Or laurel, is famous not only as a spice, which has many useful properties.
The tree is a symbol of nobility, wisdom, glory and intelligence. Also in ancient rome and Greece, the laurel wreath was awarded to poets, winners, those people who did a lot for their country.
Later, already in the sixth century, the plant began to be grown as an ornamental.
If cut correctly, laurel easily acquires various forms. For example, you can make a ball and other shapes out of it.
The bay tree grows mainly in the Mediterranean, as well as in the Caucasus and the Canary Islands.
It's evergreen small trees or shrubs. In some cases, trees can reach 16 meters in height. Life time up to 300 years.
There are only two species from the genus Laurel.
The leaves are simple, on short petioles, slightly oblong.
The color is dark green, the size reaches an average of 10 cm.
The flowering period of the tree begins from April to May.
The flowers are collected in umbels of inflorescences with white or cream color. IN room conditions Laurel rarely blooms.
Types of bay tree
Bay tree at home: care
Caring for a Laurel tree at home is not very difficult. It can easily adapt to different conditions.
Lighting: Laurel prefers bright light, but grows very well in the shade. It is advisable to protect the tree from direct sunlight, otherwise it can dry out quickly.
good place there will be a balcony or loggia, slightly darkened with curtains or special reflective paper. It is necessary to regularly ventilate the room, but beware of drafts.
For successful crown growth, the tree periodically needs to be turned towards the light source.
Temperature regime: best temperature during the growing season, is a mark of 17-19 degrees.
In the spring, during a warm period, take the plant to Fresh air. The bay tree is not afraid of wintering, so it easily tolerates even small frosts. IN winter period can be grown on windows on the cold side.
If you live in an area with a mild climate, laurel can be grown in a garden and used as a hedge.
Soil and humidity: The soil for the laurel tree must pass air and moisture very well. Therefore, the composition for it is made of two parts, leafy earth and one part of turf, peat and sand.
Be sure to do good drainage from small stones or expanded clay.
Laurel is very fond of humidity.
In the summer, it is allowed to “bathe” in the shower so that pests do not settle on the leaves, in winter time, the plant must be sprayed with soft water.
If the temperature in the winter in the room is above 18 degrees and the air is dry, the room must be moistened by spraying.
With insufficient moisture, the plant may begin to dry, often because of this appear various pests on the surface of the leaves.
Transplant: Transplant the lava tree, like most plants, into spring period. When transplanting, it must be borne in mind that the soil must breathe well.
When transplanting, a pot is picked up a little more than the previous one. It is enough to increase by 2-3 cm in diameter.
A young plant, it is better to transplant every year, and from the age of five, once every 3-4 years.
Reproduction of laurel: You can propagate using its cuttings, seed or root processes.
If you propagate the plant with seeds, it will be better adapted to room conditions. the procedure is carried out from February to March, maintaining a temperature of 18 degrees.
Cuttings with two or three internodes should be cut from green shoots from April to June. They are best planted in coarse sand, at an angle of 45 degrees, and also make sure that the soil is well moistened and the temperature in the room is 22-25 degrees.
Shoots from the roots are also separated and transplanted into the soil, like cuttings with the same conditions, using small pots.
Watering: Starting in spring, the plant should be watered regularly, but sparingly. Water should be at room temperature and settled. Closer to autumn, watering is slightly reduced, in winter they are practically not watered. The plant can not be flooded, it may begin to rot.
Top dressing: It is necessary to feed the bay tree only in warm spring and summer period once a month. For this, it is best to use a liquid or complete mineral fertilizer. In the winter season, the laurel does not need to be fed.
Pests, diseases, danger of plant death, difficulties in maintenance and care
The most common pests for laurel trees are aphids, spider mites, scale insects and mealybugs. If you have several plants, healthy ones must be removed separately from the infected ones.
On initial stage when there are not a large number of pests, they are simply removed. If there are a lot of pests, you should use various means for spraying plants.
The most common disease in Laurel is leaf spot. Occurs from an excess of moisture. It is necessary to carefully monitor watering and not overdo it.
The plant may die if the pests are not destroyed in time, this is insufficient or excessive watering, and also if direct sunlight falls on the plant for a long time.
In case of yellowing or curling of the leaves, it is necessary to moisten more and increase the humidity in the room.
Beneficial features: Starting from excellent culinary properties, the leaves of the bay tree also have medicinal properties.
