Bay leaf cultivation. Description of the plant laurel

Most often, Canarian laurel is used for these purposes, since this culture is particularly unpretentious and responsive to decent care. The plant needs high humidity and regular transplants.

Description of the plant laurel

A subtropical tree or shrub, a species of the genus Laurel of the Laurel family.

Its leaves are used as a spice. Long time the plant was considered a sacred tree, its wreaths adorned the heads of the winners in Ancient Greece. Widely cultivated in the subtropics.

Evergreen tree or tall shrub reaches 10-15 m in height with brown smooth bark and bare shoots. The crown is densely leafy, mostly pyramidal in shape.

The leaves are alternate, short-leaved, entire, glabrous, simple, with a peculiar spicy smell; leaf blade oblong, lanceolate or elliptical, narrowed towards the base, dark green above, lighter below.

Inflorescences are umbellate, numerous, collected mainly at the ends of the branches in the axils of the leaves. Umbrellas before flowering are enclosed in spherical wrappers, consisting of four elliptical scales. Flowers - small, yellowish, unisexual, staminate, collected in inflorescence, pistillate.

Under natural conditions, this is a tall tree. The description of a home-grown laurel plant differs from wild plants compact dimensions: maximum height is one and a half to two meters.

As you can see in the photo, at home, laurel lends itself well to decorative processing - it can be cut as you like and create any shape you like:

The plant is native to the Mediterranean. Despite this fact, the bush turned out to be hardy and quite unpretentious. The plant grows well in open soil in colder latitudes and in warm and dry domestic climates. Of course, the second option is more difficult for him, because in order for the laurel to be healthy and beautiful, you need to properly care for it.

How to care for Canarian laurel at home

The genus includes several species that can be grown at home. Most often as ornamental plant Canarian laurel is found.

In nature, the species grows in moist laurel forests in the lower mountain belt of the Canary, Azores and Madeira Islands. Trees up to 15 m tall, shoots hairy pubescent. Leaves ovate, up to 10-12 cm long and 2-6 cm wide, dull green. The flowers are collected in umbellate inflorescences, located in the axils of the leaves, several, light yellow. Blooms in April - May. decorative look thrives well at home.

In its natural environment, a tree grows under the sun, blown by cold winds, watered by rain, covered with snow. Therefore, when caring for laurel at home, the plant needs bright lighting - its dense leaves are not threatened with burns. Direct sunlight is better than a shady place. However, if in nature the plant gradually gets used to the sun, then home plant after wintering, it is necessary to accustom it to it - it should be placed in the sun gradually.

The laurel tree at home adapts itself to the natural cycle of the subtropics. He needs warm summers and cool winters. The plant is quite resistant and easily tolerates temperature changes. In summer optimum temperature for growth is 20-26 degrees, in winter - 5 degrees of heat. It can also survive small frosts, but at sub-zero temperatures, the plant is more likely to survive open ground- its root system is more developed and protected.

The roots of a plant growing in a pot can freeze completely and the plant will die, so it is most often grown indoors.

In the process of caring for laurel at home, do not forget that the plant needs high humidity, then it turns green and grows well. At home, you need to spray the bush more often, bathe it in the shower, put it in the heat on a pallet with wet pebbles. Dry air weakens the plant, makes it susceptible to diseases and pests, spoils its appearance.

IN warm time Years require abundant watering, the soil should not dry out. But this does not mean that you can arrange a swamp in a pot - the moisture must evaporate, be completely consumed by the roots, otherwise it will lead to rot of the root system. With a decrease in temperature, watering is also reduced, in winter they are watered so that the soil does not completely dry out.

If the plant grows all year round at room temperature, watering is always needed plentiful. For proper growth, periodic changes in climate and watering are needed. In winter, the plant rests and prepares for a new cycle. Constant heat can exhaust the plant.

You can see a photo of caring for a laurel at home below:

Soil for laurel and transplanting at home

The soil for laurel at home needs a neutral, moderately nutritious, well-absorbing water. From ready mixes Suitable substrates are universal or for cacti. You can also make a substrate yourself, for this you need to take two parts of leafy soil, one part of soddy land, two parts of humus, one part of large river sand and one part of peat. A little crushed charcoal can be added to the earth mixture. If the tree does not grow quickly or is completely frozen in growth, the soil may not be suitable for it - there are not enough nutrients.

