What kind of soil do you have? I'm thinking to use them as hedge. I live in England near Manchester so its cold too. I also have clay soil so I wonder if they will survive
@@martakrzysko2415 So sorry for late reply, for some reason I've just seen this, I have clay soil too and they're fine, every so often I give mine a boost with magnesium or tomato feed etc. and they're fine.
Do you remember your variety? Was it "Bay Laurel" You have me brave enough to just wing it & see if it survives in my clay dirt in (lower) Indiana (a bit more mild temps than Northern Indiana). This winter especially. I've never had luck adding sand to my dirt. EVERY TIME it kills what ever I added it to.
I have successfully grown bay laurel in the Seattle area. My plant began its life as a 1 gallon plant from the home store and was a 5 foot tall and wide shrub when I sold that home. It was about 10 years old. It had survived 3 feet of snow and sub zero temps. I was shocked at how hardy it was. I did plant it in Sandy loam.
Thank you xx I planted a bat tree in my garden over 20 yrs ago and did nothing but prune it back . It grew into a beautiful tree with the leaves as a bonus .. sadly I had to leave my house but recently purchased one from Amazon. It’s very healthy and am amazed how strong it is . Looking forward so much to it growing now xx
I've been growing bay in Baltimore, Md for decades. One made it to 9 feet. I'm zone 7a/b. So they grow in the ground in mid Atlantic heat and humidity with no issues. Because it' does not drop their leaves, I do have to strip the leaves every spring. The plants do not handle the cold well like a pine so the leaves are brown and spotted. They grow another set of leaves every spring, so stripping off the old leaves make room for new growth. I can get two trimmings every year for harvesting. Just take what you don't want to lose to winter.
Hello, this is nice to know as I live in Aldie, VA and recently discovered the health benefits and have been enjoying it as a tea, so I ordered some seeds. But, then I am fairly new to gardening and, of course, afraid that I will kill it. Can you recommend the soil and potting, care that you follow. Are they fairly easy to care for in this area? Thank you
I grow in the ground. I have heavy clay soil so I double dug and added lots of leaf compost. The area is not out in the open, so it's not in the middle of a field. The second spot is between two houses in Baltimore on a slight rise for drainage. I do fertilize ever spring/summer. I do water in summer when it's just under 100 for days, the leaves will wilt when it really needs it. I start with a start that's about 4 inches tall, from a great place in Hunt Valley. Other than snipping off leaves I don't really do much. I second one is much more shrubby like not tree like. I don't cover during winter but Baltimore doesn't get that cold. It does get minor die back at some tips from the freeze.
I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and I also happen to be a restoration ecologist. California bay trees (Umbellularia californica) are native trees in California and are an important component of our natural landscapes. While they are edible, no one I know, myself included, runs around collecting the leaves. This isn’t due to a lack of knowledge or understanding but rather because of the difference in flavor and aroma between Caifornia bay and bay laurel (Laurus nobilis), the traditional culinary herb. Bay laurel has a subtle aroma and flavor that is delicious, while cooking with California bay can leave your food smelling and tasting like Vic’s Vaporub due to its pungent (and to most, much less delicious) flavor and aroma.
I use young leaves all the time, and my food tastes fine. According to a native food site, they said that bay nuts were peeled, roasted, and then ground into a powder to make tea. I haven’t been able to get that going.
I live in very humid south Louisiana and grow a bay laurel outside with no trouble at all. Many people do grow them here and have for many years. I know my grandmother had one. She was born in the 1880s. I would say they adapt well.
Ooh, do you have any tips for growing in Fresno? I love California Laurels but they are so slow growing. Fresno gets so hot in the summer that even the more drought tolerant plants struggle (like above 100 degrees for a solid month Temps and very dry).
I was online shopping for bay laurels yesterday! You do this a lot. Post a video on something I was looking at, just sowed or planted, etc the day or day after. It’s very convenient 😊. Didn’t find any in stock yet. Burpee wants a fortune for a small plant. I’m zone 9b, CA so I can put this in the ground w/my other huge perennial herbs & forget about it until I’m cooking Italian. Fingers crossed I can find a good bay laurel @ Lowe’s come spring. Didn’t see any last year in the edible aisles. Thanks for giving me the info I needed for my future bay!
I’ve been growing bay laurel standards for 25 years. I keep my potted bay trees outside (zone 6) all year except when nighttime temperatures drop below 28 degrees F. They are very tolerant of the cold and prefer the cool nights. During the dead of winter they are inside in a cool well lit room or, ideally, an unheated south/southwest facing windowed garage. Cut back on watering during this period. In late winter /early spring, as long as outside nighttime temps stay above 27 degrees F, out they go in the sun.
Jim, Thank you for your posting. We recently acquired a bay laurel cutting that we brought inside during the heat snap (it was on a brick patio- too hot!). But it needs help, and does not seem to like either the potting mix or the artificial lighting. So I am going to bench this after giving it a good watering and a speck or two of rooting compound in a layer of gravel. I could use some more sun, too.
Jim A Thanks. I'm zone 7 Delaware. Always brought mine in for the winter. Have had the plant 10 years. What do you think about planting in ground against South facing wall?
@@amysnipes4245 Getting tired of bringing it inside every winter, eh? Putting it in ground (zone 7) in that location sounds perfectly reasonable. It just might surprise you and be very happy there. Maybe prune back a bit on the roots when you unpot it. Good luck😀
That's so interesting that they works very WELL in zone 6. I am in Zone 6B so I might fares much better since it's decently uncommon where I get temps THAT low. Maybe a couple times a month I would say?
I live outside of Houston, TX. We have lots of rain and humidity. My bay leaf is over 5' in diameter and 15' tall. It just got stuck in the ground when I bought a rooted cutting and left to its own devices. This year I'm propagating for friends.
Really odd... it just asked me to "rate your comment" (from smiley face to mad face) & if it was relevant to the video. The ONLY reason I can think of is because the state mentioned. 🤔 I have family in Tx & gonna tell them too. I've only been asked that a couple other times but at least understood why maybe YT was asking. This time... it's just plain creepy.
