One of the most popular home-grown evergreens is the laurel flower. He may be a small bush or a miniature tree.
In ancient times, laurel wreaths were worn on the heads of winners and famous people. This plant is very convenient to grow at home, because, in addition to decorative decoration of the apartment, it also has useful functions. You don't need to run to the store for a bay leaf, you just need to pluck it from the tree.
Characteristics
Laurel belongs to houseplants that are easy to care for. Even a beginner in flower cultivation can do this. In nature the laurel tree grows very tall... There are specimens exceeding 18 meters. Today, in the Sochi forests, you can see a laurel reaching 15 meters in height.
Although this plant is not very pretentious, it requires a favorable environment to grow well. This houseplant is very fond of the sun's rays, but it can grow well in a shaded place.
Laurel does not react to drafts, it is not afraid of drought. A laurel tree at home does not require much maintenance, it is necessary that there is always enough water, without waterlogging the soil.
Homemade laurel copes well with diseases, is not afraid of pests. To give a certain shape, laurel bushes can be trimmed. FROMmodern gardeners manage to grow tall laurel trees, differing from their counterparts in an openwork, intricately intertwined trunk.
Types of indoor laurel
This plant is classified into two groups:
- Noble;
- Canary.
Canary laurel has wide, large leaves, the edges of which look somewhat wrinkled. This species loses to the noble laurel in terms of the strength of its aroma.
The main botanical variety of laurel is divided into three types:
- Narrow-leaved;
- Golden;
- Wrinkly.
Each variety is characterized by leaf shape and color.
How laurel is planted
The noble laurel should be planted in early spring. If you have already grown laurel earlier, then you need to pick up a pot whose diameter is a couple of centimeters larger than the previous one.
First, a drainage layer is placed in the pot. For this you can use expanded clay or broken brick. The substrate is placed on this layer. For laurel, the soil should consist of sand, turf and leafy soil.... Such a composition is sold in the store, as land intended for breeding cacti.
Home laurel care
This houseplant is not very moody. But, it needs to be constantly sprayed and trimmed so that the crown has a decorative shape. It is also necessary to monitor the appearance of pests or diseases in order to prevent their development.
For good growth, the laurel does not interfere with a lot of sunlight. It can grow well in partial shade. In summer, when the temperature is more than 25 degrees, the bay bush can be left on the balcony... With proper care, indoor laurel can live for over 15 years.
To get a good growth of an indoor noble laurel, it is necessary to create conditions for him that resemble his native places. With the onset of cold weather, the optimal temperature in which a room laurel can safely be is 18 degrees.
Professionals recommend in January to lower the temperature to 10 degrees.In apartments where central heating works in winter, it is better to install laurel bushes away from heating radiators.
Where should the laurel bushes be in the apartment?
In order to grow a good laurel flower, it is very important to find the right location for it. It is desirable that the plant does not fall into drafts, the laurel does not like them. But you need to air the room with laurel regularly.
It is not required to create special lighting for the laurel. Normal room light is enough. To achieve the flowering of laurel at home, you need to take care of it, trying to bring the conditions of its location closer to real ones.
For example, a pot with a tree should be placed where there is a lot of light. So, with a large amount of scattered sunlight, laurel leaves will take on a more decorative look. The bush will be very dense, which rarely happens if the bay tree grows in more shaded areas.
How to water laurel bushes
In the spring and summer, the bushes need to be watered regularly. When it is very hot outside, watering should be more vigorous. But, prolonged waterlogging should not be allowed, because stagnant water in the soil can lead to rotting of the roots and death of the plant.
The watering schedule in the winter is very different from the summer. The substrate needs to be watered only after the top layer of soil in the pot begins to dry... Watering should be done with well-settled water at room temperature.
With the onset of heat, the noble laurel should be sprayed in the morning and evening hours. You can also place a container of water near a bay pot.
Experienced florists use another method. Pebbles are poured into the pallet, then it is filled with water, a pot of laurel is placed on top.
How laurel reproduces
Usually propagation of this unpretentious plant is carried out by cuttings, but you can propagate laurel and seeds.
To grow laurel from seeds, you need to have special soil. To obtain rapid growth, it is recommended to pre-soak the seeds in heated water and hold for a couple of hours.
The seeds do not need to be buried deep in the soil. It is enough to sprinkle them with earth and cover with foil.
When laurel is propagated by cuttings, they must be cut off from shoots that did not have time to completely lignify.
With the onset of spring, the cut off shoots are planted in slightly moistened soil. It is advisable to remove all leaves from the trunk, leaving two or three. The length of the handle should not exceed 8 cm... For the plant to take root faster, it is worth using wet sand. Usually young seedlings take root well within one month.
How is the transplant done
This operation does not need to be performed very often. A small tree should not be transplanted into a large pot. Laurel will do great in a small pot.
When he grows up and the pot becomes cramped for him, another container is taken, with a large diameter of about 4 cm.
The transplant is performed by rearranging the earthen coma. The missing soil is poured into the pot. Then the transplanted laurel watered well. Transfer work usually performed in the spring or summer.
Problems that may arise when growing
When decorative laurel is grown at home, the appearance of pests and tree diseases is possible. Several types of parasites can cause serious harm to the plant:
- Shield;
- Spider mite;
- Mealybug.
Bay bush is usually attacked by fungal diseases. This may be due to excess watering. At this time, brown spots appear on the bay leaf.
To fight such diseases, you need removal of damaged areas and plant transplant, with the addition of a new fresh substrate.
If you follow all the rules for growing laurel at home, you can always have a beautiful, fragrant and healthy plant in the room.
Sergey Titanikoff
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