A young plant needs an annual transplant. The root system does not grow very fast, so changing the pot is not necessary. If the roots have completely or almost completely mastered the pot, it is necessary to transplant it into a larger container. If the root is poorly developed, the plant is left in the same pot and its care is adjusted.

After 5 years, the frequency of laurel transplants at home can be reduced to 1 time in 2-4 years. To feed the plant, you can make a top soil change in a pot. Rare transplants are also associated with the fact that by this age the laurel grows to an impressive size and it becomes not so easy to transplant it.

When transplanting, it is necessary to make drainage. The less often transplants take place, the larger the drainage layer should be.

Fertilize with complex mineral or organic fertilizer in standard dosage from March to October. Fertilizer is applied every 2-3 weeks.

Growing laurel from seeds at home

Reproduction of laurel at home is carried out by seeds, cuttings, dividing the bush, branches and grafting.

At home, it rarely blooms and it is difficult to get seeds. Seeds for propagation are collected in November, kept in a slightly damp place so that they do not dry out, and the skin is removed from them before planting. Landing is carried out in late autumn-early winter or early spring.

When growing laurel from seeds at home, for starters, the seed is placed in small boxes. The soil in these containers should consist of a turf, leaf mixture, mixed with sand (1: 1: 0.5). Before planting, the seeds are freed from the pulp surrounding them, and at the end of the procedure they are covered with glass (you can use plastic wrap).

When the third leaf appears on the seedlings, the seedlings swoop down and are planted in separate containers - pots, disposable cups, utensils for yogurt and others.

After planting the laurel at home, grown and strengthened plants are transplanted into ceramic pots until further growth.

Propagation of laurel by cuttings and pruning at home (with video)

The process of preparing cuttings should begin no earlier than March-April. Use shoots only from a healthy bush, which have already matured, but have not yet crusted over.

The cuttings are cut into small segments of 6-8 cm, following some rules: when cutting off the cutting, you do not need to completely cut it with a knife. Make an incision, and then carefully tear off the segment to grab some of the crust. The cutting should turn out with a “heel” starting below the first node. The pouring at the bottom of the cutting is removed.

When propagating laurel by cuttings at home, remember that the plant takes root poorly, therefore it is recommended to use preparations that stimulate the root formation process to form the root system. Before lowering the cuttings into the composition, they should be wetted. It is not required to remove excess drug with something special - just shake off the cuttings.

The stalk prepared in this way is planted in a kind of greenhouse - under a plastic film supported by pegs, in clean sand, about 2 cm. in depth. Wait for the rooting of the cuttings should not be earlier than a month. After which they can be planted in the ground or a permanent pot.

Watch a video of propagation of laurel by cuttings at home in order to properly root the plant:

The crown of a home tree can be given any shape. Laurel pruning at home is best done at the end of summer or autumn, when the plant slows down its growth.

Laurel diseases at home

Laurel diseases at home indicate insufficient care for the plant.

The plant does not tolerate dry air. If the humidity is low, it can be affected, which is removed by spraying with a special insecticide.

Pale laurel leaves may indicate starvation. Or this happens in the summer, with strong heat - the leaves simply burn out.

If a dry border appears on the leaves, then the air is too dry. Or watering is not enough. For the same reason, the leaves can curl up into tubules.

Sluggish leaves indicate too dense soil, insufficient watering, directed heat, for example, from a battery.

If the tree shed its leaves in winter, the time of rest has come. Just move the plant to cool place.

Laurel is a subtropical tree or shrub. There are several types of this plant. IN natural conditions they grow in the Mediterranean and in the south Krasnodar Territory.

