Cherry laurel can not only be propagated by cuttings, but also by seeds. These are located inside the dark purple fruits, which develop from the pretty white flower umbels until autumn.
How do you grow cherry laurel from seeds?
Cherry laurel seeds can be grown both outdoors and in the refrigerator. After harvesting, sow the seeds outdoors in a bed; in the refrigerator, sow the seeds in potting soil in trays. In both cases, the seeds need constant moisture and temperatures between -4 and +4 degrees for germination.
Get laurel cherry seeds
Pick the ripe berries from the bush and remove the pulp thoroughly. To prevent the seeds from becoming moldy, you should let them dry on a kitchen paper towel for a few days.
Growing cherry laurel from seeds
Cherry laurel is a cold germinator and requires constant moisture and temperatures between minus four and plus four degrees for germination. You can sow the seeds outdoors in the bed or let them germinate in a cold room or even the refrigerator.
Growing in the bed
Spread the dry seeds as quickly as possible after harvesting, because if there is already frost it is too late to sow. Then the seeds can no longer swell sufficiently and the seedling cannot pierce the hard shell.
- Choose a spot in the bed where there are uniform growing conditions.
- Mix garden soil with propagation substrate (€6.00 at Amazon).
- Place seeds ten centimeters apart in the bed and cover with some soil.
- So that neither birds nor mice steal the seeds, you should put out a protection made of close-meshed wire.
The refrigerator as a greenhouse
The easiest way to germinate cherry laurel is in the refrigerator, as the temperatures here are absolutely constant. Proceed as follows:
- Fill bowls with potting soil.
- Introduce seeds about ten centimeters apart.
- Sprinkle some soil over the seeds.
- Moisten the soil well, but make sure that no waterlogging occurs.
- Let the seeds swell in a cool but frost-free room.
- Put the seed trays in the refrigerator after ten days.
Measure the refrigerator temperature with a thermometer, ideally it should be around five degrees. As soon as the seedlings start to sprout, you can take them out of the refrigerator. Continue to care for the tiny cherry laurels in a cool place, such as a cold stairwell or the garage, until they are large enough to be pricked.
As soon as the small laurel cherries have reached a height of around five centimeters, the plants are separated. Shorten the fine roots a little so that the small laurel cherry develops strongly.
