Bay leaf cultivation. Soil and fertilizer
Laurel is a plant known to all. In our time, it is difficult to imagine a dish prepared without giving food a specific taste and aroma. Even in ancient Rome, homemade laurel was grown. Caring for an unpretentious plant is simple, besides, it takes root well on loggias and balconies.
Main characteristics
Laurel is a houseplant, care for which even novice gardeners can take care of. Under natural growing conditions, this tree is able to reach a height of 18 meters. By the way, in the Sochi region you can find specimens with a height of 15 meters.
Despite the fact that laurel does not require special care, it is still desirable to create the most favorable environment for the plant. Indoor culture prefers to be in a sunny place, however, it will grow well in the shade. Also, a plant such as laurel is not afraid of drafts and drought. Care at home should be carried out so that he does not experience stress due to lack of water, or, conversely, does not suffer from waterlogging of the soil. Laurel is resistant to diseases and pests, it can be trimmed, giving various forms. Many gardeners manage to grow large trees with an openwork intertwined trunk.
Varieties of indoor laurel
This plant has only two types:
- noble laurel;
- Canarian laurel.
Unlike its compatriot, the Canarian species has large, wide leaves, slightly wrinkled along the edges. But his aroma is somewhat weaker than that of a noble fellow.
Several varieties of trees are known Indoor plant, the care of which is quite simple, is in high demand among flower growers. The main botanical species has three varieties: narrow-leaved, golden and wrinkled. All of them differ from each other only in the shape and color of the foliage.
Healing properties
In addition to being a fragrant, well-known seasoning, laurel also has a number of healing properties. This applies not only to leaves, but also to fruits. They contain fragrant essential oils and tannins. So, inhalation of vapors of tinctures prepared from plant components helps to fight cancer.
Experts also argue that laurel, which is properly cared for at home, can prevent the development of a disease such as coronary heart disease.
Features of care
Despite the fact that there is no particular hassle when growing laurel, it still needs to be looked after. Otherwise, even such an unpretentious plant may die. With a lot of useful advantages, it can look very beautiful and decorative, but this requires care. The noble laurel is very fond of pruning the crown, spraying the foliage. It is advisable to constantly wipe the dark green fragrant leaves from the dust gathering on them.
Temperature
For good growth, it is desirable for each plant to create the conditions to which it is accustomed in its native places. This also applies to such a flower as room laurel. Care in winter time- this is, first of all, the optimal air temperature (not higher than 18 degrees). And in January, experts generally recommend lowering it to 10 degrees. Therefore, especially in apartments with central heating, the plant is best kept away from heat sources.
reproduction
A plant such as laurel, which is properly cared for at home, is fairly easy to propagate by cuttings. It can also be grown from seeds, but the shoots and basal cuttings take root for a very long time.
If you decide to grow a plant from seeds, then be sure to check the expiration date seed. Take care of the special soil and keep in mind that slightly different conditions are needed for good seedlings.
For more efficiency experienced growers It is recommended to soak the material for sowing in warm water for several hours. Seeds should not be placed deep in the soil, it is advisable to sprinkle them with a layer of earth and cover with a film.
If you plant laurel with cuttings, then they should be cut off from the shoots of this year, which have not yet had time to fully lignify. The preparation of future seedlings is carried out in the spring - in March or April. Cropped shoots are planted in moist soil. It is advisable to remove most of the leaves, leaving two or three, which are best shortened. The length of the planting material should be 6-8 cm. For better and faster rooting, it is advisable to use very wet sand. It will take about a month for young seedlings to take root.
Transfer
Transplantation should not be done frequently. You should not choose a large capacity for a small tree. The plant does best in a small pot. When it becomes crowded, the new container should be 4 centimeters larger. Transplantation should be done by transshipment of an earthen coma, adding the necessary soil to new pot. After planting, the laurel must be watered. Transplantation can be done in spring and summer.
top dressing
All plants need periodic feeding, even laurel. Home care does not require feeding the tree often, it is enough to do this twice a month, during the active growth period, that is, from June to September. For top dressing, saltpeter, potassium salt, liquid superphosphate are used. All fertilizers are diluted in water.
Lighting
In order to preserve the decorativeness and beauty of laurel foliage, it is advisable to place it on a bright, warm, well-lit side. Despite the fact that the flower feels fine in the shade, its color may change slightly, the leaves will no longer have such a bright color, and the tree itself may stretch out and the foliage thin out.