How appropriate! I just bought 3 small bay plants, and up comes your video on them.. I had been looking for 2 yrs and none of the garden centers here had them. I actually happened to stop in on our local Bowman's nursery and they had a tray of them... but not for sale, for a program on Sat. I talked them into letting me have 3!, Now I can transplant them into a bit larger pots as I have watched your video. Thank you.
Are use Bay leaves quite often in my sauces, spaghetti sauce, chicken broth, all my soups, chili, beans, taco meat, I grew up, using the herb The Bayleaf, and that’s why I’m purchasing my own bay leaves 🍃 because I always need them , there a rich herb to use and without my salsas will not taste right you can always tell that there’s somethings missing, if I forget to put a bay leaf , all of my soups and sauces and spaghetti and etc. etc. your dishes do not taste the same, once you start putting them in your sauces once you do it, you’ll never stop , and all the other food items I mentioned it takes your it to another level, so I need this Bayleaf little tree in my life! I need to have my own , so I can process my own, this is the type of herb that I grew up with from a southern family . Thank you for all your help. I went online to purchase this wonderful herb 🌿 The mighty bay leaves. 😅🥰👩🏾🦲😍
I just received two bay leaf small plants that I ordered. I was in the process of researching and your video is very timely!!! Thank you, as I will be transplanting them next month, so thank you again!!!!!
Really enjoying these videos. I have a bay laurel now that is defoliating and because of the video you helped me realize that I'm watering it way too much. Keep the videos coming thanks
California bay trees are found on slopes...naturally great drainage. Not in sand though. Yeah, I grab my leaves when I’m out hiking in the hills around San Francisco Bay. Rain in the winter, mostly no rain May-October.
Thank you! This is the most complete and thorough guide to growing bay that I've found, and I've been looking for awhile. Exactly what I needed to know.
Luke all these years later ran across one today my local garden center. Tyvm, last year I killed one this year armed information. Before buying a pot & soil so happy this video out there! Thanks for all you do!
@@vickiwestlund7777 West side, Fox Island. In fall I put a few inches of fir needles at the base of their roots, but you could use peat moss. It needs to be acidic. I put them in a spot where the wind isn't too strong. If you grow them from seeds (They are cheap, I got mine for free with my order of carob seeds) you might want to bring them inside for the first few years until they are strong. They are very cold hardy. Olive trees are even more cold hardy and they can handle the wind and bad soil too. A little limestone and they are happy. Bay laurel like acidic soil. Olive trees like alkaline soil. If you get the soil right, that is half the battle.
@@audiobookfull8 Thank you so much for your detailed response! I'm in a 7a- Tri-Cities. I purchased a plant from our local nursery in July 2022. It's currently in my insulated garage for the winter, doing well. I've just cut 4 branches to propagate for my family. Fingers crossed a couple of those take!
Hi Luke. I live in Northern Europe and have mine outside for the past 3 winters. Only realized now that the plant is not so winter hardy. We have winters on average a little above freezing but regularly get frost down to -5 -10 Celsius. It has probably survived a night or two down to -15. So I guess they would survive outside in a large portion of the US. In comparison I always bring in my rosemary for winter.
I planted my Bay Laurel 5 years ago in Salem Oregon in fairly clay heavy soil. It has grown from a 1 foot (.33 meter) to 15 feet (5 meters) and I have added nothing but a pruning shear to the foliage (zero additional fertilizer - just plant a tree and watch it grow kind of care). Super easy to grow and a real pleasure to look at all year long.
I like Bay Leaves especially in all my cooking and l learnt it from my late mother and ever since then l have used it for other purposes it's great and amazing wonderful plant.
I was interested in what you said about temperature for the Bay, I grow these in the UK directly in the earth and we have temperatures down to -10C sometimes during the winter and they have been growing well for years.
Can you demonstrate how to grow from a cutting please? Did you take your cutting from the tip of you plant and how many leaves did you leave on? Did you root the cutting in water first or put direct into potting mix? By the way my two bay trees have survived the British winters here.
tiago fernandes They grow well in the UK. I am in Canterbury and they look fabulous. I started them off with chicken manure and now growing a long stem so I can turn them into topiary
Hi Luke. I’m in the uk also and live where these trees should not grow from the rain and winds we get yet I have been growing them for years. I have around 20 Laurus nobilis. One is 20 years old and is soo healthy. I planted mine in the ground and they are doing really well, from 10 inches in pots to 15 feet in two years. I use the branches for garden supports as they are very strong. Did you know that bay branches are used for walking sticks and last for a hundred years. Besides using the leaves in cooking I also make tinctures with dried leaves. Always use the older leaves not the fresh ones. My soil is not the best but they grow really well.Plant yours outside in the ground as they don’t really grow much in any pots. They also make great privacy fence and are evergreen. 🙂
Laurus nobilis, AKA Sweet Bay, is hardy in our zone 8b climate here in Portland Oregon. There is a very old one over 60' tall in Newberg, just south and west if us. Andy VanHevelingen, a long time herb grower there discovered it. I have the gold leafed form that has lived several years in a large frost safe ceramic container. In containers they stay smaller. I root prune every couple years to keep them healthy. It has taken our rainy weather in stride with no root issues. Scale has been the only insect problem I have encountered.
Thanks so informative and well needed since I have a bay leaves tree growing for few months now. And about the California part where this tree is everywhere, I bet people are still buying bay leaves because they dint know that this plant is actually what produces those lol
I have a tree that is 5’ tall and 4’ wide. It is in a huge pot and I’ve had it for about 10 yrs. Mother Nature waters it for me, I toss worm coatings on it a opulent of times a year. I’m in Central Fl. Keep your channel coming.
I love our bay tree. I bought it from a nursery in a tiny pot. My husband planted it in our front yard and now it stands over 10 feet. It’s gorgeous and we enjoy the bay leaves. We didn’t do anything special to the soil. We just planted it and forgot about it.
I live in Jerusalem, Israel. You should see our bay trees! When I go weeding, I always kill some half-dozen of them.... They need NO care in our climate, they take tempertures from -5 to +45 C in their stride. Now growing Chestnuts here..... that's tricky. I'm trying.
