The leaves of the laurel are popular in hearty cuisine. What care is required to harvest them in your own garden?
Repot laurel
Due to the freezing temperatures, there is usually no other option than cultivating the true laurel (Laurus nobilis) in pots. Then you should make sure that the plant is regularly treated to fresh substrate and a new, larger container. The optimal time for repotting is early spring before new growth. However, the plant should still be protected from frost. If a good, nutrient-rich substrate such as our peat-free Plantura organic universal soil is used, additional fertilization is usually no longer necessary. When you repot, you should scratch up the fine root network of the ball with a hand hook. This promotes the formation of new roots and makes it easier to conquer the new substrate and the nutrients it contains. After repotting, watering has to be done vigorously so that the substrate settles and the old root ball does not dry out.
Winter laurel
The spice laurel has a big problem: sub-zero temperatures. Some varieties die off at temperatures slightly below zero, while others are conditionally frost-resistant down to -10 °C. However, in order not to take any risks in areas threatened by frost, the real laurel should be cultivated in a pot from the outset. Then overwintering is not difficult either. All you need is a frost-free and bright spot for the cold winter months. However, under no circumstances should you forget to water the laurel. Because even in winter it can dry up and thus irretrievably lose its dark green foliage. In warmer areas, for example on the Lower Rhine or on Lake Constance, wrapping it in protective fleece can be enough to get the cold-sensitive shrub through the winter.
How to cut the laurel
A topiary should be done regularly. This keeps the laurel in a nice growth habit. However, spare no effort and use hand shears instead of a motorized hedge trimmer for convenience. These shred with their roughmoved knives namely also leaves that remain on the bush. The wounds represent entry points for dangerous pests. The month of March is the perfect time for a pruning. The shaping measure can thus be easily combined with repotting. The wood can be brought into almost any shape and, depending on taste, inspire as an ornamental topiary in the garden or on the terrace. If the shrub, which originates from the Near East, has been neglected in terms of watering during the winter and has left too many leaves, it can be radically cut back down to the main shoots at the same time. This can perhaps save the bare laurel and promote fresh new growth.
Watering and fertilizing are other important care measures for plants. In this article you will find information about watering and fertilizing bay leaves.