The leaves of this wonderful plant contain essential oils, which are often used in medicine and perfumery.
When grown indoors, it perfectly cleans the air of toxic contaminants and refreshes it.
Wood is often used in medical purposes, in the treatment:
- diabetes,
- rheumatism,
- arthritis,
- paralysis
- gout,
- respiratory disease,
- pain in the intestines.
It is very useful to inhale the aroma of Laurel as an inhaler.
In pursuit of a beautiful appearance, you can stumble upon a beautiful Laurel tree. An additional effect of growing it indoors will be a pleasant aroma, and a bonus - protection from blood-sucking insects!
Laurel (from lat. Laurus) is a low evergreen plant of the laurel family. The most common and popular is the laurel variety Nobilis or Noble. The homeland of this tree is the Mediterranean region, from where it then spread throughout the subtropical part of Europe. In Russia, it is often found in the southern part Krasnodar Territory and in the Crimea.
Types of laurel
Noble (from lat. Laurus nobilis)
- in conditions open air and soil grows up to 12 meters high. It has a pleasant and strong aroma of leaves.
Canarian, also Azorean (from Lat. Laurus azorica)
- the tree is even taller, reaching 15 meters in height. The leaves are larger than those of the noble, have a wavy edge, but the aroma is somewhat weaker than that of its brother. 
How to care for noble laurel at home?
Lighting
First of all, choose a bright place, preferably with bright diffused light - an east or west window, a spacious ventilated balcony without direct sunlight. Then you need to pick up the soil and prepare the plant itself - germinate a seed, root a cutting or root layer, or take an already grown bush in a flower shop.
The soil
The tree is unpretentious to the soil, but it is better to choose a light soil for indoor laurel - for example, a mixture of garden soil and sand in a ratio of 5: 1. When buying soil in a store, pay attention to mixtures for indoor palms or cacti - they are also suitable in composition. It is better to grow Laurel nobilis homemade in pots small size gradually changing them young plant it is recommended to repot regularly.
Temperature and watering
At home, caring for laurel is quite simple. After small tree rooted and green, it is important to provide him comfortable conditions and regular watering. In summer, the laurel is watered with water at a temperature of 25–30 degrees. If tap water in your area is too hard, it must first be filtered or boiled. The plant should not be flooded - too wet soil harms much more than dried earth, and can even kill a tree. On especially hot days, you can also spray the leaves from the spray bottle twice a day (morning and evening). This will help wash dust and dirt off the leaves and reduce the chance of pests.
In winter, the common laurel prefers special care for him: relatively low temperature– +15 degrees at room humidity. Therefore, it is recommended to remove the pot with the plant away from heating appliances, leaving on a cool windowsill or insulated, but not heated loggia. Watering in winter is usually less intense - a couple of times a week is enough.
Fertilizer
Caring for a noble laurel at home includes top dressing during a period of rapid growth. For this purpose, ready-made mineral or organic fertilizers for domestic plants are used, both special "Laurel" and those intended for cacti and palm trees. The frequency of feeding - up to two times a month.
Transfer and transshipment
Laurel transplantation is carried out, depending on the age of the plant, once a year for a young tree and after a year or two for an older tree. Fulfill it better in spring before the start of the active period. Laurel cultivation is usually done in small pots, each new pot is selected 5-6 centimeters larger in diameter. Laurel transplantation at home occurs in the following order: first, the root ball is removed from the old pot and gently shake off part of the earth; then transferred to a new pot with drainage laid on the bottom and half filled with soil; the roots are carefully straightened, covered with earth and compacted so that the tree holds firmly. It is important not to pour too much earth, keeping the same relative level as in the old pot. If everything is done correctly, the laurel will grow from new force, continuing to delight with its beauty and aroma. 
reproduction
How to grow from seed?
Growing laurel from seeds at home is not a difficult process, but you need to be patient. Seeds can remain viable for up to a year after ripening on a tree, but this is possible only if right conditions storage, so most often they are recommended no later than 3 months. Before planting, you can remove the “shell” from the seeds - the pericarp, this will speed up the germination process. Laurel from the stone at home without pre-treatment sprouts rather slowly - sometimes sprouts can remain in the ground for up to six months. Do not despair, it is only important to periodically water the soil. When the seedlings hatch and unfold two or three leaves, it is time for picking - the plants are dug up and the root is pinched 2/3 of the length. After this procedure, laurel seedlings are planted in a permanent "place of residence".