Maybe not. I thought mine was dead but decided to give it a little water every so often anyway and all of a sudden it has started putting out new leaves.
I have been growing 3 Bay Trees in Florida (zone 9b) in containers from small cuttings in containers for the past 3 years and they are doing quite well. They are also salt tolerant as the containers are no more than 10 meters from a salt marsh estuary. Even with the high humidity here I have not yet experienced any powdery mildew problems.
I'm on the West Coast of the Central Belt of Scotland. I grew Bay in a huge ceramic pot in our tiny garden at our last house and we had to leave it because it was far too difficult to move. I bought a small Bay to plant up here a few years ago and it, too, is in a planter outside, south facing, but sheltered by a Pampas Grass. I took my second, larger, harvest of Bay leaves to dry last summer and now need to pot it on as it seems to have "babies". It was put into potting compost with nothing exceptional added and a mulch of woodchip, which seems completely counter to lots of sand/hates wet roots. I will be changing most of the compost, but it will probably be home-made plus sand. We get plenty of rain - to the point where pots do water log. Perhaps I've been lucky with mine. I'll pay attention to drainage and do need to feed them a bit in the future, but they are difficult to kill, which is probably just as well ...
My bay was planted about 5 years ago and it looked pretty sad. This year it’s suddenly thriving, lots of new growth. My daughter always asks me to bring her a branch from my tree, she uses in her cooking , she lets the branch dry in her window and it lasts well. I will try to grow her a little tree of her own. I’m UK and bay trees grow well here. My parents had a beautiful huge bay tree in their garden too.
I have one outside my kitchen that is nearly 30'! I'm in SW Washington and it's only been in the ground for 14 years. When in California I used to harvest Bay Leaves at UCSC Campus and they were all over 20' tall. Maybe in arid climates they are bushes but here in my clay soil in rain country they are trees! Being by a bay we don't usually get extreme temperature fluctuations but we do get over 100" of rain per year.
I didn't know the Bay Laurel needed well draining soil and protection. I planted as a shrub at the end of the driveway. I live in zone 8b in Aurora, Oregon. Our soil is dense clay and we do get a fair amount of rain. 8 years later it's a stately shrub that I had to trim back a few times but it worked. TYJ Sometimes there is no explanation for the outcome. Now I know.
Same here, mines very hardy for a so called plant that can’t grow in cold climates. I thought when I got it I would need to baby it and protect it big time and I didn’t think it would survive the first winter here in cool temperate. It’s in a pot and does have over head protection from frost but it’s in the outside air so it’s felt cold weather for months on end where I live. It just stops growing when it’s cold and then it grows again when it’s warm 🤷🏻♀️ They grow amazing in pots and under a tree in winter would be fine for anyone in a cool climate. They are pretty hardy imo. I have yet to leave it unprotected though in frost weather. So what I have done is started a cutting and I have planted in ground as a test to see if it can handle clay soil and cold weather. I have planted it under shelter though for now. It needs to establish itself first and then I might move it somewhere else. I need to add sand to the soil anyway so I will have to dig it up again once it starts growing roots.
It pays to propagate your plants and experiment with them. That way if they die you have spares lol. I have been experimenting with many plants so I don’t have to use my original to test things. It saves buying more each time a test fails lol
Didn’t talk about when the best time to harvest your bay laurel. That might be worth a follow up on harvesting tips. As you may have noticed your young leaves are not as aromatic as the older leaves. What is the best way to get the best bay leaves use as a herb?
We have a Bay Laurel that is 6 to 7 feet tall here in Southern California Inland area so we have it growing in ground under a lath house since we can get down into freezes sometimes- your seed company was recommended by J&R BEE FARM- been ordering seed from you often now
The one more thing I would love to know is : how to harvest these leaves without effecting the plant ? Do we harvest from the top or the bottom etc ...
If your plant is healthy & sizeable just dive in & pick the choice leaves you want. As an established large bush/small tree it will tolerate a lot of hacking & is sometimes used in topiary where it is constantly trimmed to a required shape.
It sometimes happens that after a good soaking the bay throws out a whole new flush of fresh leaves. These are tender & light green colour, & they do not seem to be suitable for drying as they tend to discolor. In my experience for drying them you need to wait until the leaves are dark green. They are then tougher & more leathery but they dry for later sealed storage much better.
Good video, wanted to point out there are several types of bay trees. it seems the video is focused on the California Bay, not the Bay Laurel. The bay laurel grows wild down here in Florida, which is VERY humid. We have a bay laurel, and have seen many other varieties in the local area. ours thrives on frequent watering and rich well drained soil.
I have a 1.5m bay tree in a pot outside my kitchen (in Cambridge UK, with a rainfall akin to Seattle). It stays outside all year - including periods of sub-zero (centigrade) temperatures. It is doing fine.
I just bought one and plan on keeping it in a large pot. Hopefully mulching will be sufficient to keep it alive when it starts raining here in east bay ca.
I love my lil bay tree. It’s been in a small pot since I got it and it’s been 2 years and still growing well. It defo needs to be put in a bigger pot though very soon. But I live in a cool temperate climate and it’s been fine. I do have over head protection though. But I heard it can’t handle the cold but anyone who lives in a cooler or hot climate it will grow. Just keep it under a big tree in winter and frost season.
I love steeping mine in hot water and use for soups, stews, casseroles, i even use in spag bog sauce and just about anything lol. When ya grow ya own you can use it all the time which is great 😀👍 I highly recommend growing it in a pot it you live in a cool climate with clay soil like my place.
I knew I had lost my soul to gardening the day I lugged a 50 pound bag of sand up 3 flights of stairs cuz I needed 2 scoops and "I will use it eventually". I really want a bay laurel for my aromatic bonsai garden.
I’d like to plant a bay laurel tree outside but I’m in Central Valley of CA. A friend nearby has a tree. Should I get a cutting from that tree since it grows well here?
Bay leave trees are native to my island (Madeira island) and we even have the largest laurel forest in the whole world and let me tell you, it's a very wet forest that receives upwards of 1000mm of rain a year... In some areas it gets over 3000mm of rainfall.
