Distinctive features and agricultural techniques in laurel cultivation: watering, transplanting, reproduction, difficulties and ways to overcome them, interesting facts, types. Laurel (Laurus) belongs to the genus of evergreen representatives of the flora, which can take both a tree-like and occasionally bush form of growth. Scientists have attributed it to the Lauraceae family. The native habitat of this plant is in the Mediterranean regions, and you can also find laurel in the Canary Islands and Western Transcaucasia. Nowadays, it is customary to cultivate this plant in France, Italy, Greece and Spain, it can be found in culture on the lands of Portugal and on the Adriatic coast. Basically, all areas are in a subtropical climate. Laurel plantings are not uncommon on the Black Sea coast in Russia and Ukraine. There are only three varieties in the genus, which will be discussed below.
Other names for laurel are - lavrushka, or, for example, in ancient Russia this plant was called "daphnia". This is due to the fact that in translation into Greek “laurel” became “daphne” and until the 17th century this name was firmly held by the people. They say, according to legend, Eros, angry at the jokes of the god Apollo, sent two arrows, one of which (awakening love) hit Apollo's heart, and the second (killing this feeling) hit the heart of the nymph Daphnia, for whom the ancient god was inflamed with passion. The nymph asked her father Peney to protect her from the annoying lover and Daphne was turned into a laurel bush. Therefore, Apollo began to wear an evergreen laurel wreath in memory of his lost love.
The height of the laurel plant ranges from 10 to 15 m, and sometimes reaches 18 meters. The laurel has a rather branched trunk, covered with a greenish bark when the shoots are young, but with age it takes on a brown color. The branches are erect, densely leafy, if the laurel grows in natural conditions, then its crown takes on a pyramidal shape, but in culture it can be given a very different shape. The leaf plates are simple, their surface is leathery, the edge is entire, sometimes with some waviness. The color of the leaves is a rich dark green color. The leaves are arranged on the branches in the next order, attached to the branches with short petioles. The length of a leaf plate measures 6–12 cm and a width of up to 2–4 cm. Even a light touch of a leaf plate generates a rather strong odor, since they contain a large amount of essential oils.
The flowering process of the laurel falls on the period from April to May. When flowering, axillary inflorescences are formed, which have the shape of an umbrella and are located at the tops of the shoots. In the inflorescence, there are from three to 12 small flowers. When fully opened, the flower reaches 1 cm in diameter, there are four petals in the corolla, painted in a yellowish-green color.
In the process of ripening, fruitlets of a blue-black hue (almost black) are formed, drupe-like, containing one rather large seed-stone. The shape of such a fruit is oval in length, they reach 1 cm. Their appearance occurs in the period from October to November.
The owner of a laurel tree can begin to bestow himself with freshly picked leaves, already at 4-5 years of growth. Foliage collection is carried out in October-November and until December.
Agrotechnics when growing laurel, plant care
- Lighting and location selection. Since a plant with fragrant leaves is quite thermophilic, a pot of laurel can be placed on the windows of an eastern or western location. And although in nature laurel grows in direct sunlight, it is better to arrange shading in rooms with a southern orientation.
- Content temperature. For laurel, it is most comfortable when in the spring-summer period the indicators will be maintained in the range of 20-26 degrees, and with the arrival of autumn, the thermometer should not go beyond 12-15 units. The plant is not afraid of the action of a draft and you can ventilate the room in which the laurel tree grows.
- Air humidity during cultivation laurel should be increased, therefore it is recommended to carry out regular spraying of the deciduous crown of the plant in the warm season. Other methods of raising the humidity level are also used: air humidifiers are placed next to the pot, vessels filled with water, or the flowerpot with the plant itself is installed in a pallet, at the bottom of which expanded clay or pebbles are laid and some water is poured. It is important to ensure that the liquid level does not touch the bottom of the pot. Often there are recommendations for growing a laurel tree in the kitchen, since the air in such a room is always saturated with steam from boiling water. In the summer heat, it is recommended to periodically wash the crown of the laurel under streams of a warm shower (at a temperature of about 40 degrees). This will help clean up dirt and dust from the foliage and freshen up the plant.
