The real laurel is not only known as a victory trophy in the form of laurel wreaths. The leaves of the plant have also been harvested for thousands of years as a spice and medicinal herb for various uses.
How to plant and care for laurel?
Laurel is planted in a warm, sunny location in well-loosened substrate. Water regularly and, if necessary, overwinter in the pot. Propagate via cuttings or seeds, use leaves as a seasoning for steak, tomato sauce, soups and bay vinegar.
Where do you get he althy plants?
The real laurel is available in pots from well-stocked garden plant shops and is usually found among spice plants. You can also grow the real laurel yourself from seeds and care for it like a potted plant.
What is the ideal location for the laurel?
The real laurel actually comes from southern countries around the Mediterranean. Therefore, a location in the garden or on the balcony should be as warm and sunny as possible. However, growing in pots also requires a regular supply of water, as wind and sun cause potted plants to dry out particularly quickly. Real laurel can only remain outdoors all year round in Central Europe in particularly mild locations; you usually have to overwinter it in the pot in a cool and bright winter quarters.
How can you plant the laurel particularly gently?
When planting laurel in mild regions such as the Rhine Graben, you do not need to dig a very deep hole because the laurel does not have very deep roots. However, loosen the substrate well so that the fine roots can branch out easily. If you want to plant a laurel bush that has been overwintered in a pot in the garden during the summer season, you must first accustom it to life outdoors in the shade for a few days. Afterwards, if the weather is not too hot, it usually survives planting well if it is watered well afterwards.
Can laurel be transplanted?
Basically, the real laurel is not very sensitive when transplanted. Potted plants should be transplanted into a new pot every one to two years; the pot size can also be adjusted accordingly to the size of the plant.
How do you propagate laurel?
The real laurel can be propagated relatively easily via cuttings or seeds. To propagate by cuttings, cuttings about 15 centimeters long are cut and placed in unfertilized water. As soon as the first roots appear, you can plant the cuttings in loose substrate.
Tips & Tricks
The leaves of the bay laurel are perfect as a spice for:
- fried beef steaks
- Tomato Sauce
- Soups
- laurel vinegar
