Content
- Pull the laurel in the pot and overwinter
- The right substrate for the laurel
- Bay laurel in the pan for the winter
- Harvest laurel in the pot and use it properly
- Tips & Tricks
Pull the laurel in the pot and overwinter
As a typical plant of the Mediterranean and the Middle East, the real laurel (Laurus nobilis) in this country relies on a sunny and warm location. A cultivation in the pot facilitates wintering, because the laurel is sensitive to frost and can only survive outdoors in very protected areas throughout the year in Central Europe.
The right substrate for the laurel
When growing plants in a bucket, there is generally a higher risk of dehydration in summer. Since dried laurel is often placed in particularly sunny spots or on the balcony, there is an even greater need for regular care and irrigation. Nevertheless, the fine roots of the laurel are also sensitive to waterlogging, which is why it should not be watered daily. Fill the laurel pot with a loose and well drained soil. This should ideally have a certain amount of sand and must not be too heavily mixed with fertilizer.
Bay laurel in the pan for the winter
Even in mild conditions, you should not leave your laurel bushes in the pot unprotected overwinter. Since the roots of potted plants are exposed to frosty air temperatures even more than specimens planted in the ground, you should prefer a cool shed or a basement room for winter quarters. But also in the winter, make sure that the plants have sufficient brightness and water supply, otherwise they may get yellow or brown leaves over the winter.
Harvest laurel in the pot and use it properly
If the specimens you have collected are plants that have been propagated from cuttings, you should first allow them sufficient development time. In the first year, harvest at most individual leaves for use with the following recipes:
From the second year you can also cut off whole branches of laurel. But you should always use a pair of scissors, as when using electric hedge trimmers usually unsightly drying halves of the leaves remain on the plants.
Tips & Tricks
Fresh bay leaves season each dish very intensely. After drying, the dosage of laurel in the kitchen is usually a bit easier.