantings are regularly watered throughout the year. In summer, plants are watered more often and more abundantly. In winter, the intensity and volume of watering should be reduced.

Temperature and humidity

When growing a bay tree in a pot, it is necessary to maintain the appropriate temperature and humidity. In the summer, the plant is taken outside; it is unpretentious. The best temperature is 15-20 0C. In summer, the plant requires spraying the leaves twice a week to maintain subtropical climate conditions.

Since autumn, the laurel needs peace. This time lasts from October to March. It is required to place the plant in a place with low light and humidity. The temperature should be no more than +10 0C and no less than -5 0C. The dormant period prevents the growth of unwanted shoots, which cause the tree to become weak.

In April, when frosts are no longer dangerous, the laurel is taken out into the garden. If it is still cold during this period, then it is advisable to keep it in the house until it warms up, spraying it once a week.

How to properly care for bay leaf seedlings?

Laurel seedlings are young shoots grown from seeds. By properly caring for seedlings, you can ensure that your plant is strong and healthy. You can grow seedlings in a greenhouse, or you can grow them at home on a windowsill.

The main thing you need to provide the seedlings is warmth and humidity. Make sure that the temperature does not drop below minus 12-9 degrees, otherwise you risk “losing” the plants. Seeds for seedlings should be grown in carbonated soil.

Provide the seedlings with enough light by placing the pots on window sills or installing special lighting lamps. Only those plants that have already gained strong roots should be planted in the ground (garden, vegetable garden, plot), no earlier than 2-3 years.

Self-planting laurel bushes

The soil

How to grow a bay tree at home? Saplings that emerged from seeds need to be transplanted. A drainage layer of expanded clay is poured into the pot. The soil for the bay tree should be moist, but you should not let the water become stagnant, as this will cause the plant to die.

It is important that the soil is light. Any universal soil that is commercially available is suitable for laurel. You can also make it yourself: you need turf and leaf soil, fine washed river sand (in a ratio of 2:1:0.5). Before planting, the soil needs to be heated in the oven. It is prohibited to set a high temperature, because beneficial substances are destroyed.

Reproduction

Money tree - how to plant a shoot at home

The laurel tree can reproduce in the following ways:

• Using a sprout cutting,
• Seeds,
• Roots.

There may also be offspring. When an adult laurel plant is replanted, the suckers are separated and carefully planted in separate containers.

By layering

The shoots of the plant are very flexible; they can also be propagated by layering. To propagate them in this way, you should trim the low branches of the parent plant in winter.

This is done with the aim of the appearance of new, younger, stronger shoots in the spring. The soil from which the cuttings will subsequently be taken should be prepared: soil, peat fertilizer and gravel for drainage are mixed in equal proportions. Shoots that are ripe are set aside for the summer.

Rooted cuttings of Laurel nobilis

Each shoot is placed in a special groove of prepared soil, then it is covered and the soil is compacted. The bay leaf will strengthen over the course of two to three months, so the soil should be moistened equally throughout this period.

As soon as strengthening has occurred, it is necessary to rake the ground between the cuttings and the parent bush. A month later, pinch the cone of the growing layer and carefully remove it. The rhizome must be well developed. It is important to protect young animals from frost and dryness by covering them with straw or fabric material.

Additional Information. To prevent the cuttings from dying, they can be planted not in open ground, but in specially prepared soil: this is a mixture of soil, peat and crushed bark. Then the cuttings in pots are placed in a greenhouse until spring, where they are provided with careful cultivation and proper care.

Cuttings

Cuttings are strictly selected. They should have three or four internodes. Before planting, they should be fed by dipping them into the Kornevin solution, then they will take root well. Afterwards they are lowered into a container of water, where they remain until the roots appear.

The addition of laurel cuttings is carried out after the roots appear immediately in a mixture of sand, peat and leaf soil. Then the soil is well moistened and the plant is covered with a transparent cap.

Important! Be sure to ventilate the young after cuttings. Otherwise, the newly emerged roots will begin to rot and the plant will die.

The most active breeding season for laurel is spring.

Growing from seeds

To propagate laurel by seeds, you need to be patient and acquire some skills.