Laurel tree: description, types

Laurel belongs to the Lavrov family of the same name. Types of laurel:

• Azores is distinguished by large decorative ovoid leaves. Blooms in May with light yellow flowers.
• Camphor, so named because of the high content of camphor in the leaves and stems. The crown of the plant is wide, branched. The leaves emit a spicy scent. The leaves are lanceolate, with small dots throughout the field. The flowers are yellow-green.
• Noble, the leaves of which are used for food. It is a perennial evergreen tree or shrub. Under natural conditions, he lives up to 100 years. During this time, its height reaches 10 m. In an apartment, it grows up to 3 m. Its stems are covered with leathery leaves about 8 cm long. In spring, noble laurel blooms with small yellow flowers. When grown at home, flowering is rare, after reaching 5 years of age. Laurel fruits are small.

Laurel can be propagated by layering, cuttings and:

• The easiest way to get a new plant is from cuttings. They may appear on their own. If this does not happen, in the spring they add a branch of laurel, water the place where rooting takes place. next spring plant a new plant in a separate pot, after cutting off the layering from the main tree.
• Laurel should be propagated by seeds in the fall. To do this, take a pot, lay drainage on the bottom, then sprinkle with soil. Watered. Cover the pot plastic wrap. Waiting for shoots to appear.
• Get a young plant faster from a cutting young plant. To do this, take non-lignified cuttings with 2-3 buds or leaves. The soil is prepared in the same way as for growing from seeds, but the soil is covered with a layer of sand from above. The length of the cutting is up to 8 cm. The cuttings are immersed so that the lower edge is immersed in the sand by 1 cm. The soil for the laurel is prepared by mixing humus, turf, and old foliage. Add peat and sand. If there are no such components, you can plant laurel in universal soil purchased in flower shop.

Good neighbors for the laurel in the room will be,. They will create a beautiful corner, in addition, they will positively affect the well-being of the owners. After all, phytoncides, which secrete laurel leaves, contribute to this.

Although laurel belongs to subtropical plants, it can withstand even a drop to 5 degrees below zero. But this applies only to old sheets. Young, spring ones can freeze even with slight frosts. Therefore, do not rush to take out the tree on Fresh air. It hibernates best at a temperature of 12-15°C. He needs warmth in the summer. Optimal will be 25-28 degrees. Laurel does not like sudden changes in temperature.

When choosing a place for a laurel, they take into account that it feels best in a well-lit place. But direct sunlight on the leaves should be avoided. It also grows in the shade, but in this case the branches will stretch out and lose their decorative effect.

In an apartment or office, in no case should you put a laurel near a radiator or other heating devices.

Laurel noble loves fresh air. Therefore, the room where it grows must be regularly ventilated. And in summer, it is better to take the plant out onto the balcony or into the garden, setting it in partial shade. Laurel is not afraid of drafts. It tolerates heat well, but grows worse at the same time.

Like all subtropical plants, laurel grows well with high humidity. To provide the tree comfortable conditions, regularly spray the leaves with water. It should be soft and not cold. Once a month, you can shower by covering the soil in the pot with plastic wrap.

How to water the plant:

• In summer, you can provide suitable humidity by placing a pot with a tree in a large pallet, at the bottom of which pebbles and moss are laid. Some water is poured into it. If possible, you can spray the plant from the sprayer several times a day.
• Watered abundantly in the warm season, but do not fill in, so as not to get stagnation of water in the pot. In hot weather, it is better to water in the morning and evening. Do not water during the day, so as not to get water on the leaves. This can cause sunburn on them.
• Water for irrigation can be taken tap, then only after it has settled well. Its temperature should be higher than in the room.
• In winter, the number of waterings should be reduced, and the interval between them should be increased. But it is also impossible to overdry the soil, the plant may die. At this time, the laurel is not watered. Periodically, you can wipe the leaves with a damp cloth.

In order for the laurel to be strong and beautiful, it needs to be fed. During the period of active growth, this is done once a month. It is easier to use complex fertilizers. You can alternate organic and.

The root system of laurel does not like to be disturbed. But the tree is growing and needs to be replanted. Therefore, it is better to do this by transshipment. So the root system moves from one flowerpot to another, along with a clod of earth, with little or no damage.

Young laurel trees are transplanted approximately once every 2 years.

If it does not grow very actively, and there is enough space in the pot for the roots, you can do this even less often. Five-year-old plants and older are transplanted after 4 years. new pot take 3 cm wider than the previous one. A layer of drainage is laid at the bottom. It will ensure the timely outflow of water and save root system from stagnant water.