How to grow from a cutting?
If among your friends there is already a flower grower who grows laurel, a new seedling can be obtained from an old tree by cuttings. The most suitable time for propagation of indoor laurel by cuttings is spring, but if necessary, the cuttings can be rooted both in summer and in autumn. Twigs are cut 6-8 cm long (two or three internodes) from mature, but not yet lignified young shoots. Then, for a day, for better rooting, they are kept in a solution of heteroauxin or potassium permanganate, after which they are buried in the ground for half the length and looked after in the same way as in the case of growing laurel from the stone. 
Visual design
The formation of a laurel at home is a simple and, one might say, optional process. Regular, careful pruning creates nice shape crown and enhances branching, due to which even a small house tree make it look like tall street counterparts, giving the appropriate look - a ball, a pyramid or a classic standard one. 
Pests
Among the pests of indoor laurel, scale insects are more common, spider mites, mealybugs and aphids. At the first signs of an unhealthy tree: massively falling yellow or gray leaves, white cobwebs on leaves and branches, damage to the bark and sprouts of the plant, you should immediately begin to isolate it from healthy neighbors. Shchitovka damages almost the entire plant: both leaves and twigs and trunk. With a weak infection, pests can be removed with a cotton swab with soapy water, and with a strong one, Actellik or Karbofos insecticides will be needed (after such treatment, the leaves become unsuitable for human consumption). Spider mite appears on a tree in dry rooms with high air temperatures. The signal for tick damage is grey colour fallen leaves, the juice of which he feeds. Aphids pass to nobilis from other plants, including those brought from the garden. To combat it, it is recommended to use a tobacco decoction with soap, which is repeatedly sprayed on the plant.
Diseases
Improper care at home leads to a deplorable state of home laurel. Over-watering results in leaf spots and root rot, while under-watering results in yellowing of the leaves. In winter, without proper care, the leaves may fall off the tree.
Application
At home, some housewives grow noble laurel as a spice, fresh and affordable. The leaves of the plant have pleasant aroma and a bitter taste well suited to fish and meat. They are often found in soups, second courses, autumn preparations. The slight scent of wood essential oil freshens the air and helps to reduce the number of insects in the room - for example, mosquitoes do not like it. Homemade laurel is unpretentious in care and takes root without problems in the most different apartments. With proper care, this ornamental leafy plant will delight with its beauty and aroma for many years.
Grow overseas spice on your windowsill? There is nothing easier! Contents1 Description of the plant2 Where it grows3 Species4 Uses5 Useful properties and ...
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 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 amount 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.
Outwardly camphor oil used for rubbing diseased joints and bruises, as an anesthetic, 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 for essential oil and as a spice.
A branch of noble laurel was awarded to the winners 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, 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 top dressing are integral parts of a healthy plant.
It is best to grow a bay tree from a mature seed, southern species. A favorable 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 glass lid, for better warming of 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 young tree, otherwise the foliage may fall off, or dry out. It is better when the light is diffused or 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 the autumn months, the plant goes into a dormant phase, but just at this time comes heating season, therefore, the conditions for sleeping Lavrushka must be recreated independently, artificial way. Either place the plant on the south side of the insulated balcony, where the temperature would not fall below -3 degrees, or put it 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 its foliage.
For normal development and rapid growth, laurel needs a lot of light, direct sunlight with variable activity should become a reliable companion of a young plant.
In the summer, the plant must be taken out into the air, but accustoming to direct sunlight should occur smoothly to avoid possible sunburn. In winter, the 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.
Pruning of a bay tree is performed in order to transform the bush, for 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 so that they quickly produce layering and foliage. Feeding cuttings is necessary, they grow slowly, so in order to avoid depletion, you should change upper layer soil on fertile black soil or use a mineral supplement.
Diseases and pests of bay tree
Laurel is not very susceptible to disease, but there are some harmful insects which 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 all of the above measures are followed, healthy plant will please the eye for a long time.
Bay leaf, a fragrant spice that adds a subtle flavor to broths and sauces, can also be grown on your own. After all, often in bags of lavrushka bought from the counter, dirty, eaten by insects, broken and overdried leaves came across. But such a plant as laurel requires minimal care at home, why not decide to get yourself a year-round supply of bay leaves in a neat pot?