I have had a bay tree for about 1.5 years. And while it's still alive (possibly I just lucky, since I was a bad plant parent and didn't research it before now), I have learned from this video why it always looks a little rough.
Are you sure this is the sweet bay that you use for cooking? I have the Noblis (30 ft tall ) and it doesn't look like that at all. I have a luarel for a shub too. It looks like the headache luarel you can get from California. If you look up propagating the Medeteranian sweet Noblis, you'll see that it's completely different. And as far as water goes, I live on Whidbey Island...rain, rain and more rain.
Hi, you might have experienced leaf burn after transitioning from inside the house to outside. This is normal. It usually takes a month before the trees adapt to full sun. I have been keeping tropical bonsai for nearly 20 years. Nearly all of my tree experience the same thing. Take heart though once adapted to full sun they will easily put on a foot of growth in a growing season. More if super happy. Also something to consider is once rootbound they will need root pruning to allow the roots room to grow again.
I planted a bay laurel outside in a dry area of my garden this summer in Ann Arbor, but I'm guessing I need to pull it out of the garden and put it in a pot inside for the winter? When should I pull it out?
What kind of sand do you use? Play sand? I just got 2 rooted cuttings and my momma used to always have a big one in her house but she said it died off. So I'm trying to get a new one started for her and I!
I’m in Central Florida have a rainy season but other than that it doesn’t rain the rest of the year could you please address planting them out in the yard how big the whole needs to be how deep etc. etc.
Appreciate your insight. I live in Ocala Fl - so lots of humidity. Looking for an organic answer to black spot as I grow the tree for cooking as well as beauty.
how about planting it right on you back yard? I want it to grow as a tree, my husband is from Trinidad and Tobago and he grew up making tea out of the fresh green leaf, it has so many health benefits.
So what is the difference between the Bay Laurel tree and a Laurel bush that is planted as a hedge?? I would like to know more about the varieties, planting uses and recipes. Thanks so much!!
I just learned that bay laid out through layers of tice helps to keep bugs out provided you have a lid on food grade bucket. So, i want to grow a bay leaf free. First, what kind of lights do you use and then where can i get a start? Are they slow growing?
Great channel! However, I will say you must water bay trees every day throughout the summer here in Zone 9a. Otherwise, growth will stall and the leaves will become scorched. Also, I live in the Houston area. We have 50% humidity EVERY DAY. I’ve grown and propagated bay trees for over 15 years and have never had trouble with powdery mildew. They’re a lot easier to grow than you might think. The only killer is hard freezes.
@director365. I am north of Houston, Cleveland, texas. I'm in the Sam Houston and have tons of bay laurel and cherry laurel. But every time I pot up seedlings, they are always cherry laurel. I wondered about propagating from cuttings. All of my bays are understory trees, so wondered if they do not like full sun.
Can you use a cactus potting soil to transplant a bay tree? Mine is a single stem. My rabbit got ahold of it and ate half the leaves off last fall. I'm trying to get it to recover still.
I put these out as hedges in my garden five years ago and they're doing great... BTW, I'm in wet, cold and windy Scotland.
What kind of soil do you have? I'm thinking to use them as hedge. I live in England near Manchester so its cold too. I also have clay soil so I wonder if they will survive
I live in Washington state same climate I thinking same thing cus I wanna grow for food
@@martakrzysko2415 So sorry for late reply, for some reason I've just seen this, I have clay soil too and they're fine, every so often I give mine a boost with magnesium or tomato feed etc. and they're fine.
Again, I have clay soil and they grow well in South of England.
Do you remember your variety? Was it "Bay Laurel" You have me brave enough to just wing it & see if it survives in my clay dirt in (lower) Indiana (a bit more mild temps than Northern Indiana). This winter especially.
I've never had luck adding sand to my dirt. EVERY TIME it kills what ever I added it to.
I have successfully grown bay laurel in the Seattle area. My plant began its life as a 1 gallon plant from the home store and was a 5 foot tall and wide shrub when I sold that home. It was about 10 years old. It had survived 3 feet of snow and sub zero temps. I was shocked at how hardy it was. I did plant it in Sandy loam.
Thank you xx
I planted a bat tree in my garden over 20 yrs ago and did nothing but prune it back . It grew into a beautiful tree with the leaves as a bonus .. sadly I had to leave my house but recently purchased one from Amazon. It’s very healthy and am amazed how strong it is . Looking forward so much to it growing now xx
I've been growing bay in Baltimore, Md for decades. One made it to 9 feet.
I'm zone 7a/b. So they grow in the ground in mid Atlantic heat and humidity with no issues.
Because it' does not drop their leaves, I do have to strip the leaves every spring. The plants do not handle the cold well like a pine so the leaves are brown and spotted. They grow another set of leaves every spring, so stripping off the old leaves make room for new growth.
I can get two trimmings every year for harvesting. Just take what you don't want to lose to winter.
Hello, this is nice to know as I live in Aldie, VA and recently discovered the health benefits and have been enjoying it as a tea, so I ordered some seeds. But, then I am fairly new to gardening and, of course, afraid that I will kill it. Can you recommend the soil and potting, care that you follow. Are they fairly easy to care for in this area? Thank you
I grow in the ground. I have heavy clay soil so I double dug and added lots of leaf compost. The area is not out in the open, so it's not in the middle of a field.
The second spot is between two houses in Baltimore on a slight rise for drainage.
I do fertilize ever spring/summer. I do water in summer when it's just under 100 for days, the leaves will wilt when it really needs it.
I start with a start that's about 4 inches tall, from a great place in Hunt Valley.
Other than snipping off leaves I don't really do much.
I second one is much more shrubby like not tree like.
I don't cover during winter but Baltimore doesn't get that cold. It does get minor die back at some tips from the freeze.
What do you do when you harvest the leaves of bay leaves? You let them dry and sell them?
Available Place please
I bought a bay laurel clipping off amazon about a year ago and I saw a lot of success fertilizing with coffee grounds
I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and I also happen to be a restoration ecologist. California bay trees (Umbellularia californica) are native trees in California and are an important component of our natural landscapes. While they are edible, no one I know, myself included, runs around collecting the leaves. This isn’t due to a lack of knowledge or understanding but rather because of the difference in flavor and aroma between Caifornia bay and bay laurel (Laurus nobilis), the traditional culinary herb. Bay laurel has a subtle aroma and flavor that is delicious, while cooking with California bay can leave your food smelling and tasting like Vic’s Vaporub due to its pungent (and to most, much less delicious) flavor and aroma.
I use young leaves all the time, and my food tastes fine. According to a native food site, they said that bay nuts were peeled, roasted, and then ground into a powder to make tea. I haven’t been able to get that going.
I live in very humid south Louisiana and grow a bay laurel outside with no trouble at all. Many people do grow them here and have for many years. I know my grandmother had one. She was born in the 1880s. I would say they adapt well.
Ooh, do you have any tips for growing in Fresno? I love California Laurels but they are so slow growing. Fresno gets so hot in the summer that even the more drought tolerant plants struggle (like above 100 degrees for a solid month Temps and very dry).
I was online shopping for bay laurels yesterday! You do this a lot. Post a video on something I was looking at, just sowed or planted, etc the day or day after. It’s very convenient 😊. Didn’t find any in stock yet. Burpee wants a fortune for a small plant. I’m zone 9b, CA so I can put this in the ground w/my other huge perennial herbs & forget about it until I’m cooking Italian. Fingers crossed I can find a good bay laurel @ Lowe’s come spring. Didn’t see any last year in the edible aisles. Thanks for giving me the info I needed for my future bay!
I’ve been growing bay laurel standards for 25 years. I keep my potted bay trees outside (zone 6) all year except when nighttime temperatures drop below 28 degrees F. They are very tolerant of the cold and prefer the cool nights. During the dead of winter they are inside in a cool well lit room or, ideally, an unheated south/southwest facing windowed garage. Cut back on watering during this period. In late winter /early spring, as long as outside nighttime temps stay above 27 degrees F,
out they go in the sun.
Good to hear, I'm in SE Pennsylvania, it's a zone 7 almost zone 6 here, so I was curious about this
Jim, Thank you for your posting. We recently acquired a bay laurel cutting that we brought inside during the heat snap (it was on a brick patio- too hot!). But it needs help, and does not seem to like either the potting mix or the artificial lighting. So I am going to bench this after giving it a good watering and a speck or two of rooting compound in a layer of gravel. I could use some more sun, too.
Jim A Thanks. I'm zone 7 Delaware. Always brought mine in for the winter. Have had the plant 10 years. What do you think about planting in ground against South facing wall?
@@amysnipes4245 Getting tired of bringing it inside every winter, eh? Putting it in ground (zone 7) in that location sounds perfectly reasonable. It just might surprise you and be very happy there. Maybe prune back a bit on the roots when you unpot it. Good luck😀
That's so interesting that they works very WELL in zone 6. I am in Zone 6B so I might fares much better since it's decently uncommon where I get temps THAT low. Maybe a couple times a month I would say?
I live outside of Houston, TX. We have lots of rain and humidity. My bay leaf is over 5' in diameter and 15' tall. It just got stuck in the ground when I bought a rooted cutting and left to its own devices. This year I'm propagating for friends.
Really odd... it just asked me to "rate your comment" (from smiley face to mad face) & if it was relevant to the video. The ONLY reason I can think of is because the state mentioned. 🤔 I have family in Tx & gonna tell them too.
I've only been asked that a couple other times but at least understood why maybe YT was asking. This time... it's just plain creepy.
How appropriate! I just bought 3 small bay plants, and up comes your video on them.. I had been looking for 2 yrs and none of the garden centers here had them. I actually happened to stop in on our local Bowman's nursery and they had a tray of them... but not for sale, for a program on Sat. I talked them into letting me have 3!, Now I can transplant them into a bit larger pots as I have watched your video. Thank you.
Are use Bay leaves quite often in my sauces, spaghetti sauce, chicken broth, all my soups, chili, beans, taco meat, I grew up, using the herb The Bayleaf, and that’s why I’m purchasing my own bay leaves 🍃 because I always need them , there a rich herb to use and without my salsas will not taste right you can always tell that there’s somethings missing, if I forget to put a bay leaf , all of my soups and sauces and spaghetti and etc. etc. your dishes do not taste the same, once you start putting them in your sauces once you do it, you’ll never stop , and all the other food items I mentioned it takes your it to another level, so I need this Bayleaf little tree in my life! I need to have my own , so I can process my own, this is the type of herb that I grew up with from a southern family . Thank you for all your help. I went online to purchase this wonderful herb 🌿 The mighty bay leaves. 😅🥰👩🏾🦲😍
I just received two bay leaf small plants that I ordered. I was in the process of researching and your video is very timely!!! Thank you, as I will be transplanting them next month, so thank you again!!!!!
Really enjoying these videos. I have a bay laurel now that is defoliating and because of the video you helped me realize that I'm watering it way too much. Keep the videos coming thanks
California bay trees are found on slopes...naturally great drainage. Not in sand though. Yeah, I grab my leaves when I’m out hiking in the hills around San Francisco Bay. Rain in the winter, mostly no rain May-October.
Was just thinking about growing my own "bay leaves" a few days ago!! 😄 Thanks for sharing this info! Ready to grow Bay Laurel now! 💚
Thank you! This is the most complete and thorough guide to growing bay that I've found, and I've been looking for awhile. Exactly what I needed to know.
Luke all these years later ran across one today my local garden center. Tyvm, last year I killed one this year armed information. Before buying a pot & soil so happy this video out there! Thanks for all you do!
I grow them outside in Washington state and it gets well-below freezing for extended periods of time and they do fine.
Greetings! What side of Washington? I’m on the east side!