The soil can be taken almost any, even the usual garden. Add some humus. If the soil is clayey, add sand to increase moisture permeability. If it is sandy, add a little clay. It will help you keep required amount moisture. Plentifully water the laurel, wait until the water is absorbed, and the soil lags behind the walls of the pot. Carefully take out the tree, laying it on its side on a matting or oilcloth. Examine the root system. If there are damaged roots, they are carefully cut off, sprinkled with crushed charcoal. If possible, take out drainage stones braided with roots.

Laurel crown lends itself well to shaping and pruning:

• It is carried out in early spring, so that young shoots have time to grow. Lignified branches are shortened by 20 cm. New shoots will appear from the buds located below the cut point, the bush will become curly and voluminous.
• Pruning can give laurel desired shape: ball, cone, pyramid or other figured.
• To form a crown unusual shape you need to start at a young age, cut more often, but little by little.
• Some flower growers advise cutting laurel at the end of summer. Leave young shoots that will grow in the spring.

To remove scale insects manually, remove them with a damp cotton swab. This is a longer process. Processing must be carried out until the scale insects become. But then you need to control for some more time, because juveniles may appear. Laurel at home is susceptible to some diseases, fungal or viral. A sign of damage can be a black sooty coating on the underside of the leaves. To fight them, they use biological preparations, for example, "Gamair".

If the conditions for growing laurel are violated, it reacts by changing its appearance:

• If the air in the room is too dry, the leaves begin to curl.
• If they dry, you need to lower the air temperature in the room.

These same symptoms may indicate high air density. Lower the temperature or transfer the plant to a cool place. Cover with a plastic bag. This will help increase the humidity. Soon, young leaves will begin to grow.

If the indoor temperature is too high in winter, the laurel can completely shed its leaves.

In this case, you need to move it to a cooler room. If you put a plastic bag on it, the leaves will recover very quickly. Laurel leaves are almost the same as those sold in the store. But experts do not advise using it for food. It may happen that when grown in a greenhouse or in a flower shop, it was amenable to processing chemicals harmful to the human body. And in modern apartments and offices, it can absorb hazardous substances. In addition, as a result of drying at home, the leaves may lose their aroma.

More information can be found in the video:

Good day to all!

Noble laurel (laurus nobilis) or bay tree, with fragrant leaves of which every housewife is familiar, grows in nature in the south of Europe, in the Mediterranean, in the Western Caucasus. But laurel can also act as a houseplant, especially since caring for it at home is not at all difficult.

And the health benefits of this plant in the room are very large. Bay leaves contain a lot of phytoncides and essential oils that purify and heal the air. Yes, and the energy of the plant is very good, not in vain, because it is a noble laurel! Wreaths of laurel branches were awarded to heroes and winners!

Laurel bush is very well suited for both the bedroom and the living room. It improves sleep, harmonizes relationships, smoothes sharp corners helps understanding.

The most popular use of bay leaves is as a spice. Also seen for a long time medicinal properties plants, to which it owes a large presence in the leaves essential oil. This oil is widely used in perfumery and cooking.

I got a laurel about ten years ago. Accidentally bought in some store. Brought it home, very happy.

But the plant sat in one place, did not grow. What's happened? I began to carefully examine - and on it was a shield! That's why my laurel isn't growing! And now I will talk about my experience of caring for indoor laurel and how I got rid of the shield on it.

By itself, the laurel plant is quite unpretentious, loves light and fresh air, and is not afraid of drafts. Grows well in normal soil suitable for most evergreens.

If you want to prepare the soil yourself, take such a mixture - turf land - 2 parts, and 1 part each of sand, humus and well-decomposed peat. The soil should be sufficiently breathable with neutral acidity.

In the summer, during the growing season, the laurel needs to be fed. From home remedies, I use water after washing meat, a little ash, and I also fertilize with fertilizers for indoor flowers according to the instructions. Top dressing can be done once every two weeks.

The tree tolerates pruning well, the branches can then be used in the kitchen. Pruning can form a plant and prevent it from growing strongly.