AT room conditions it is very difficult to achieve the flowering of a plant such as laurel. Home care, consistent with natural factors, can help the tree bloom. True, his flowers are not very beautiful. Basically, these are small inflorescences of yellow flowers that have a pleasant aroma.
Laurel is a plant whose care will be a joy even for children, because, basically, it proper watering and location. If you do not know how to properly water an ornamental tree, then do it when the topsoil is slightly dry. Do not flood the flower, because even an unpretentious laurel can rot the roots from an abundance of water.
Before planting or transplanting, do not forget to drain. Try to refrain from transplanting a one-year-old laurel. The only thing this tree does not like very much is frequent transplants, its roots are very sensitive.
If you plant a flower with cuttings, then when cutting, try not to cut the process from a large tree to the end, try to gently tear it. The resulting "heel" will contribute to more rapid development root system of a young seedling.
Do not forget about humidity and spray the plant daily in hot weather. Try to do this in the evening hours, because drops of moisture on the sheets, when exposed to sunlight, turn into very strong lenses that can leave severe burns on the foliage, which will lead not only to an ugly appearance, but also to their death.
Do not feed the plant in winter during the dormant period, otherwise, during the natural time for active growth, the laurel will not be able to develop normally, because it will not have time to gain strength. In winter, watering is also desirable to reduce.
Bay leaf is our most sought-after spice, without which we can’t stew. But not everyone knows that these leaves with a high content of essential oils can be grown on your own windowsill.
In addition to being useful for cooking, this magnificent sprawling bush will decorate any room with itself, as well as heal it, because the volatile substances secreted by the plant successfully fight pathogenic microbes, including mycobacterium, the causative agent of tuberculosis.
Growing laurel at home
Practice shows that it is very easy to grow a laurel tree at home, it is very undemanding to conditions and can grow even on a northern windowsill. But if you move it closer to the sun, the plant will immediately respond with abundant branching.
Laurel care at home comes down to regular light watering and spraying. In order for the glossy leaves to shine attractively, it is necessary to arrange a warm shower for the bush once a week. Thus, it will be possible not only to decorate the room with a green handsome man, but also to grow foliage for subsequent winter cutting for eating.
The soil for laurel is light, but in no case acidic, which can even destroy the plant. Therefore, when planting, a little slaked lime should be added to the soil.
Noble laurel tolerates drafts and others without any problems. unfavourable conditions. AT summer period it is desirable to take it out to a sunny balcony, while not forgetting to increase the frequency of watering, or to transport the tree to the dacha, where it will feel great throughout the warm season.
Reproduction of laurel at home
If you decide to propagate your tree at home, then this is not difficult - for this, a process from bay leaf, or rather, a lignified shoot of 3-4 years is cut off with a sharp knife under acute angle. After that, the branch is placed for a day in Kornevin's solution to stimulate root formation. So that all forces go to the appearance of roots, 
existing leaves are cut in half.
For a young plant, not ordinary soil is suitable, but river sand. It is poured into a small flowerpot, watered, compacted, and a laurel shoot is planted strictly vertically in it. After this, the plant must be covered with a plastic bag or a glass jar to create a favorable microclimate inside. In a month, the young plant will have roots and young leaves will begin to grow.
An adult plant is transplanted into fresh soil every 2-3 years, without forgetting to add slaked lime to the soil, which prevents soil acidification.
The fresh foliage of an exotic indoor tree will enliven any room, whether it is an apartment, house or office. Therefore, propagation of laurel by cuttings attracts the attention of many gardeners who are ready to painstakingly grow this pretty plant. Biologists say that fragrant laurel leaf plates release phytoncides into the environment, which purify and refresh the air. As a result, various kinds of fungi or harmful bacteria do not start in the room. In addition, the hostess will always have the freshest spice at hand.
At home, the laurel will grow to about 2 m in height and above.
Reproduction of laurel by cuttings: preparation of planting material
Compared to lemons, bay laurel is relatively easy to grow in your home or office. The plant miraculously takes root even on the north side, where there is not so much light. Interestingly, after 2 years, the plant will already have full-fledged leaves that can be used as a spice.
Reproduction of laurel by cuttings begins with the preparation of planting material. It can be purchased at the store or taken from an adult plant. Usually, cuttings are harvested in the spring or in the first month of summer, when the tree has completely moved away from the winter state. Best to use planting material from annual stems that are not woody. 
In order for the laurel cuttings to be successful, young branches are cut into small pieces of about 8 cm. Each of them must have at least 3 internodes ( free places between leaves). The lower part of the branch should be cut at an oblique line.