@@vickiwestlund7777 West side, Fox Island. In fall I put a few inches of fir needles at the base of their roots, but you could use peat moss. It needs to be acidic. I put them in a spot where the wind isn't too strong. If you grow them from seeds (They are cheap, I got mine for free with my order of carob seeds) you might want to bring them inside for the first few years until they are strong. They are very cold hardy. Olive trees are even more cold hardy and they can handle the wind and bad soil too. A little limestone and they are happy. Bay laurel like acidic soil. Olive trees like alkaline soil. If you get the soil right, that is half the battle.
@@audiobookfull8 Thank you so much for your detailed response! I'm in a 7a- Tri-Cities. I purchased a plant from our local nursery in July 2022. It's currently in my insulated garage for the winter, doing well. I've just cut 4 branches to propagate for my family. Fingers crossed a couple of those take!
I know someone here on the "Wet Coast" with a beautiful lush bay tree. We get snow in the winter quite often, but this tree is happy.
Hi Luke. I live in Northern Europe and have mine outside for the past 3 winters. Only realized now that the plant is not so winter hardy. We have winters on average a little above freezing but regularly get frost down to -5 -10 Celsius. It has probably survived a night or two down to -15. So I guess they would survive outside in a large portion of the US. In comparison I always bring in my rosemary for winter.
I planted my Bay Laurel 5 years ago in Salem Oregon in fairly clay heavy soil. It has grown from a 1 foot (.33 meter) to 15 feet (5 meters) and I have added nothing but a pruning shear to the foliage (zero additional fertilizer - just plant a tree and watch it grow kind of care). Super easy to grow and a real pleasure to look at all year long.
I got my first one. It is now showing to be happy after I transplanted it. Had it for 2 weeks now.
I wait 4-5 days to water it. I have it inside for now.
I have a bay leaf bush in Sacramento area. Very productive . Thank you for the video, will take cuttings and propagate them and try to sell.
I like Bay Leaves especially in all my cooking and l learnt it from my late mother and ever since then l have used it for other purposes it's great and amazing wonderful plant.
I was interested in what you said about temperature for the Bay, I grow these in the UK directly in the earth and we have temperatures down to -10C sometimes during the winter and they have been growing well for years.
👍🏼Same here in 🇩🇰.
ALso in UK and plant is huge. Outdoors in direct sun for most of the day.
Can you demonstrate how to grow from a cutting please? Did you take your cutting from the tip of you plant and how many leaves did you leave on? Did you root the cutting in water first or put direct into potting mix? By the way my two bay trees have survived the British winters here.
I would post a photo of my 2 Bay tees if there was an app on your comments.
I'm trying to grow bay tree in UK Bournemoth
tiago fernandes They grow well in the UK. I am in Canterbury and they look fabulous. I started them off with chicken manure and now growing a long stem so I can turn them into topiary
Hi Luke. I’m in the uk also and live where these trees should not grow from the rain and winds we get yet I have been growing them for years. I have around 20
Laurus nobilis. One is 20 years old and is soo healthy. I planted mine in the ground and they are doing really well, from 10 inches in pots to 15 feet in two years. I use the branches for garden supports as they are very strong. Did you know that bay branches are used for walking sticks and last for a hundred years. Besides using the leaves in cooking I also make tinctures with dried leaves. Always use the older leaves not the fresh ones.
My soil is not the best but they grow really well.Plant yours outside in the ground as they don’t really grow much in any pots.
They also make great privacy fence and are evergreen. 🙂
Our bay leaves have adapted to our climate up here in the PNW. They’ve survived temperatures in the 30’s and below. Great video Luke!
Laurus nobilis, AKA Sweet Bay, is hardy in our zone 8b climate here in Portland Oregon. There is a very old one over 60' tall in Newberg, just south and west if us. Andy VanHevelingen, a long time herb grower there discovered it. I have the gold leafed form that has lived several years in a large frost safe ceramic container. In containers they stay smaller. I root prune every couple years to keep them healthy. It has taken our rainy weather in stride with no root issues. Scale has been the only insect problem I have encountered.
Thanks so informative and well needed since I have a bay leaves tree growing for few months now. And about the California part where this tree is everywhere, I bet people are still buying bay leaves because they dint know that this plant is actually what produces those lol
I have a tree that is 5’ tall and 4’ wide. It is in a huge pot and I’ve had it for about 10 yrs. Mother Nature waters it for me, I toss worm coatings on it a opulent of times a year. I’m in Central Fl. Keep your channel coming.
Hello, Mlgardner!!.
You wil probably not believe it, but the top leaves of my bay leaf plant got sun burnt!!. Love your channel!!.
I love our bay tree. I bought it from a nursery in a tiny pot. My husband planted it in our front yard and now it stands over 10 feet. It’s gorgeous and we enjoy the bay leaves. We didn’t do anything special to the soil. We just planted it and forgot about it.
Do you ever use it for cooking? If so, how do you dry the leaves -in ready for cooking?
I live in Jerusalem, Israel. You should see our bay trees! When I go weeding, I always kill some half-dozen of them.... They need NO care in our climate, they take tempertures from -5 to +45 C in their stride. Now growing Chestnuts here..... that's tricky. I'm trying.
Sam Freed I like your picture with your cat. Good luck with the chestnuts!
Do you use Bay leaf in any of your local Israeli cuisine?
Our temp went to 28 and I think my tree dried out. The leaves are all dried out. I hope it recovers.
how cold does it get there
Sam Freed can you send me your bay leaves im from the philippines🇵🇭😍🇮🇱
Top 3 easy trees to grow!
*sigh* .... looks at the 3rd dead bay tree in my window...
Maybe not. I thought mine was dead but decided to give it a little water every so often anyway and all of a sudden it has started putting out new leaves.
Hhaha me too! I killed my first one. Going to try again.
Where can I buy
Reply pls
@@zenyocampo7621 online or garden centre
I have been growing 3 Bay Trees in Florida (zone 9b) in containers from small cuttings in containers for the past 3 years and they are doing quite well. They are also salt tolerant as the containers are no more than 10 meters from a salt marsh estuary. Even with the high humidity here I have not yet experienced any powdery mildew problems.
How or where did you get the cutting from. ZONE 10B but I don't know anyone who grows it down here.