The temperature for growing a bay tree is normal, room temperature. In winter, if it is possible to keep it cooler, then it is better to do so. But I have a laurel in regular room, though in the house in winter we maintain a temperature of 19-20 degrees, sometimes it is even lower, that is, without heat.

In winter, the plant is in a dormant period, so it is not necessary to feed, but water sparingly when the soil dries out. In winter, even the lack of light, the bush tolerates well, it stands in my back of the room on coffee table.

But when it starts to grow, it is better to put it in a brighter place so that the shoots do not stretch.

Reproduction of the noble laurel.

The easiest way is to propagate laurel by root shoots at room conditions during transplantation. There are times when seeds are found in a bag of bay leaves and they sprout from someone.

My Lavrushka has never bloomed, perhaps in room conditions this is not always possible.

I tried to root the stalk under the jar, he sat for a very long time, but he did not take root. Now I propagate only by division during transplantation and by root shoots, which appear in abundance around the main trunk.

Watering the laurel tree.

One of the main conditions successful cultivation laurel - proper watering. The main rule is not to flood the plant, especially in winter when it is at rest. In summer, watering should be sufficient, in the heat you can water every day.

Here it is necessary to monitor the condition of the earthen coma, to prevent drying out. Laurel will react to a lack of water by wilting leaves. If watered in time, the leaves will restore turgor.

For the past few years I have been taking my laurel outside in the summer, and it stands on my terrace until frost. In the heat in the evenings, I can spray the flowers with water, when it rains, I expose them to the rain. to wash off the dust.

In winter, instead of rain, I make a cool shower for the laurel. He loves it very much, the plant just cheers up after bathing. During the shower, I put a plastic bag on the pot so that water does not flow into the pot.

Bay tree pests and their control.

One of the most malicious pests of indoor laurel is the scale insect. A lot of people wrote to me about this in the comments under the article about. I promised to tell you how I coped with the shield.

Yes, it was not easy. What didn’t I do after I discovered this muck on the branches! Say. that helped one thing I can’t, most likely everything helped in the complex.

Several times I washed the plant with laundry soap with the addition of kerosene. The pot was wrapped with a film, and soap suds from laundry soap with the addition of kerosene. Per liter of water - a spoonful of kerosene. The foam was left on the plant for a couple of hours, then washed off with a shower.

Since I have a laurel in winter on a coffee table, I examined the plant in the evenings, and cotton pad, moistened with alcohol, removed the scale insects from twigs and leaves.

But my scabbard turned out to be not only on the laurel, it also struck lemons and even on the window.

Therefore, in the summer I went on a real attack. She took all the flowers out into the yard, etched the window with dichlorvos, then washed it thoroughly.

I cut the leaves of the hippeastrums, and treated all the plants - laurel, lemons, hippeastrum with Aktara. Moreover, she processed not only the crown, but also poured a little earthen ball, since the scale insect larvae live in the soil.

This treatment was repeated two or three times with an interval of 10-14 days. And after that, the shield disappeared.

Now, for the purpose of prevention, before bringing indoor flowers into the house after a summer stay on the street, I always process them all right on the terrace, preferably twice with an interval of 7-10 days.

And in the winter, I periodically examine my pets, so that if something happens, take timely action.

So you learned how you can grow a bay tree at home and how to overcome the scab. We will talk more about the benefits of laurel another time. There will be questions - ask, if I can, I will answer.

That's not all for today. Bye Bye! I would be grateful if you share the publication with your friends on social networks.

Laurel noble - care and cultivation at home.

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The noble laurel is known to culinary specialists for its fragrant leaves. Without a bay leaf, it is difficult to imagine a lot of hot dishes - especially soups, cabbage soup, borscht. However, it is not necessary to buy this seasoning. Growing noble laurel at home will provide you with fresh, high-quality raw materials.

laurel noble

In nature, noble laurel - evergreen up to 18 meters high. Its young leaves and shoots are used as a spice ( Bay leaf), they also have medicinal properties.

