Laurel is a Mediterranean plant, which in our everyday life is perceived only as a fragrant additive for cooking. Meanwhile, the common laurel is the noblest tree, and one of the most ancient plants. Amateur flower growers willingly grow it on their windowsills for decorative greenery.
Homeland of the plant
Laurus nobilis is one of the most popular evergreens grown at home. It may look like a small bush or a miniature tree. The plant not only decorates the room with its foliage, because it has a lot of useful properties. Plus, with laurel on your windowsill, you'll never shop for seasoning again.
Laurel is native to the Mediterranean. From there, it gradually spread throughout the subtropical regions of Europe. It can be found even in Russia in the southwestern region of the Krasnodar Territory.
Noble laurel belongs to the laurel family. In the wild, a plant can even survive a century. Hiscan be safely attributed to the category of centenarians. The plant reaches a height of ten meters or more. But even with good care at home, the noble laurel has a much more modest size.
The plant can grow as a bush or tree. Its evergreen foliage does not fall throughout the year, which gives it a decorative look. During the flowering period, the laurel is covered with small yellow flowers.
Choosing a place for a plant
Despite such a noble origin, the laurel cannot be called a sissy. He is not too picky about the conditions. Probably, for this reason, they began to grow it on the windows of the hostess. Of course, this does not mean that the plant does not require care. But it is not at all complicated, compared to other cultures. Laurel requires watering, pruning, spraying and other simple manipulations. Imagine that with minimal proper care, the noble laurel at home can live up to fifteen years.
For a plant, you need to choose the right place in your apartment. In nature, it is adapted to both a large amount of sunlight and partial shade. And yet the sun is more preferable for the plant. In summer, it can be taken out to the veranda, balcony or courtyard.
In an apartment or in a house for a plant, it is better to allocate a place on the south window. Young laurels are more shade tolerant than older plants. During periods of rest, the pot with the plant can be rearranged to the north window.
All warm months the noble laurel can even be in the open air. Puttinga seedling in a brightly lit place, you need to take care of a protective screen that can cover the foliage a little, as it can get burned.
Noble laurel in a pot should not be rotated, trying to give equal coverage to the entire crown. The plant itself is able to cope with this. The fact is that trees are oriented to the magnetic poles and any movement is stressful for them.
Temperature conditions
For the noble laurel, content with seasonal temperature fluctuations is preferable than under the same room conditions. In general, the temperature regime can be characterized as follows. In winter, the plant can be kept at 7-10 degrees, in spring and summer in the range of 17-25 degrees (at night and daytime, respectively).
With the advent of heat, as soon as possible, the plant is taken out into the street, into the garden or onto the balcony. You can return it to the house when the night temperature drops below +3 degrees.
At home, laurel grows everywhere, most often on rocky slopes in the mountains. Sometimes the weather conditions there are not entirely favorable, so the plant tolerates even negative temperatures for a short time.
In areas with a fairly mild climate, a tree or bush can overwinter in unheated greenhouses. For a short time, the plant can withstand temperatures as low as -10 degrees.
Soil
Growing laurel requires well-drained and light soil. You can purchase any universal primer. But you canmake your own mix. For it, you need to take one part of sod land, as much humus or compost and leafy soil, as well as two parts of sand. The substrate must have a neutral pH.
Noble laurel plant, in principle, is not too susceptible to root rot. Nevertheless, it is recommended to disinfect the soil before planting. To do this, it is placed in the oven for twenty minutes. In this case, the temperature is set to 100 degrees. At higher values, there is a threat of death of all beneficial microflora.
Landing
The choice of container is very important for growing laurel. When choosing a pot for a plant, you should be aware that its size has a great influence on the growth rate and development of the bush. The larger the capacity, the greater the annual growth that can be achieved. But, if you want to get a miniature tree, then you should buy a small pot, since the roots do not need space in this case.
The noble laurel is transplanted at home only when, when the roots completely fill all the free space and become visible in the drainage holes. The next container for transplantation is selected just a couple of centimeters wider than the previous one.
The frequency of transplants largely depends on the age of the plant. So, for example, a seedling aged from one to three years is recommended to be replanted annually in early spring or after the end of the growing season. Older plants are also transplanted at the same time, but once every two years.
Whentransplant root feed is reduced by about a third. It is not at all dangerous for the plant. The most important part of the roots is located on top. In a new container, be sure to lay out the drainage, and then fill the free space with fresh soil. Experts recommend immediately enriching the soil with organic matter, adding, for example, something like fish bone meal.
The plant needs loosening of the soil. However, it is worth remembering that its roots are located quite shallow. Therefore, loosening must be done carefully. You can even cover the trunk circle with mulch. Laurel plants always get the attention of cats for some reason. Therefore, pots on top can be decorated with colored pebbles, which will serve not only as an additional decoration, but also as protection against "diggers".
According to reviews, noble laurel grows rather slowly, therefore, from the age of six, it should not be transplanted at all, replacing the top layer with a new one.
Feeding
According to the state of the laurel, it is very easy to judge the need for its transplantation. The main indicator is the state of the surface of the foliage. If it has lost its gloss, then this indicates that the soil is depleted. This can be avoided by timely fertilization. During periods of active vegetation, universal complexes are usually used. Seedlings can be fed no more than once every two weeks. For an adult plant, it is enough to fertilize once a month.
The plant has a break during active vegetation. It's connected withthe arrival of a summer drought. It is worth remembering this when fertilizing.