- Watering. In the spring-summer period, the laurel is moistened in such a way that the surface of the substrate in the pot has time to dry out a little. With the arrival of autumn, watering is reduced, since the plant begins a dormant period, while moisture will evaporate more slowly, and prolonged stagnation of water in the soil can provoke the development of various rot, which can lead to the death of a laurel tree, and lower temperatures of the content will only aggravate this process. In order for the plant to be comfortable, soft and well-settled water warmed up to room temperature is used.
- Fertilizers. From the beginning of the growing season, it is recommended to feed the laurel tree every 14 days. Use preparations for palm trees in concentration and according to the recommendations indicated on the packaging by the manufacturer. Complete mineral complexes are also used. Experts recommend using saltpeter, potassium salt, and liquid superphosphate. All these preparations must be diluted in water, which is then watered on the plant. During the dormant period, it is not recommended to fertilize the laurel tree.
- Transplanting a laurel tree. Since the laurel grows rather slowly, the plant is rarely transplanted. A young specimen requires a pot change every 2 years, and older trees are transplanted every 3-4 years. When changing the pot, the container should not be selected with a large volume. When the old flowerpot becomes small, the size of the new one is increased by only 2 cm, the size of the tub is increased by only 5 cm. The laurel is transplanted by the transshipment method so as not to injure the root system, the earthen lump is not destroyed. After the transplant is carried out, the plant is watered. The best time for transplanting is spring or summer. On the bottom of the new pot, a drainage layer of expanded clay, broken shards or pebbles should be laid. It is recommended to make the substrate from leafy, humus and sod soil, coarse-grain sand and peat (maintain the proportions of 2: 2: 1: 1: 1). The acidity of the soil mixture should be either neutral or slightly alkaline.
Recommendations for breeding laurel with your own hands
To get a new young plant with fragrant leaves, you can sow seeds or cuttings.
It must be remembered that the cuttings and basal processes of laurel take root for a long time. Breeding stocks are cut in April or June. The branches from which the cuttings are cut should not be lignified, the presence of 2-3 internodes is important on the cuttings and its length is approximately 8 cm. It is recommended to shorten the leaves to reduce the area from which moisture will evaporate. The workpieces are planted to a depth of 1.5 cm, maintaining a distance of 10 cm between the cuttings. It is necessary to pour 2-3 cm of coarse sand into the pot, and a layer of 3-4 cm of sod substrate is placed on top. After a month, the cuttings should take root, while the temperature is maintained within 16-20 degrees. After the cuttings show signs of rooting, it is recommended to transplant them by transferring (without destroying the earthen lump) into pots with a diameter of 7 cm.).
If a decision is made to sow laurel seeds, then first you need to make sure of their germination, paying attention to the expiration date on the package. Freshly harvested material is of course preferable. In the spring, seed-seeds are placed in pots or planting boxes with a soil mixture of leaf and sod substrate and sand (in a ratio of 2: 2: 1). When sowing, the soil should be heated to 18 degrees. When young laurel plants hatch and a pair of true leaf plates develop on them, they dive, maintaining a distance of about 2 cm between each other. The substrate is the same. After the laurels still grow and get stronger, then planting is carried out one by one from a pot with a diameter of 7 cm into the ground, consisting of sod soil, leafy soil, peat and river sand in a ratio of 4: 2: 1: 1. Seedlings are grown at a constant temperature of about 10-12 degrees, in a place with diffused lighting, withstanding regular watering and spraying.
Pests and diseases in the cultivation of laurel
When growing a laurel tree, the following troubles arise:
- foliage turns yellow and curls due to the fact that the moisture level in the room is greatly reduced - the plant should be sprayed;
- if the soil is too dense or the air is dry and hot, then the leaves will begin to dry out and fall off;
- if leaf blades fall in the lower part of the bush, then this happens when the soil is flooded;
- covering the root collar with a whitish bloom also indicates excessive waterlogging of the substrate.
While the plant is young, it is not recommended to tear off the foliage from it, the current as it can then start to hurt or stop growing altogether, when the laurel tree has a sufficient amount of deciduous mass, this indicates a guarantee of the correct development of the root system.
The pests of laurel are scale insects, mealybugs or spider mites. At the first manifestations of harmful insects, the foliage should be rinsed with a brush under streams of a warm shower, the water temperature is about 45 degrees. Then you can wipe the leaves with a cotton swab dipped in soap, oil or alcohol solution. After that, it is recommended to carry out treatment with insecticidal preparations.