Laurel noble, namely this beautiful name wears a lavrushka habitual for housewives, came to us from distant Middle-earth. Settling in the gardens exotic tree succeeded only in Krasnodar Territory and in the Crimea, in other regions of the country, it will be difficult for him to survive the winter frosts. What does not prevent enterprising plant lovers from growing laurel at home, supporting it for comfortable temperature and humidity regime.
Laurel noble: how to care?
First, let's figure out what this practical and attractive plant. Laurel is a tree that can grow up to 14 meters. Laurel leaves are also not small, up to 20 cm. But this natural characteristics subtropical laurel, and a home bush must live with you for many years to grow to a two-meter height.
The noble laurel tree does not require too much attention, although, like every living organism, it loves care and attention, in the absence of which, like a person, it becomes sad and starts to get sick.
Laurel is madly in love with bright diffused light. He likes to live near windows facing east or west so that he can absorb the sun's rays as much as possible. In summer, the plant will not refuse to temporarily move to a balcony, veranda or garden, the main thing is that there is a lot of sun, but it does not burn out the juicy greens of bay leaves.
Tip: If you take the laurel into the yard, place it in the shade of trees or under an umbrella, this will save the crown from overheating.
Comfortable temperature for mediterranean guest are within 8–12 degrees in winter and 18–20 in summer. Laurel, if necessary, feel good even in extreme heat, if there is enough moisture, but its growth slows down noticeably. By the way, the plant is indifferent to drafts. Unlike ficuses, when airing a room, even in winter, it is not necessary to hide it away from an open window.
In summer, it is necessary to water the laurel abundantly, it is advisable to do this with settled warm water, the temperature of which is slightly higher than room temperature. It is important to ensure that the soil dries out a little between waterings, and the contents of the pot do not turn into a swamp, which is what most often kills homemade laurel trees. In winter, you can water less often, on the contrary, checking if the soil has dried out between waterings.
Air humidity is not the last indicator that you should pay attention to when growing laurel. Sufficient humidity for a lover of humid plant air can be ensured if:
- put a humidifier or a container of water nearby;
- place the flower pot on a pallet with wet pebbles;
- at least once a day, spray the crown of the tree with a spray bottle.
Tip: In summer, on hot days, spray laurel with water 2-3 times a day, without rubbing the leaves. This will protect against drying out and accumulation of dust.
The tree needs top dressing every 2-3 weeks. Any mineral and organic fertilizers are suitable for top dressing, which must be alternated to harmoniously saturate the soil.
As for the wishes of the plant to the soil, the laurel grows well in ordinary soil from the garden. The main thing is that the soil is well-drained, moisture-permeable and saturated with oxygen. Ideally, the soil should contain peat and charcoal.
Compliance with all of the above conditions will allow you to easily grow a lush laurel tree for yourself, which will decorate the interior and allow you to complement dishes with fresh and fragrant bay leaves.
Genus laurel (lat. Laurus) belongs to the laurel family and has only 2 species. It grows in the Canary Islands and in the Mediterranean region. Up to forty species of laurel are currently listed in today's taxonomy in English.
Laurel is an evergreen shrub or tree. Simple leaves are leathery to the touch, the edge of the leaf is whole and slightly wavy. The axillary inflorescences are umbrella-shaped.
If the plant is well looked after, then young specimens can grow at high temperatures and low humidity; adult specimens under such conditions will grow poorly.
Planting and caring for laurel (in brief)
- Bloom: the plant is grown as an ornamental deciduous plant.
- Lighting: bright sunlight.
- Temperature: in spring and summer - 20-26 ºC, in autumn the temperature is gradually lowered to 12-15 ºC.
- Watering: during the growing season - regular and abundant, as soon as the top layer of the substrate dries. In the heat, water twice a day. With the onset of autumn, watering is reduced, and in winter they simply make sure that the substrate does not dry out completely.
- Air humidity: high: in the heat, the plant should be sprayed regularly and kept on a pallet with wet expanded clay.
- Top dressing: during the growing season - once a month with a complex mineral fertilizer. In winter, the laurel is not fed.
- rest period: from October to March.
- Transfer: young plants - once every two years, adults - once every 3-4 years.
- Substrate: two parts of humus soil, two parts of leafy and one part of peat, soddy soil and sand.
- Pruning: pruning is carried out in mid-August.
- Reproduction: seeds, cuttings.
- Pests: scale insects, spider mites, mealybugs.
- Diseases: sooty mushroom.