Most of the essential oils in the leaves accumulate in autumn or winter. Branches with leaves are cut from a 3-4 year old plant and hung in the shade to dry. When the leaves dry, they are plucked and stored in linen bags. Cut off up to a third of the crown at a time. And a year later, new leaves are harvested from the same plant - it grows so fast.

This plant is unpretentious, easily tolerates pruning. Therefore, in the south it is sometimes used for palisades, providing the most diverse, sometimes inventive form. Laurel noble enough frost-resistant plant. Dies only at 15 degrees of frost. The drier the air, the lower the temperature it can tolerate. A bay tree grows on almost any soil, except for marshy ones, but considers neutral or slightly alkaline to be the best.

Laurel at home

Laurel noble grows well at home. He is not afraid of drafts. Therefore, in the summer it is exposed to the open air, slightly shading from direct sunlight. The only condition for growing laurel is that it must be properly watered, avoiding waterlogging of the soil, and regularly spray the leaves. In summer, plants are sprayed so that water penetrates deep into the crown. This helps to prevent the appearance of pests, especially scale insects. When watering, add baking soda to the water (half a teaspoon per 1 liter). Laurel is placed both in the sun and in the shade, although it branches better in the sun.

In winter, the noble laurel is more comfortable at a temperature of 13 degrees, but it tolerates a decrease to 2 - 5 degrees. If the room temperature is above 18 degrees, then the plant should be sprayed frequently. Otherwise, due to the dryness of the air, the leaves of the noble laurel will begin to fall off. At proper care only those leaves that have been growing for more than three years fall off. Leaves like spices are harvested when they grow in length more than 10 cm.

Laurel is transplanted in the spring, choosing a pot 2 cm larger than the previous one. This limits the growth of the root system, and hence the growth of the bush itself. At the bottom of the pot, be sure to put broken shards and coarse sand with a layer of 3-4 cm for drainage. The land mixture is prepared from soddy, leafy earth and sand (2: 1: 0.5).

plant formation

Growing laurel can turn into an exciting activity. After all, the noble laurel can be given any form! In the south, there are entire parks with animals, figures, fences made of living laurel plants. At home, you can also form different compositions from laurel. To do this, the plant will have to be trimmed often. Laurel looks beautiful in the form of a ball or pyramid.

To form a crown for this, they begin in the spring in the second year of life. The upper part of the main shoot is cut at a height of 10-12 cm above the soil surface. After that, 2-3 shoots grow from the lower buds. When these shoots are 15-20 cm long, pinch them. Thus, the bushes grow by 8-10 cm per year.

Reproduction of noble laurel

Laurel plants get used to living conditions in a room better when propagated by seeds. To plant the seeds, they are cleaned of pulp, as it delays their germination. When dried, the seeds quickly lose their germination capacity, so they are usually sown in the fall. But if this is not possible, then they are stored until spring, sprinkled with sand in a cold place. Seeds are sown in a bowl with a soil mixture of soddy, leafy soil and sand (1: 1: 0.5), covered with a film or glass on top. They germinate faster at temperatures above 18 degrees. When the seedlings grow up and they have two leaves, they are seated according to the 2x2 cm pattern or in small pots. Later they are planted in separate pots.

The propagation of laurel by shoots begins in March-April. For this, shoots are cut 6-8 cm long from ripe, but not stiff shoots. When cutting the shaft at the bottom, this technique is used: they cut a little before reaching the end, and then partially tear off the bark with adjacent tissues. lower leaves are removed.

The shoots are hard to root. Therefore, root stimulants are used, for example Kornevin. The shoots are planted in coarse sand to a depth of 1-2 cm according to the 10x10 cm scheme. To maintain air humidity, a plastic bag is pulled from above. So that it does not touch the processes, pegs are installed - a mini greenhouse comes out. A month later, when the petioles take root, they are planted in pots with a diameter of 7-9 cm, using the same soil mixture as for the seedlings.

Healing properties of noble laurel

Laurel noble is used not only as a super-popular seasoning. He owns and healing properties. In particular, laurel purifies the air in the house. Its aroma is useful for intestinal spasms, inflammation of the respiratory and biliary tract. To make the aroma stronger, the laurel is placed by the window, watered twice a week with the addition of a glucose solution (5 ml per 5 liters of water) or aspirin (5 g per 1 liter). At high humidity The aromaticity of plants increases, therefore a vessel with water is placed between the plants. Be sure to remove dead leaves. Laurel is used not only as a spice, but also for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, gout, flaccid paralysis, spastic pain, and diabetes.

