How to Grow Bay Leaf or Laurel

Bay leaves from a laurel tree flavor soups and stews.

Also called sweet bay or bay laurel, bay leaf (Laurus nobilis) is a broadleaf evergreen shrub or tree native to the Mediterranean. The tree grows 35 to 40 feet tall when planted in the ground in its native region, and between 6 and 25 feet in height in the home landscape. The bay leaf or laurel is prized for its dark green, glossy leaves used for seasoning soups and stews. The bay leaf or laurel tree grows in USDA hardiness zones 8 through 10, where temperatures during the winter do not drop below 20 degrees F.

Things You'll Need

• Tiller
• Peat moss, manure or compost
• Shovel
• Pitchfork
• Organic mulch
• Horticultural oil
• Cotton and alcohol (optional)
• Pruning scissors

Instructions

1. Locate a well-draining site in your yard or garden exposed to five hours of direct sunlight every day. Till the soil to a depth of 8 to 10 inches to loosen compacted mounds of dirt. Discard plant debris, weed and stones that rise to the soil surface.

2. Spread 2 inches of organic amendment such as peat moss, well-rotted manure or compost to the soil surface and mix well. Level the soil surface with a rake.

3. Dig a planting hole as deep as the root ball of the existing bay laurel plant but two times as wide. Collect the dirt in a mound near the planting hole. Scrape the walls of the planting hole with a pitchfork to make room for spreading roots. Level the base of the hole with the back of the shovel to level it.

4. Lower the bay laurel into the hole and spread its roots in different directions to encourage growth. Ensure the plant falls at the same level as its nursery container. Back fill the soil in the hole with the dirt from the nearby mound until level with the surrounding soil surface. Tamp the soil to remove trapped air bubbles.

5. Water the soil at the base of the bay laurel until evenly moist. Continue to water the laurel frequently until established. Afterward, irrigate the soil when the top 1 to 2 inches feel dry to the touch.

6. Spread 2 inches of organic mulch around the base of the tree to retain moisture and deter weeds. Space the mulch 6 inches from the base of the tree to avoid rot.

7. Treat scale insects on the bay laurel with horticultural oil, or dip cotton in alcohol and rub over infested parts to control spread.

8. Prune the bay leaf in early spring to remove dead, diseased and damaged wood, using sharp and sterilized pruning shears. Also clip off wood from within the tree's canopy to improve sunlight and air penetration.

Tips & Warnings

• Grow bay leaf in a 12-inch pot filled with 2 parts peat moss, 1 part perlite or sand and 1 part loam. Place the pot in an outdoor spot exposed to indirect bright light. Keep the plant moist during the growing season and feed it a well-balanced fertilizer according to label directions.

• Protect the bay leaf with a tarp or blanket during an unexpected freeze. Move potted bay leaf trees indoors.

• Avoid overwatering or causing puddles of water around the base of the tree when watering.

References

• University of Illinois Extension; Bay Laurel; Jennifer Schultz Nelson; January 2008
• Ohio State University: Bay Laurel
• The Wisconsin Master Gardener Program; Sweet Bay; Susan Mahr; January 2009
• Herb Society of America fact Sheet; Bay; 1999
• Floridata; Laurus Nobilis; Steve Christman; 2003
• Plant of the Week; Sweet Bay; 2005

Resources

• University of Connecticut; Laurus Nobilis L.; 2011