Curious facts about the laurel
Even the ancient Greeks, following their legends about the god Apollo, considered the plant a symbol of triumph, because this celestial was always represented with a laurel wreath on his head. Until now, the winners are sometimes awarded with laurel wreaths. The origin of the laurel and the existing Greek legends were already mentioned at the beginning.
Even the ancient Greek philosopher Theophrastus (c. 370 BC to 288–285 BC) noted in his writings the abundance of laurel trees in the territory of Ancient Greece. In antiquity, laurel was used in many areas of human life: in everyday life (fumigation of houses with foliage), religious rituals and medicine.
A special strong aroma of foliage is given by the essential oils included in it: cineole, pinene, neraniol, eugenol and other fragrant and light compounds. Therefore, thanks to this composition, the foliage of the laurel tree has phytoncidal properties and helps to clean the air in the room. The fruits of daphnia contain a large amount of tannins, and the foliage is also full of starch. Therefore, it has long been used as a spice to whet the appetite in cooking and conservation. Laurel helps to improve food digestion, enhance the taste of fried meat, boiled fish, soups and other various dishes. Incredibly, even in the preparation of soft drinks and perfumes and cosmetics, laurel foliage is used.
It is noticed that bay leaves stimulate the excretion of fluid, and also prescribe them for hysteria and colic, relieve the symptoms of flatulence with both fruits and foliage.
In folk medicine, laurel has long been known, which is used as extracts from any parts against tumors as an anticancer drug. Also, with the help of such a tool, they take care of the skin of the face. If laurel oil is part of the ointments, then they are prescribed for rheumatism. As a tincture, laurel foliage also has a wide range of uses. It is customary to harvest foliage in culture from plants that have crossed the line in 4–5 years. The harvesting process takes place from November to December, since at this time the highest level of essential oils is present in the leaf plates.
Types of laurel
- Laurel Azores (Laurus azorica) found under the name Laurus canariensis. It has a tree-like form of growth and reaches a height of 15 meters. Shoots have hairy pubescence. Leaf plate with ovoid outlines. In length, it varies within 10–12 cm with a width of about 2–6 cm. The color of the deciduous mass is dark green, the surface is leathery. During flowering, an inflorescence of umbellate outlines of small flowers is formed, they are placed in the leaf axils in several pieces. Petals of flowers of light yellow color. The flowering process occurs in April-May. In natural conditions, it settles in moist forests located in the lower belt of the mountains in the Canary Islands, Azores and Madeira, which is the reason for the name of the variety.
- Laurel noble (Laurus nobilis). It takes tree-like outlines, its height fluctuates within 4-6 meters, and sometimes this species reaches 8 meters. In nature, it can be found in the form of a bush. Bare branches. The leaf plates are simple, have elongated lanceolate contours, are attached to the branches with short petioles, there is a slight waviness along the edge. Leaf sizes in length can be measured in the range of 7–12 cm, often reaching 20 units, width is 2, 5–4, 5 (8) cm. The surface of the foliage is bare, leathery, painted in a grayish-green shade, not glossy. During flowering, the resulting buds are collected in umbrella-shaped inflorescences. The flowers are small in size, the petals are yellowish or greenish, in the inflorescence their number can vary from 4 to 6 pieces. Peduncles have slight pubescence. The flowering process occurs in March-June. The size of the drupe can be slightly more than 2 cm, its shape is oval or elliptical. The color of the fruit is bluish-black, there is only one seed-seed inside. The fruits ripen fully by October.
- Laurus novocanariensis (Laurus novocanariensis). The native habitat is in the Canary Islands (as reflected in the name), as well as in Madeira. Some time ago, this variety was considered a subspecies of the Azores Laurel and only recently was it identified by scientists as an independent species. The difference is the higher parameters of the plant - up to 20 meters (if the laurel is tree-shaped) or up to three meters when it takes the shape of a bush. The leaf plates are rather large, the surface is shiny, colored in a dark green tint. The leaf takes on an ovoid or lanceolate shape and has a strong aroma. During flowering, umbrella-shaped inflorescences are formed. They also give off a fairly strong scent. The inflorescences are composed of flowers with a creamy white color. When the flowering process is completed, the fruits ripen olive-shaped, with a shiny surface and almost black color with a seed-stone inside.
More on growing laurel in the video below:
