How to Grow a Bay Leaf Tree in Michigan
The bay leaves used for seasoning your favorite foods grow on a large tree known as a sweet bay or bay laurel (Laurus nobilis). Grown in the ground, these evergreen beauties can reach heights of 40 feet at maturity, while the potted versions only grow to several feet. Native to the Mediterranean, bay laurel prefers to grow in USDA hardiness zones 8 through 10, where the winter temperatures do not fall below 20 degrees Fahrenheit. If you live in Michigan, which lies within planting zones 3 through 6, don't despair. Growing a bay leaf tree is still possible, as long as you grow it in a pot. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- 6-inch pot
- Organic potting soil
- Plastic wrap
- Spray bottle
- Fertilizer
- Sharp scissors
- Pruning tool
Instructions
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Fill a 6-inch pot with damp organic potting soil. Do not use soil from your outdoor Michigan garden because it may contain pests. Use bagged potting soil instead. Press two to three seeds down 1/4 inch into the soil. Cover the pot with a piece of plastic wrap.
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Set the pot in an area that has a constant temperature of 75 degrees Fahrenheit or above and plenty of bright, indirect sunlight. Lift the plastic only to dampen the soil with water from a spray bottle during germination. Bay leaf tree seeds germinate in three to four weeks on average.
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Pluck out the weakest seedlings once they develop their second set of leaves. Leave the strongest seedling to grow in the pot. Discard the others.
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Water the bay leaf tree deeply as it grows. Allow the water to flow through the layers of soil in the pot and out the drainage holes. Allow the top 1-inch layer of soil to dry out in between waterings.
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Bring the potted bay leaf tree outdoors to soak up the sun during the late spring and summer months, in Michigan. Grow the bay leaf tree exclusively indoors over the fall and winter months. When growing indoors, set the bay leaf in an area that receives bright, indirect light.
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Offer the bay leaf tree a well-balanced fertilizer. Apply the fertilizer according to label instructions. Bay leaf trees appreciate a dose of fertilizer every two to three months.
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Tips & Warnings
Harvest the leaves of your Michigan bay leaf tree by twisting them off the stem or cutting them from the stem with a sharp pair of scissors.
Prune dead or damaged leaves from the bay leaf tree using a pruning tool, whenever necessary. Prune the bay leaf tree to your desired shape, removing no more than a third of the foliage during any one cutting.
Repot the bay leaf tree into an 8-inch container when it outgrows its first one. You will know that it is outgrowing its container when the soil dries out quicker than usual or the roots begin to grow out of the drainage holes in the bottom of the pot.
Do not overwater the seeds. Overwatering will cause the seeds to rot, preventing germination.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Lorbeerblätter image by Teamarbeit from Fotolia.com