When harvesting cuttings, the branches must be cut with a sharp knife, but do not reach the end of the branch. The rest is slightly torn off along with the bark to make a “heel”.
Leaf plates that are closer to the cut must be removed. The top ones are easy enough to cut, leaving half of the leaf on the branch. Do this procedure so that the plant does not lose a lot of moisture.
An easier option for propagating laurel with cuttings is to purchase planting material in a store. Usually they sell already rooted branches that can be immediately planted in the ground. But it is advisable to carefully examine them in order to notice any damage or pests, for example,. In addition, they must be elastic in nature, saturated with moisture.
Methods for rooting cuttings
When the planting material is already in hand, it is important to root it. There are two available methods for how best to do this: in soil and water. First, we will analyze how to root cuttings of laurel on the substrate. To do this, first prepare a special soil. You can use any of these options:
- mix in half soddy land with marsh moss;
- take one part of the sand and the same amount of soddy soil;
- mix sand with swamp moss;
- prepare coarse sand.
When the choice is made, it is desirable to disinfect the soil with hot water. Sand can be simply ignited on fire. The procedure will protect the cuttings from harmful bacteria. Drainage from broken brick, pebbles or expanded clay is necessarily placed at the bottom of the tank. Then, a shoot from a bay leaf is planted in the finished substrate. The plant is lowered into the ground by 1.5 cm, slightly compressed, slightly moistened, and then covered with polyethylene. At home, you need to carefully monitor him so that he is well rooted.
In order to avoid contact of the handle with the shelter, it is advisable to install small protective pegs.
For better rooting, the sprouts are treated with growth stimulants, after which the containers are placed in small greenhouses. Optimum temperature the room should be approximately +25°C. Young sprouts are sprayed with water every day and aired, removing the plastic cover. Thanks to this care, after a month, the cuttings will have roots. Then they can safely be transplanted into a new pot.
But how to root cuttings in water to grow an exotic tree at home? Someone will think that this method is not particularly reliable for such a plant. In fact, it is enough to adhere to the basic operations for the plant to take root successfully. And then it will be able to please the owners with spicy leaves all year round.
All you need to do is take a small container, pour about 5 cm of water into it and place the cutting there. The container is taken to a dark place. Throughout the entire period of rooting, the water is not changed, only as needed, periodically topped up.
Planting a bay tree with a cutting
After the sprout releases enough roots, they begin to plant the plant. To do this, choose a suitable container and soil. The pot should be small at first with a hole in the bottom where the drainage layer will be placed. Then they put a layer of soddy soil, and sand on top. Perfect option for planting a bay leaf with a cutting - purchase a carbonate mixture in the store.
The process of how to plant a bay leaf in a prepared substrate consists of such simple operations:
- the pot with the cutting is thoroughly moistened so that it easily comes out of the soil;
- the sprout is carefully removed and transferred to a new place;
- a small funnel is made in the soil, 2 cm deep;
- a cutting is placed in it;
- covered with sand;
- slightly moisturize.
To protect the plant from fungal infection, do not overfill it with water. It is better to do this in small portions as the top layer of the earth dries up. In addition, the laurel will not refuse regular feeding. Sold in specialized stores different kinds organic mixtures either. Some gardeners use a weak solution of mullein. In this case, you should be especially careful when preparing the substance, carefully observe the dosage. 
Otherwise, the roots may simply burn out and the plant will die.
The plant must be transplanted into a new container every year. When he is 5 years old, the procedure is done once every 4 years.
By placing on several pots with laurel, you will not only decorate the room, but also saturate the air with unusual freshness.
We grow laurel in the kitchen - video
Bay leaves grow in warm Mediterranean climates, but it is very interesting to talk about whether bay leaves are suitable for growing at home? After all, today there are a large number of opportunities in order to create such a microclimate on your windowsill that will completely suit this plant. Moreover, it is widely known that laurel is not considered a very whimsical plant. It easily tolerates temperature changes, is not very picky about moisture. Therefore, growing a delicious, odorous seasoning at home is quite simple. And when the shoots grow enough, you can delight your family and guests with rich borscht, spreading the delicious aromas of home-grown lavrushka!
The subtropical Mediterranean climate is ideal for good growth laurel tree. In our country, the plant feels good in its natural environment. Krasnodar Territory. However, there are many cases when gardeners grow good bushes on their own plots and in middle lane. The leaves are quite fragrant, great for seasoning homemade broths.
Laurel trees belong to the laurel family. Today, three species of these plants are known. They are evergreen, home growing best suited laurel noble.