How do you protect them from white fungus with our humid area. I live also in Florida 9b
Did you sown seeds or transplant it? Is it useful or adaptive to grow in balcony of houses
Maria Perez try etsy
Where xol)
I’m in coastal SC (humid!)...you just convinced me to keep mine in a pot indoors vs. putting in the ground. TY
I'm on the West Coast of the Central Belt of Scotland. I grew Bay in a huge ceramic pot in our tiny garden at our last house and we had to leave it because it was far too difficult to move. I bought a small Bay to plant up here a few years ago and it, too, is in a planter outside, south facing, but sheltered by a Pampas Grass. I took my second, larger, harvest of Bay leaves to dry last summer and now need to pot it on as it seems to have "babies". It was put into potting compost with nothing exceptional added and a mulch of woodchip, which seems completely counter to lots of sand/hates wet roots. I will be changing most of the compost, but it will probably be home-made plus sand. We get plenty of rain - to the point where pots do water log. Perhaps I've been lucky with mine. I'll pay attention to drainage and do need to feed them a bit in the future, but they are difficult to kill, which is probably just as well ...
My bay was planted about 5 years ago and it looked pretty sad. This year it’s suddenly thriving, lots of new growth. My daughter always asks me to bring her a branch from my tree, she uses in her cooking , she lets the branch dry in her window and it lasts well. I will try to grow her a little tree of her own.
I’m UK and bay trees grow well here. My parents had a beautiful huge bay tree in their garden too.
I just bought seeds from you. First time. Cheers brother!
I have one outside my kitchen that is nearly 30'! I'm in SW Washington and it's only been in the ground for 14 years. When in California I used to harvest Bay Leaves at UCSC Campus and they were all over 20' tall. Maybe in arid climates they are bushes but here in my clay soil in rain country they are trees! Being by a bay we don't usually get extreme temperature fluctuations but we do get over 100" of rain per year.
I didn't know the Bay Laurel needed well draining soil and protection. I planted as a shrub at the end of the driveway. I live in zone 8b in Aurora, Oregon. Our soil is dense clay and we do get a fair amount of rain. 8 years later it's a stately shrub that I had to trim back a few times but it worked. TYJ Sometimes there is no explanation for the outcome. Now I know.
Same here, mines very hardy for a so called plant that can’t grow in cold climates. I thought when I got it I would need to baby it and protect it big time and I didn’t think it would survive the first winter here in cool temperate. It’s in a pot and does have over head protection from frost but it’s in the outside air so it’s felt cold weather for months on end where I live. It just stops growing when it’s cold and then it grows again when it’s warm 🤷🏻♀️
They grow amazing in pots and under a tree in winter would be fine for anyone in a cool climate. They are pretty hardy imo. I have yet to leave it unprotected though in frost weather. So what I have done is started a cutting and I have planted in ground as a test to see if it can handle clay soil and cold weather. I have planted it under shelter though for now. It needs to establish itself first and then I might move it somewhere else. I need to add sand to the soil anyway so I will have to dig it up again once it starts growing roots.
Do you get frosts often? Do you feed it? Or just let nature take care of it 😀
It pays to propagate your plants and experiment with them. That way if they die you have spares lol. I have been experimenting with many plants so I don’t have to use my original to test things. It saves buying more each time a test fails lol
Thanks for the video. I've been wanting to grow my own bay leaves for cooking. Thanks for the tips.
Where can I buy a Bay Laurel plant...?
I like to use bay leaves in my magick so this is amazing thank you.
I found my people ✨✨✨🧚♂️👁️👄👁️
Same
Me too!!
Same that’s why I’m here
Pls I am in Nigeria, is it possible to have it grow here
Didn’t talk about when the best time to harvest your bay laurel. That might be worth a follow up on harvesting tips. As you may have noticed your young leaves are not as aromatic as the older leaves. What is the best way to get the best bay leaves use as a herb?
Thank you for sharing this wonderful tutorial on how to grow bay leaf tree🙏🙏🙏👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
2021 the year the laurel will turn green again❤
We have a Bay Laurel that is 6 to 7 feet tall here in Southern California Inland area so we have it growing in ground under a lath house since we can get down into freezes sometimes- your seed company was recommended by J&R BEE FARM- been ordering seed from you often now
The one more thing I would love to know is : how to harvest these leaves without effecting the plant ? Do we harvest from the top or the bottom etc ...
If your plant is healthy & sizeable just dive in & pick the choice leaves you want. As an established large bush/small tree it will tolerate a lot of hacking & is sometimes used in topiary where it is constantly trimmed to a required shape.
I would think that until it becomes a sizable tree/ Bush that you would take bottom leaves.
It sometimes happens that after a good soaking the bay throws out a whole new flush of fresh leaves. These are tender & light green colour, & they do not seem to be suitable for drying as they tend to discolor. In my experience for drying them you need to wait until the leaves are dark green. They are then tougher & more leathery but they dry for later sealed storage much better.
it is so good for natural herb grow plant
Good video, wanted to point out there are several types of bay trees. it seems the video is focused on the California Bay, not the Bay Laurel. The bay laurel grows wild down here in Florida, which is VERY humid. We have a bay laurel, and have seen many other varieties in the local area. ours thrives on frequent watering and rich well drained soil.
Excellent. I’ve got 2 babies to repot. Very helpful. Thanks.
I have a 1.5m bay tree in a pot outside my kitchen (in Cambridge UK, with a rainfall akin to Seattle). It stays outside all year - including periods of sub-zero (centigrade) temperatures. It is doing fine.
I love bay leaves its magical!
I let my 6 foot bey leaf on the porch below freeze winter it came back huge this spring picked it clean all new leaves.
I just bought one and plan on keeping it in a large pot. Hopefully mulching will be sufficient to keep it alive when it starts raining here in east bay ca.
Some people just love to hear themselves talk ,still gave you a thumbs up!!
I love my lil bay tree. It’s been in a small pot since I got it and it’s been 2 years and still growing well. It defo needs to be put in a bigger pot though very soon. But I live in a cool temperate climate and it’s been fine. I do have over head protection though. But I heard it can’t handle the cold but anyone who lives in a cooler or hot climate it will grow. Just keep it under a big tree in winter and frost season.