Growing noble laurel at home, you will get useful plant- very fragrant, beautiful and healing.

(Laurus nobilis) - this is the full name of the popular indoor and tub plant.

In ancient Greece, laurel was considered the sacred tree of the god Apollo. This veneration is based on the myth of the nymph Daphne ( Daphne- "laurel" in ancient Greek), which was turned into this tree in an attempt to avoid the amorous pursuit of Apollo. To prove his love, God wove a wreath of laurel and never parted with it. So the laurel wreath became a symbol of triumph. A wreath of laurel branches was awarded to the winner sports games held in honor of Apollo. This symbolism was carried over into Roman culture, where the laurel branch was also identified with victory. Such titles as "bachelor" and "laureate" also came from the word laurel. In the Bible, laurel is mentioned as a symbol of prosperity and glory.

Laurel noble - one of the species of the genus Laurel ( Laurus), which is part of the Lavrov family ( Lauraceae). The number of species in the genus has not been precisely established, according to some sources there are 3 of them, but the morphological features of the species largely coincide.

Laurel noble comes from the Mediterranean, where it grows in a subtropical climate. During times when the climate was more humid, laurel forests covered most of the Mediterranean basin. But as the climate changed, these areas were inhabited by more drought-resistant vegetation, the last laurel forest disappeared about 10 thousand years ago, only its remains remained in the form of small groves in Turkey, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Syria, the Canary Islands and Madeira. Laurel also grows in Russia, in the southwestern regions of the Krasnodar Territory, and is also widely cultivated in many countries with a subtropical climate.

Laurel grows pyramidal evergreen tree or large shrub, reaching 10-18 m in height. The leaves are arranged on the shoots alternately on short petioles, elliptical, entire, leathery, dark green and shiny above and whitish below, up to 10-20 cm long, have a well-known aroma.

The plant is dioecious, male and female flowers are formed on different plants, monoecious specimens are occasionally found. Numerous umbellate inflorescences are collected mainly at the ends of the shoots. Before flowering, they are enclosed in spherical wrappers of 4 elliptical scales. Flowering occurs in spring. The flowers are yellowish and small, males are collected in 6-12, female - in 2-3. After pollination on female plants dark blue ovoid drupes about 1 cm long are tied, which ripen in October-November.

Laurel is grown commercially, the leaf is widely used as a spice in cooking, and laurel oil is extracted from the fruit, used for medicinal purposes.

All parts of the plant contain laurel essential oil, which gives them their famous aroma. The composition of this oil includes eucalyptol, linear, myrcene, camphor, limonene, linalool, organic acids and other valuable components. Thanks to this set useful substances laurel has been used in medicine since ancient times. Laurel essential oil is a good disinfectant and insecticide, it was used when there was a threat of epidemics of cholera, dysentery, malaria, and the smoke from burning wood served to repel mosquitoes and mosquitoes.

Laurel has been used to treat coughs, digestive problems, kidney stones, and to relieve arthritis. Currently, preparations based on laurel essential oil are used only externally. In massage therapy, they help relieve the pain of arthritis and rheumatism, in aromatherapy they are used to reduce pressure. Ointments are effective in the treatment of scabies and rheumatism and as a remedy for wrinkles. There is evidence that a compound derived from laurel leaves inhibits human skin cancer, melanoma. Laurel leaves are placed in bags with cereals to repel harmful insects. However, laurel, when in contact with it, can cause allergies in sensitive people.

Laurus nobilis is widely cultivated and in pure decorative purposes. It was introduced into cultivation in Britain at least as early as the 1650s, and in 1993 won an award from the Royal Horticultural Society. This small and bushy tree with a slow growth rate is ideal for patio decoration and can be grown as container plant in harsher climates. Thanks to its dense dense crown, which lends itself well to shearing, laurel can be used as a hedge, for making topiary figures, it is perfectly shaped and clearstem tree. As a small potted plant, laurel is often present in kitchens in many countries, being both a decorative living element of the interior, and a ready-made fresh spice, and at the same time saturating the air with useful essential oils.