Growing homemade bay leaves
In general, we can say that laurel is not a picky plant, therefore, with proper care, moisturizing and feeding, not even the most experienced gardener can grow a big tree at home. Not only can its leaves be used in the kitchen for all kinds of dishes: both first and second, the incredible fragrant aromas of a growing tree will soar in all rooms.
It is known that growing laurel releases phytoncides, which are very effective in fighting bacteria and fungi. So it can be said with certainty that house tree will protect the family from frequent illnesses and colds.
Location and lighting
Laurel - rightfully refers to unpretentious types of vegetation. It easily tolerates even difficult conditions. But, nevertheless, if you want to see fragrant, healthy and beautiful tree, then it is better to create the most favorable conditions.
So, many gardeners note that a flower pot can be placed in any part of the room: be it the south or even the north side. The plant will grow both with a limited amount of light and with excessive sun exposure. The only thing is that the size of the pet depends on the conditions. On the south side, you will become the owner of a large and stately bush, which can easily overcome even a two-meter height. In a different light, your bush is unlikely to please the eye with violent growth.
Watering and fertilizing
Lavrushka is good for frequent moisturizing. In general, you should try to shed the soil well in the pot about once every 5 days in winter and at least once every 3 days during hot days. So that the soil does not become too moist, it is better to organize at the bottom of the pot good drainage, passing excess liquid in the saucer. However, it will not be superfluous to water the plant even every day in a particularly hot time. It is necessary to follow the need to moisten the soil according to the degree of drying upper layers soil.
It is advisable to defend the water in advance, because most often in our country the liquid contains a lot of iron. Hard water is unlikely to please any representative of the flora, especially those grown at home.
Keep in mind that bay bushes will be very happy if you spray a small drop over them warm water. Let it fall on the leaves, trunk, topsoil. It is not worth parting with this, but in warm time year it is better to spray water at least once a month.
Highly good decision a container of water placed next to the pot will serve. The liquid in the warm season will evaporate and humidify the surrounding air, creating pleasant conditions for the normal growth of the bush.
pruning
Laurel grows slowly, but can grow to quite impressive sizes. In wildlife, trees easily reach six or more meters. Of course, a home sample is unlikely to boast such growth. But this does not mean that over time your compact bush will not outgrow the possibilities of the room.
The first pruning procedure is best done on a grown plant. Upon reaching two years, the upper shoot of the crown is carefully cut off at the bush. Then, when the top acquires side shoots, they are also carefully thinned out.
Pruning is best done at the end of summer, when the growth of the plant ends. It’s not worth it to not engage in the formation of a flower at all. Otherwise, you will become the owner of an untidy tree.
Temperature and humidity
Laurel is extremely unpretentious to temperature regime. Few pets can boast resistance to fairly low temperatures in winter, and this tree will happily overwinter at 10 degrees Celsius. Of course, such a regime is not typical for a living room, but, anyway, try not to keep the parsley in winter at a high temperature.
Advice. As soon as the cold passes, and at night average temperature stops dropping below zero, you can safely send the tree to Fresh air. For example, a balcony or a summer garden is well suited.
In summer, try not to overheat the bush. 20-25 degrees will be enough. Laurel does not like dry air. Therefore, artificially increase the humidity by spraying. Place a saucer of water near the flower.
The soil
Soil for your bay leaf is suitable for absolutely any. The main thing is to ensure good drainage of the pot and try to feed the flower so that it grows beautiful, with the correct shape.
Reproduction methods
Many gardeners advise using one of three simple species dilution of bay leaf:
- seeds;
- cuttings;
- taps.
seeds
Most reliable method growing laurel is the use of seeds. Many stores offer lavrushka seeds. Today it is not a problem to place an order via the Internet. A suitable time for sowing is January. This is due to the fact that the seed can lie in the ground for quite a long time. The first shoots appear no earlier than a month later, but may not germinate until six months. Therefore, planting in winter will lead to the fact that the plant will grow in spring and summer: the most successful time in terms of temperature and humidity.
Attention! Many gardeners advise propagating laurel with the help of seeds. This is explained by the fact that from the very beginning the bush will grow and form in the same conditions and will not be stressed by changes in temperature or humidity. environment. In addition, purchase required amount sunflower seeds are available at an affordable price and in almost any store.
Store the seeds until the sowing time in a cool place. For example, a refrigerator or a shaded cupboard. Before planting seeds, they must be soaked, because they have a thick peel. So you will noticeably speed up the process of the appearance of new shoots.
