Bay laurel: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar
How do you sow bay laurel outdoors?
To sow bay laurel, use correctly identified Laurus nobilis seed. Fresh seed comes from ripe fruits on female plants, generally in autumn. Remove the fleshy covering and sow promptly. For dry purchased seed, follow the supplier’s instructions; soaking for twenty-four hours in warm water may be suggested. This treatment does not guarantee quick germination or make old seed reliably viable.
Choose a pot with drainage holes and a free draining seed compost. Cover the seeds lightly and water gently. Keep the compost moderately moist without leaving it waterlogged. Outdoor sowing needs a sheltered position and mild conditions; during cold weather, use a place protected from frost. Germination can be slow and uneven, so keep the pot while the seeds remain sound rather than discarding it after a short fixed interval.
When seedlings can be handled without damaging their roots, move them into individual pots and gradually accustom them to outdoor conditions. Do not use a fixed plant height as the only transplanting criterion. To reproduce a particular bay, semi-ripe cuttings in late summer offer another option. They retain the chosen plant’s characteristics, whereas plants raised from seed may differ from their parent.
How to plant bay laurel?
When does bay laurel flower?
How do you prune bay laurel?
Is it possible to harvest bay laurel now?