- Properties: the plant is a popular spice and has medicinal properties.
Read more about growing laurel below.
Laurel - photo
Laurel care at home
Lighting
The laurel plant at home calmly tolerates direct sunlight, so it feels good on southern windows with bright lighting. In summer, laurel is best taken out into the fresh air. Despite the fact that laurel normally tolerates direct sunlight, after wintering or immediately after buying a plant, it is gradually accustomed to the sun to prevent sunburn. In winter, the plant is kept in a cool and bright place.
Temperature
The optimum temperature in summer is 20-26 °C. Starting in autumn, the temperature should be gradually reduced, and in winter, in order for wintering to be as painless as possible, the temperature should be in the range of 12-15 ° C.
Watering laurel
During the summer homemade laurel it is necessary to water abundantly with soft water as soon as the topsoil dries. You can water a couple of times a day if the temperature is very high. Since autumn, watering is reduced, and in winter it is watered only 2-3 days after the topsoil has dried.
Spraying laurel
Laurel plant needs high humidity air - it must be constantly sprayed with settled water. It will not be superfluous to put the pot with the plant on a pallet with moistened expanded clay or peat, making sure that the bottom of the pot is not immersed in water.
Top dressing laurel
Houseplant laurel during the growing season should be fed monthly with mineral fertilizers.
Laurel pruning
Room laurel can be trimmed - they tolerate a haircut well. You can give the plant any shape. You need to prune when growth stops, usually in mid-August. Those eyes that remain on the plant will develop well before winter, and when the plant begins to grow in spring, they will sprout. When cutting the laurel in the spring, you need to remove the strong eyes at the top, and the growth from the remaining weaker eyes will be small.
Laurel transplant
Laurel flower grows slowly. About once every two years, young plants need to be transplanted if the roots have filled the pot completely, and adult plants - once every 3-4 years. The earth mixture is made up of leafy, humus, soddy soil, sand and peat (2:2:1:1:1). The substrate must be neutral or slightly alkaline. Because indoor plant laurel grows well in small pots, then it should be transplanted into a pot that is no more than 2 cm larger in diameter than the previous one. The size of the tub is increased by no more than 5 cm. Do not forget to build high-quality drainage at the bottom of the pot.
Laurel from seeds
Laurel seeds are sown in spring in pots, bowls or boxes with a soil mixture of two parts of leafy and soddy soil and one part of sand. When sowing, the soil temperature should be at least 18 °C. In the phase of one or two leaflets, seedlings dive at a distance of 2 cm from each other into the same substrate. When the laurel seedlings get stronger, they are transplanted one by one into individual pots 7 cm in diameter in a substrate of 4 parts of soddy soil, 2 parts of leaf, 1 part of peat and sand. Young plants should grow regularly by watering and spraying, at a temperature of 10 to 12 ° C in a lit area.
Reproduction of laurel cuttings
When propagated by cuttings, shoots are cut either in April or early summer. The cuttings should not be stiff, have 2-3 internodes and be up to 8 cm long. They are planted to a depth of 1.5 cm at a distance of 10 cm from each other after shortening the leaves. soil mixture consists of two parts: 2-3 cm sand is poured from above, and three to four centimeters of soddy land are poured from below. Laurel cuttings should root in about 30 days; the temperature should be kept at 16-20 ° C. After the cuttings take root, they are planted in 7 cm pots - the substrate and care are the same as when propagated by seeds.
The healing properties of laurel
The leaves have a stimulating effect and are a spice. Bay leaf stimulates the removal of fluids from the body, used for hysteria and colic. The leaves and fruits are also used for flatulence.
For localized tumors in traditional medicine use extracts from any part of the plant as an anticancer agent. With the help of the same extracts, they take care of the skin of the face. The composition of ointments used for rheumatism includes bay oil.
You can make a tincture from dried bay leaves - crushed leaves are poured with 40% or 70% alcohol in a ratio of 1 to 5. The container is tightly closed and left to infuse for a week at room temperature. After that, filter and pour into a bottle, which is stored in a dark, cool place.
The highest level of essential oils in bay leaf contains from November to December - it is at this time that it is worth collecting laurel leaves, which will be used in cooking. The leaves are harvested from four to five year old plants.
Diseases and pests of laurel
Laurel turns yellow. Due to insufficient air humidity, laurel leaves may turn yellow and curl up. In this case, the humidity must be increased.
Laurel pests.