Irrigation
Caring for noble laurel is quite simple. First of all, it concerns the irrigation regime. The plant is not too demanding in this regard. It tolerates a lack of moisture much easier than its excess. Watering the plant is necessary if you dip your finger into the soil and feel that it is dry. Seasonality should also be taken into account. In early summer and spring, trees consume more moisture than in winter. Therefore, in the cold season, it is necessary to exclude stagnant water. To do this, the pallet is filled with gravel.
Growing laurel at home is not troublesome. And yet it is worth paying attention to the plant. Occasionally it needs to be sprayed. This will make the foliage even more beautiful. For spraying, it is better to use soft water, which does not leave white marks on the foliage. In the heat, the plant can be pampered by bathing in the shower. Water procedures are good for laurel, which is spoiled by sunlight. If the plant is in partial shade, then it is enough for him to periodically wipe the foliage with a damp cloth.
In a room with dry air, especially in winter, it is necessary to place a tray with water near the plant.
Propagation of laurel
The plant propagates in several ways: cuttings, air layering, dividing the bush, seeds and grafting. According to experts, cuttings are most effective. As a material, you can use twigs cut off during the formation of the crown. Semi-lignified shootscut obliquely so that each of them has three kidneys. The lower part of the foliage is removed. The blanks are rooted in wet sand or sphagnum, artificial substrates are also suitable. Acid soils are not suitable for seedlings. Roots on the branches, of course, will appear, but at the same time they will develop very slowly. The most successful option for planting is sand, under which a layer of soil is placed. Strengthened roots after sand penetrate the soil and receive useful substances.
Seedlings are planted in the soil at an angle. The cuttings are kept warm in diffused light, in a place protected from drafts. After six months, the plants can be transplanted into individual pots.
Dividing the bush
Propagation of a plant can be done by dividing the bush. This is done in early spring or autumn, when the laurel is in a dormant phase. It is necessary to divide the bush in such a way that each part gets viable roots.
Another way of reproduction is air layering. To do this, a couple of notches are made on a he althy branch, wrapped in sphagnum and covered with a film. You can fix a bag with a substrate on a branch. After that, roots will appear under the film. Then the finished layers are separated from the mother plant and planted in a pot.
Seed propagation
With good care at home, you can achieve the flowering of noble laurel (the photo is given in the article), but the plant will not give seeds, because it is dioecious. But it is not at all necessary that a representative of the opposite sex will be nearby. Butit is quite possible to bring the seeds of the noble laurel from a trip. However, it is worth noting that they germinate very slowly. In addition, they quickly lose their germination capacity, so they must be sown immediately. Shoots may appear within six months. Not every hostess is able to show so much patience. The only positive thing about using seeds is that the young plant will be fully adapted to your conditions.
As for another breeding option - vaccination, it is used only when decorative forms are replicated.
Illnesses
He althy plants are less prone to disease. Their leaves are filled with healing essential oils, so there are not many hunters for them. But a weakened plant may well become a place for the appearance of, for example, aphids or fungi. Parasites are removed with cotton wool soaked in alcohol. It is possible to treat the plant with insecticides, but after that the foliage can no longer be used as a seasoning.
Also, scale insects can settle on the laurel in conditions of insufficient moisture. To get rid of it, the colonies are washed off with garlic infusion. It is necessary to normalize the conditions for the growth of the laurel, feed it, and then it will cope with parasites on its own. Infected plants must be isolated.
Laurel is prone to fungal diseases in low light, lack of ventilation and high humidity.
Decorative value
Laurel is able to become a real decoration of the interior. Because the plant is greattolerates pruning, then it can be given absolutely any shape. The classic version is a cone or a ball. A spherical laurel looks very elegant. Pruning plants begin to produce from a young age. This will provide the laurel with a dense and symmetrical crown. There are no clear deadlines for pruning, but it is better to do this before the kidneys awaken. Or at the end of the growing season. It is easier for the plant to transfer more frequent, but less traumatic haircuts.
Tree trunks can be formed straight or in the form of a spiral. You can get a spiral shape with a wire. Laurels are generally good for creating compositions from plants. Against the background of its dark foliage, other plants will look even more impressive.
Useful properties of laurel
Laurel is a powerful source of phytoncides. Under normal conditions, the aroma is not felt. Leaves become fragrant after drying. But if you crush a fresh leaf in your hands, you will immediately feel a light aroma with a nutmeg tint. Western Europeans call it sweet.
Laurel is very sensitive to care for him, delighting us with his foliage. The presence of such a plant in the house reduces the likelihood of migraines. Plant fungicides have a positive effect on the vessels of the brain. Laurel infusion is able to relieve joint pain, and fresh leaves heal wounds no worse than plantain. There are many folk recipes using laurel.
The plant improves appetite, helps to normalize digestive processes. It is believed that phytoncides secreted by foliage have a detrimentalinfluence on the causative agent of tuberculosis. Also, the plant helps to cope with sore throats, colds and inflammation of the mouth.
From laurel, an excellent essential oil is successfully obtained, which has antiviral and antibacterial effects. It is also an anti-inflammatory agent.
The plant contains terpenoids, due to which laurel-based medicines are used for improper metabolism. No less good results were obtained when using laurel in the treatment of diseases of the gastric tract and circulatory system.
In addition to all its merits, indoor noble laurel is also valuable for its decorative appearance. It is especially interesting during flowering. Of course, not all housewives succeed in achieving the appearance of small flowers. But this does not touch the beauty of the plant.