By selection, several ornamental varieties laurel, including:

• Aurea- with yellowish young foliage;
• Angustifolia- with narrow, spear-shaped leaves;
• Undulata- with a wavy edge of the leaf blade.

Home care

The subtropical nature of this plant imposes certain care requirements. First of all, this concerns the organization of a cool wintering. Laurel grows well in a tub culture, spending the summer outdoors and the winter in a cool, bright greenhouse. At home, it is important to provide the laurel with a constant supply of fresh air.

Lighting. Laurel prefers bright light, tolerates direct sunlight well. In the warm season, he prefers to spend in the garden on open sun or in the light shade of trees. This is a good tub plant that will decorate a gazebo, porch or patio, giving them a Mediterranean flavor. If it is not possible to take the plant to the dacha in the summer, it is advisable to put it on an open sunny balcony. When transferring a plant from indoors to outdoors or immediately after purchase, accustom it to the sun gradually, otherwise the leaves will get burned. IN winter time find him a very bright place.

Temperature regime. In summer, the optimum temperature for laurel is within + 18 + 26 ° C, in winter, a plant from the subtropics definitely needs coolness, it rests. At a temperature of + 5 + 12 ° C, wintering is the least painful. Laurel is quite resistant to frost, growing in the ground, it can tolerate a short-term drop in temperature to -10 ° C. When grown in a pot, the temperature should not fall below 0 ° C so that the roots do not suffer.

Watering depends on the time of year. In summer, the laurel is watered abundantly after the top layer of the soil dries out, without bringing it to waterlogging. In autumn, watering is reduced, and in winter, when the plant is resting in coolness, it is minimized, but not brought to complete drying so that the roots do not suffer.

More about watering indoor plants- in the article Rules for watering indoor plants.

Air humidity higher is preferred. It is desirable in the heat, especially in the heat, to spray the plant several times a day with boiled water.

Soil and transplants. Young plants are transplanted every 1-2 years, as the soil volume is filled with roots. Adult specimens require transplantation no more than once every 3-5 years. For young plants, ready-made peat universal soil is quite suitable; for older plants, during subsequent transplants, it is advisable to gradually increase the proportion of sod land. For adult tub plants that spend the summer outdoors, soddy land must be present in the composition of the land mixture, this will prevent the coma from drying out too quickly.

Details about transplanting indoor plants - in the article Transplanting houseplants.

top dressing are introduced from February, when the plant starts growing, and until the end of October, when the rest period begins. For top dressing, you can use universal complex fertilizers with trace elements, at the beginning and end of the vegetative period, the dose is reduced by 2 times. During the winter holidays, top dressing is canceled.

Haircut and shaping. Laurel tolerates pruning well, thanks to its dense crown, it can be given any shape. Pruning is best done in the fall. But the growth rate of the plant is slow, so it will take many years to grow a large specimen. For keeping as a tub plant, it is better to immediately acquire a large size.

reproduction possibly by sowing seeds, root layering and rooting cuttings. Seeds for sowing must be fresh, they germinate slowly, sometimes up to 6-12 months. Best of all, they germinate at a temperature of +20 ° C in the light.

Semi-woody apical shoots with 4-5 leaves are taken on cuttings. They take root reluctantly and for a long time, up to 3-6 or more months. It is advisable to use rooting stimulants (Kornevin, Heteroauxin or Zircon) and bottom heating.

Details about cuttings of plants - in the article Cuttings of indoor plants at home.

Sometimes laurel produces root offspring, which can be carefully separated during transplantation.

Diseases and pests. Laurel is very susceptible to attack by scale insects. Often on it you can find a mealybug.

About pest control measures - in the article Indoor plant pests and their control.

In case of non-compliance with the conditions of detention (too dark place, lack of coolness and waterlogging in winter, overdrying of a coma in summer, low humidity air) laurel leaves begin to turn yellow, brown dry spots form on them. In this case, you should try to optimize the conditions of detention and care.