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| Laurus nobilis | Common name; Bay |
A hardy uni-sexual evergreen shrub, both the male and female plants bear clusters of yellow-green flowers in April.
Later in the year the female plants will produce long purple-black berries.
The aromatic leaves can be used either freshly picked or in a bouquet garni for flavouring fish.
If left to grow unrestricted they can grow to a height of around 5 metres (16ft)
They are suited to growing as a standard or half-standard in pots/tubs.
To develop a standard, allow the leading shoot to grow to the desired height, pinch back all lateral shoots to two or three leaves.
When the leading shoot is 150mm (6”) taller than the desired height of the stem, pinch out the tip.
Thereafter, prune to keep the desired shape twice or more during the summer.
Remove suckers from the stems of standards as they appear.
Week 14; Plant out in a sunny, sheltered position or in 400-500 diameter pots/tubs containing potting compost the equivalent of JI No.3 Week 26; (year 1)
Low growing shoots can be layered now.
Week 30-32; (year 1) take 100mm (4”) heel cuttings of lateral shoots.
Insert in equal parts peat and sand and place in a cold frame to root.
n.b. It will take at least three years growing on before they are ready to plant out into their final quarters.
Week 16; (year 2) pot up rooted cuttings taken last year into 70mm (3”) pots of potting compost.
Week 30; (Year 2) Layers taken last year will be ready for severing from the parent plant and potting up.
Week 38; (year 2) set the young plants out in a nursery bed or alternatively larger pots to grow on until ready for planting out in their final quarters next year.
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