Sowing begins in early spring in light soil, the seeds are laid out to a depth of one and a half centimeters. The first germination of seeds, as a rule, occurs only after two months.

Additional Information. When purchasing seeds in a store, you should carefully study the packaging date. Laurel seeds are distinguished by the fact that they lose their ability to germinate in a short time.

The sprouts that appear may not take root. Of 100 percent of cases, only half can survive. Often, special hormonal drugs are used to increase this percentage. With them, the process of formation and formation of the root system is accelerated.

Sowing seeds

How to grow laurel at home? To do this, you can choose to sow seeds. You can grow a bay tree at home by following certain rules. It is advisable that the seeds be from the south, since then you will get high-quality laurel. Sowing is carried out in mid-February - early March. Seeds should be planted 1 cm deep in the soil. The temperature should be 20 0C. The first shoots will appear after 3-4 months.

Before planting the laurel in the ground, the seeds are kept in a solution of potassium permanganate for 3-5 days, as this accelerates germination. Upon completion of planting, the container with the plant must be placed in a warm place, moistened and covered with polyethylene. Before sprouts appear, remove the polyethylene from the pot for ventilation for at least 30 minutes a day. It is also necessary to control soil moisture, it should be moderate, and liquid stagnation should not be allowed. In dry soil, the seeds die, and in a very humid environment the plant rots.

Water the seeds and sprouts with settled warm water. The temperature of the liquid should be 4-5 0C higher than room temperature. When the first shoots form, the cover from the pot should be removed, but soil moisture should continue to be monitored. When the first pair of leaves appears on the sprouts, the seedlings are transplanted into a spacious container, and humus and peat (1:1/2) are added to the prepared soil. After transplantation, the plant is placed in a dark place for 2-3 weeks, maintaining humidity. After 2-3 weeks, the seedlings are moved to light for active growth.

Care for laurel at home

Illumination

Laurel needs a lot of bright light, but direct rays of the sun do not cause any harm to it. In this regard, it is recommended to grow it on a south-facing window. If possible, in the warm season the bush can be taken outside. Despite the fact that it tolerates direct sun rays well, a newly purchased plant or after wintering must be accustomed to bright light gradually, otherwise sunburn may appear on the surface of the foliage. In winter, the bush is moved to a cool but well-lit place.

Temperature

In the warm season, the following air temperature is recommended for the laurel - from 20 to 26 degrees. With the onset of autumn weeks, the temperature in the room is gradually lowered. And in winter, in order for the plant to suffer as little as possible, the temperature in the room should be from 12 to 15 degrees.

Watering

In spring and summer, the bush should be watered abundantly, using soft water. The soil mixture in the pot is moistened immediately after its top layer dries. If the room is too hot, then watering can be done twice a day. With the onset of autumn, watering is reduced, and in the winter months it is carried out only when two or three days have passed since the top layer of the substrate has dried.

Spraying

Laurel grows normally and develops only with high air humidity; therefore, it must be regularly moistened with well-settled water from a spray bottle. Experts also advise pouring wet peat or expanded clay into a tray and placing a pot on it, but its bottom should not come into contact with the liquid.

Fertilizer

During active growth, domestic laurel should be fed with mineral fertilizers once every four weeks.

Trimming

Laurel tolerates pruning well, so it can be done regularly. During this procedure, the bush can be given any shape you like. Pruning is carried out only when the intensive growth of the bush stops, as a rule, this time occurs in mid-August. The eyes remaining on the plant after cutting will develop well before the onset of winter, and in the spring after the start of the growing season they will produce young shoots.

If pruning is carried out in the spring, then the strong eyes at the top should be cut off. And from the remaining weaker eyes the increase will not be very large.

Laurel transplant

Laurel is one of the slow-growing plants. Therefore, it is replanted only if necessary, after the root system becomes very crowded in the pot. As a rule, young bushes are replanted once every 2 years, and adults - once every 3 or 4 years. A soil mixture suitable for replanting should consist of peat, sand, humus, turf and leaf soil (1: 1: 2: 1: 2). Please note that the earth mixture should be slightly alkaline or neutral.

At home, laurel grows and develops well in small pots, so for replanting you need to use a container that is only 20 mm larger in diameter than the old one. When transplanting an adult bush, the size of the tub is increased by no more than 50 mm. A good drainage layer must be made at the bottom of the container.

Laurel. Transfer. [Hope and Peace]

Diseases and pests

If the humidity level in the room is too low, this may cause the leaves to yellow and curl. In this case, take all necessary measures to increase the humidity.

The most common pests that inhabit the bush are mealybugs, scale insects and spider mites.

Planting by dividing a bush

How to plant a laurel tree at home? This can be done by dividing the bush. In this case, the bay tree grows faster at home. Divide carefully; each branch separated from the base of the plant should have viable roots. Division should be done only during the time when the laurel is in a dormant state - from October to March, and not earlier than it turns three years old. The first time, divide the bush into small parts and take 2-3 branches. It is not worth dividing the bush before it reaches three years of age, since the young plant may die.

Growing laurel from seeds

Growing laurel from seeds The method of growing laurel from seeds is the most reliable, since the development of young plants from the very beginning occurs in the same conditions, and therefore they are not subject to special stress. Bay tree seeds can be found in flower shops or ordered online. Great luck and almost one hundred percent guarantee - freshly collected seeds. But in any case, the seeds should be stored in the refrigerator until sowing. This is the key to their best germination. In addition, laurel seeds have a thick skin, and to facilitate the emergence of the sprout, the seeds are soaked for several days. To accelerate germination and stimulate growth, you can soak it in a special activating solution. For example, the growth drug “Epin” showed excellent results. For sowing seeds, prepare any fertile soil, but the top layer in the container, 2-3 cm thick, must 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 film to retain moisture in the soil. Seeds germinate for quite a long time, up to several months. If you are patient 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, remove the film from the greenhouse and wait for the first leaves to form. Small laurels with two leaves can already be transplanted into a separate pot. The website has detailed instructions for growing laurel from seeds.

Cuttings

How to grow a bay tree in another way? This can be done by cuttings. In this case, it is very difficult for the indoor laurel plant to develop. This procedure is performed at the end of spring or with the arrival of summer. Cuttings can be annual and mature laurel shoots. Cuttings 7-9 cm long should be cut from the middle or lower part of the bush at an oblique angle. The lower leaves are removed from the cuttings, and the upper ones are cut in half.

Then the cuttings are planted in the substrate. It is prepared from leaf soil and bog moss in equal proportions. It is advisable to add half of the sand. Expanded clay drainage is placed at the bottom of the container, covered with substrate and moistened. The cuttings should be planted 2 cm deep and covered with polyethylene. The seedlings are sprayed and ventilated daily. It is important to ensure that the soil is always moist. With proper care, the cuttings will develop roots after 1-2 months.

What to do after planting a bay tree? Home care is an important part. It is necessary to monitor the condition of the bush, water it, and fertilize the soil. And to get a decorative look, pruning is required.

Propagation of Laurus nobilis

Despite the plant’s popular status, propagating laurels is not an easy task. Plant cuttings can be cut only in mid-spring (April) and the first half of summer (June-July). They are rooted under a hood, maintaining light substrate moisture and a temperature of about 25 degrees. Young plants require cool wintering and impeccable care.

Indoor laurels are also grown from seeds. You will have to wait several years for the result, but there is nothing complicated in sowing and the plants develop quickly. Laurel seeds are sown in the spring, to a depth of 1-2 cm, in a mixture of substrate and sand in equal parts. It is enough to keep the crops warm at a temperature of 18 to 23 degrees.

The seedlings sprout after the appearance of the second true leaf. Usually two picks are used; seedlings are transferred to individual containers only for the next year. The most important thing in care is to maintain average air humidity and constant light soil moisture. At the beginning of plant development, it is better to keep it cool; wintering in low temperatures is mandatory for seedlings.

Transfer

This procedure should not be performed frequently. A small tree should not be transplanted into a large pot. A small container is also suitable for laurel. When it grows and the pot becomes cramped, you need another container, the diameter of which is 4 cm larger.

Transplantation is carried out by rearranging the earthen lump into another container. You need to add the missing soil to the pot. Then the transplanted laurel is watered. Transplantation manipulations can be carried out in spring or summer.

Watering and fertilizing

It is necessary to water at any stage of development. When planting seeds and for the development of roots in cuttings, warm, soft, settled water is required. An adult plant does not need warm water; it is enough that it is at room temperature.

It is important to distinguish between seasonal moisture patterns. This must be done constantly in spring and summer to prevent the soil from drying out. In autumn, watering should be reduced. In winter, it is strictly limited, and if the tree is located in a room with a temperature of less than 6 degrees, then these procedures are stopped. Young plants need leaf spraying to improve growth. Adults spray to eliminate dust on the leaves and crown.

Feeding is necessary during and after transplantation. Mature trees are slow growing. To prevent their depletion, it is necessary to change the top 3-4 cm of soil. Top dressing can be a substrate that includes turf soil, leaf soil, peat, humus (1: 1: 0.5: 0.5). Feeding should be done 1-2 times a month during active growth, but this should not be done in winter. Laurel is suitable for organic fertilizers, which are available in garden stores. Mineral fertilizers are used no more than once a month.

Recommendations for proper cultivation

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

Recommendations for the proper cultivation of bay leaves Bay bay loves water very much, so at least once a month it needs to be given 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, replanting 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 he could use some fresh air. As long as temperatures allow, laurel can be kept on the balcony or in the garden, and brought indoors before winter.

To grow bay leaves at home, you will need knowledge of its needs and growing conditions - you will find all this in this guide. It is one of the most commonly used and well-known herbs and you can get fresh leaves any time of the year if you plant this plant. Find out everything about how to grow a bay leaf in a pot on a windowsill and appreciate all its benefits for yourself.

Trimming Features

When growing a bay tree at home, care involves pruning. This procedure is carried out for decorative purposes. Since the plant is considered noble, it tolerates pruning well. The plant can be shaped into a ball or pyramid.

The procedure must be performed at least once so that the bush takes on the desired shape. Then the laurel is trimmed with pruning shears to maintain external beauty. The bush tolerates pruning calmly, the plant grows slowly, so restoration of the crown and regrowth will take a long time. Pruning should be done in early spring.

Harvesting

If you grew your plant yourself, from cuttings or seeds, then start harvesting from the second or third year of its life.

To use as a seasoning, collect the largest leaves: the older the leaf, the stronger the flavor.

The collected leaves need to be dried, as fresh bay leaves are quite bitter. From the moment of cutting, 48 to 72 hours should pass. Of course, the store sells bay leaves that have been dried much longer, but freshly dried ones have a more pleasant aroma.

There are many reasons to plant a bay tree on your windowsill. It has attractive, shiny foliage that stays green year-round at home. This is a delight with a sweet aroma with a hint of spicy nutmeg. Be sure to take up growing bay leaves and become the owner of an evergreen, glossy decoration for your home, the leaves of which are used in a large number of recipes.

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

In ancient times, wreaths made of bay leaves were placed on the heads of winners and famous people. This plant is very convenient to grow at home, because, in addition to decorative decoration of the apartment, it also has useful functions. No need to run to the store for a bay leaf, you just need to pick it from the tree.

Growth and flowering

In indoor conditions, the plant can live for about 15 years, and on a personal plot - up to 60. Laurel has the following features:

1. The bush can reach 10-15 meters in height.
2. At home its length is 1.5-2 meters.
3. Small yellowish flowers bloom with the onset of spring; on some plants they are only staminate, while on others they are pistillate.
4. Flowering at home is considered rare.
5. After pollination, the fruits - blue berries - ripen.

Proper garden care

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

Advice

If you nevertheless take the risk of purchasing a plant in a region where winter temperatures drop below this norm, plant it in a wooden tub or garden pot. This will allow the laurel to be transported to a warmer place.

Conditions that must be observed when growing in the garden:

• choose a sunny place for planting;
• neutralize soil acidity;
• provide moderate watering;
• Feed the plant in a timely manner.

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

Bay leaf is an unpretentious plant; you can happily grow it at home, with a little experience in floriculture.

By planting shrubs in open ground, you will get a universal decorative element in your garden plot. Simple rules for planting and caring for plants will allow you to grow an environmentally friendly seasoning for culinary masterpieces at home.

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, bay laurel can be grown at home. You just need to be attentive to the needs of this Mediterranean miracle and take care of it the same way we take care of fish, parrots and other pets. Laurel trees are cultivated in subtropical latitudes, and they grow there with pleasure.

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

Diseases and their treatment

In natural conditions, laurel is a disease-resistant plant. The presence of essential oils in the leaves frightens pests. But bay tree diseases appear when grown at home. Therefore, it is important to regularly prevent diseases and treat them in a timely manner.

If the bay leaves dry out, you need to spray and water more often. When they turn pale, direct sunlight should be avoided. Feeding is also added. If the bay leaves are limp, this means that the temperature at the location is high or there is stagnation of water in the pot. Common pests include:

1. Shield. The leaves are damaged and brown-yellow dots remain. Affected trees must be isolated from others. Scale insects are eliminated using the products “Aktellik” and “Aktara”. Traditional methods include vodka and garlic juice, which are used to process the leaves. The bottom layer of soil is changed.
2. Mealybug. This is a pest that is 5 mm long. A symptom of its appearance is the formation of white sticky mucus. The affected areas are washed with a soap solution, and the bush is treated with an insecticide.
3. Spider mite. This pest is difficult to notice. It can be detected by a white coating, a cobweb formed between the branch and the leaf. As a preventive measure, regular spraying and moistening are required. If a weak lesion of the laurel is detected, it must be washed with a soapy solution, and if it is severe, insecticides are needed.
4. Sooty fungus. It affects the leaves and a rusty coating appears. This does not affect the development of the laurel, it only spoils the appearance. You can eliminate sooty fungus by wiping the leaves with a weak solution of insecticide and baking soda.

If affected by any of these pests, the laurel needs isolation from other plants. Only after this should measures be taken to eliminate diseases and pests. Plant prevention is also effective.

Diseases and pests of bay leaves

Fungi, parasites, and viruses prevent you from growing a beautiful, healthy tree. Laurel signals problems by wilting and yellowing. These changes say:

• about excess moisture;
• poor soil;
• small pot volume;
• burns from direct rays of the sun;
• low ambient temperature;
• presence of pests.

Among the diseases, laurel is affected by sooty fungus. It covers the plant with black spots, then envelops the entire plant in a dark film, causing its death. If signs of illness appear, you need:

• laundry soap – 150 g;
• copper sulfate – 5 g;
• water – 10 l.

Everything is mixed, the laurel is completely sprayed. Number of treatments – 3 with an interval of 3 days.

If you grow laurel at home, it can be harmed by spider mites, and less commonly by scale insects. How to deal with spider mites:

1. Soapy solution. Grate 30 g of laundry soap, dilute in 1 liter of warm water, spray the plant 3 times with an interval of 3 days.
2. Infusion of garlic. Chop 2 heads of garlic, add to 1 liter of water, leave for 5 days in the dark. Strain through cheesecloth, spray 2 times with an interval of 3 days.

To combat scale insects, the following remedy is used; before using it, the soil in the pot must be covered with cellophane film:

• grate ½ piece of laundry soap, dilute in 0.5 liters of warm water;
• add 5 drops of kerosene;
• the plant must be placed in the bath;
• thoroughly wipe all branches and petioles with cotton pads soaked in the solution;
• leave for 30 minutes;
• rinse with warm water using a shower;
• process once a week for 2 months.

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Publication from Natali_K.M. (@natali_m.k) Aug 17, 2021 at 3:04 PDT

Signs

You can grow bay leaves not only for culinary use and air health. There are also many different signs associated with it:

1. A leaf in a plate indicates the fulfillment of desires.
2. It is believed that a laurel branch placed above the door will not let in a bad person or trouble.
3. The leaves in the wallet attract money if a special ritual is performed.
4. A laurel leaf is placed in your pocket for a successful interview.
5. If the leaf is caught in food, this will lead to the receipt of money.

Even gypsy magic uses laurel leaves. They are placed around the house. They attract positive energy and well-being, eliminate negativity and drive away evil. This is such a beautiful tree you can grow at home. The main thing is to follow all the rules of care. Then the plant will have a neat and healthy appearance.