There are no special soil requirements for seed germination. Any fertile soil that you can cook yourself or buy at a flower shop will do. The only very important condition: the top layer should be laid out 2-3 centimeters with calcined sand. This is very important for the seeds to start.
By the way, many advise before planting seeds in the ground, thoroughly ignite the entire soil to kill bacteria and pests. It is believed that this recommendation is useful not only for propagation by seeds, but also for cuttings and layering.
The seed is sunk by about 1 cm. A mini-greenhouse is arranged above the pot. A plastic bag or even a glass jar is suitable for this. Periodically, the greenhouse must be ventilated.
Ripening takes place in different ways and depends on temperature. But when the shoot throws out the first two leaves, the new plant can be transplanted separately. It is not necessary to use purchased pots. First time perfect home for the baby, a glass of yogurt will serve.
cuttings
Growing a bay leaf from a cutting is more difficult than from a seed. For the cutting, the middle or lower part of the branch is usually chosen. It is best to take a young bush, the stem of which has not yet been covered with wooden bark. The most important condition is that the new shoot should have three free areas between the bases of the leaves (the so-called internodes).
The bottom cut must be made oblique. The leaves at the base of the cutting are removed, and the upper ones are cut to about half so as not to evaporate too much moisture.
The soil can be enriched with special additives that will contribute to the rapid development of the roots. Of course, a greenhouse is being built over the escape. You need to water the new laurel often. Spray 4-5 times every day. After the appearance of the root system (usually after a month), the shoot is transplanted to permanent place.
layering
It is quite easy to get a shoot of a young plant using a method that is very often used for propagating grapes. For this, a layer is made from a young shoot. The lower branch is lowered and buried in a prepared small groove. There the stem is securely fastened so that it long time stayed in the ground. In the place where the branch will be sprinkled with earth, an incision is made on the bark.
It is important to provide a sprinkled groove with very good watering. After a while, a young shoot will hatch from the ground. It is dug up, carefully separated from the lower branch at the base and transplanted into its own pot.
Further, as with cuttings: the first time good watering and greenhouse conditions.
How and when to transplant laurel?
laurel tree does not grow quickly. At good conditions maintenance, bushes are transplanted every two years. New dishes are taken from the calculation so that the width exceeds the previous one by several centimeters. Older plants are transplanted every 3-4 years, as they grow. It is important to try to use the same soil for the same shoot.
In order for the bush to form as healthy and beautiful as possible, already for annual plants It is customary to generously fertilize the soil. Manure is good for this purpose. The main thing is not to burn the roots, dilute it with water. You can enrich the soil no more than once a month. But rarely fertilize, less than twice a year will also not benefit the formation of a noble appearance of a pet.
Laurel also prefers mineral fertilizers, which can be selected from flower shops. Well, if you make it a rule to alternate different types fertilizers.
Diseases and pests
Laurel has a very bad attitude to dry air, as it historically grows near sea coasts. Therefore, with low humidity, the bush begins to dry and shed foliage.
The unpretentiousness of the plant allows you to grow a full-fledged bush for almost any owner. In fact, the bay tree does not require anything other than good hydration. And few flowers do not require watering. You also need to at least occasionally feed the soil, since the bay bush is transplanted quite infrequently.
Conclusion
Growing bay leaves at home is very good idea. There are no special difficulties in care or reproduction. Laurel most often develops well on its own. And if you monitor the growth of the pet especially carefully, then you can safely talk about the mass of advantages that the owner of this wonderful bush will receive.
In pursuit of beauty 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) - low evergreen 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 of the Krasnodar Territory and in the Crimea.
Types of laurel
Noble (from lat. Laurus nobilis)
- in conditions of 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 light ground for room laurel - for example, a mixture of garden soil with 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 homemade laurel nobilis in small pots, gradually changing them - young plant it is recommended to repot regularly.
Temperature and watering
At home, caring for laurel is quite simple. After a small tree is rooted and green, it is important to provide it with 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.
AT winter period common laurel prefers special care behind him: regarding 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 house plants, both special "Laurel", and 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 young tree and a year or two later for an older tree. Fulfill it better in spring before the start of the active period. Laurel is usually grown in small pots, each new pot is chosen 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 the 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. Most right time for propagation of indoor laurel by cuttings - spring, but if necessary, you can root the cuttings 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 crowns 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, spider mites, mealybugs and aphids are more common. 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 temperature. 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 a pleasant aroma and a bitter taste that goes well with fish and meat. They are often found in soups, second courses, autumn preparations. slight smell essential oil wood 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 Beneficial features and...