I love steeping mine in hot water and use for soups, stews, casseroles, i even use in spag bog sauce and just about anything lol. When ya grow ya own you can use it all the time which is great 😀👍
I highly recommend growing it in a pot it you live in a cool climate with clay soil like my place.
I have 2 of these in the south of UK there growing insane , nearly 2 meters tall. Just in pots outside water and fertiliser
Great info, thanks!
I knew I had lost my soul to gardening the day I lugged a 50 pound bag of sand up 3 flights of stairs cuz I needed 2 scoops and "I will use it eventually". I really want a bay laurel for my aromatic bonsai garden.
Great! Now How do I get the seedlings? I love gardening!
So in humid conditions this would be a great house plant.
Mark Avera I came to see if I could keep this in the house actually. I have two little ones.
I'm growing 2 in my kitchen window one is 2 years old 2 feet tall, other one is new from a garden center. Both are doing great indoors!
The bay leaves with serrated edges is cherry laurel, which is toxic. I have both on my property.
I’d like to plant a bay laurel tree outside but I’m in Central Valley of CA. A friend nearby has a tree. Should I get a cutting from that tree since it grows well here?
They are so easy to grow here in California. You should be fine with cuttings.
Bay leave trees are native to my island (Madeira island) and we even have the largest laurel forest in the whole world and let me tell you, it's a very wet forest that receives upwards of 1000mm of rain a year... In some areas it gets over 3000mm of rainfall.
Wow!nice. Thanks.
You have an awesome SEED Facebook page. I just ordered some seeds. Thanks. Rhonda
I have had a bay tree for about 1.5 years. And while it's still alive (possibly I just lucky, since I was a bad plant parent and didn't research it before now), I have learned from this video why it always looks a little rough.
This vid is very helpful and informative. Thank you for sharing. Been searching for a good video on growing bay leaf.
Are you sure this is the sweet bay that you use for cooking? I have the Noblis (30 ft tall ) and it doesn't look like that at all. I have a luarel for a shub too. It looks like the headache luarel you can get from California. If you look up propagating the Medeteranian sweet Noblis, you'll see that it's completely different. And as far as water goes, I live on Whidbey Island...rain, rain and more rain.
excellent thanks for sharing see you
Thank you.
I found that they don't like being in the sun all of the time, they're happy in the shade with a little sun.
Hi, you might have experienced leaf burn after transitioning from inside the house to outside. This is normal. It usually takes a month before the trees adapt to full sun. I have been keeping tropical bonsai for nearly 20 years. Nearly all of my tree experience the same thing. Take heart though once adapted to full sun they will easily put on a foot of growth in a growing season. More if super happy. Also something to consider is once rootbound they will need root pruning to allow the roots room to grow again.
I planted a bay laurel outside in a dry area of my garden this summer in Ann Arbor, but I'm guessing I need to pull it out of the garden and put it in a pot inside for the winter? When should I pull it out?
i love it
so nice this plant
Thank you
Great video! Word to the wise. Scale loves bay laurel!
These grow abundantly along river and streams in southern Oregon.
Wowww... Nice
What kind of sand do you use? Play sand? I just got 2 rooted cuttings and my momma used to always have a big one in her house but she said it died off. So I'm trying to get a new one started for her and I!
I learned a lot ty
Thanks for sharing the information. Great.
Wow, a bay yanny so interesting
Bay Laurel grows wild and prolific in the sub-tropical heat and humidity, clay soil, partly shady woodlands of NW Alabama, USA.
People always say the leaves in California are too strong. I don’t find that at all. I use younger leaves all the time.
I’m in Central Florida have a rainy season but other than that it doesn’t rain the rest of the year could you please address planting them out in the yard how big the whole needs to be how deep etc. etc.
Appreciate your insight. I live in Ocala Fl - so lots of humidity. Looking for an organic answer to black spot as I grow the tree for cooking as well as beauty.
This is very helpful thank you for sharing this
Laurel, Monstera and Kiss me quick are my next plant project :D thanks for the information
how about planting it right on you back yard? I want it to grow as a tree, my husband is from Trinidad and Tobago and he grew up making tea out of the fresh green leaf, it has so many health benefits.
I love Bay Leaves (Laurel) this plant 🌱 is sacred plants symbol power of kings ..etc.
I'm from Camaroon I. Love it 🎉🎉❤❤ WOW
So what is the difference between the Bay Laurel tree and a Laurel bush that is planted as a hedge?? I would like to know more about the varieties, planting uses and recipes. Thanks so much!!
Just episode it's exactly why I love your channel.
Thank your for this information Luke ,,, I have always wanted to grow some bay !
I just learned that bay laid out through layers of tice helps to keep bugs out provided you have a lid on food grade bucket. So, i want to grow a bay leaf free. First, what kind of lights do you use and then where can i get a start? Are they slow growing?
Great channel! However, I will say you must water bay trees every day throughout the summer here in Zone 9a. Otherwise, growth will stall and the leaves will become scorched. Also, I live in the Houston area. We have 50% humidity EVERY DAY. I’ve grown and propagated bay trees for over 15 years and have never had trouble with powdery mildew. They’re a lot easier to grow than you might think. The only killer is hard freezes.
@director365. I am north of Houston, Cleveland, texas. I'm in the Sam Houston and have tons of bay laurel and cherry laurel. But every time I pot up seedlings, they are always cherry laurel. I wondered about propagating from cuttings. All of my bays are understory trees, so wondered if they do not like full sun.
Can you use a cactus potting soil to transplant a bay tree? Mine is a single stem. My rabbit got ahold of it and ate half the leaves off last fall. I'm trying to get it to recover still.
This is definitely on my list for this year!
HELLO SIR, LPD CAN YOU KINDLY TELL ME WHERE DO I FIND THE LAUREL TREE PLS TY SO KINDLY GOD BLESS TY AGAIN
Where is best place to buy one? Awesome video and thanks!
Hello Luke, I posted my fist video in just over three years. I put a link to your channel and to your store in my comments.