Planting laurel in the garden brings many benefits. Not only because we will have the plant and we can take advantage of the laurel propertiesboth medicinal and culinary, but also because it can also be used as an effective insecticide against certain pests.
There are somewhat absurd beliefs with this culture, such as planting laurel brings bad luck, or that the infusion is poisonous. But let’s focus on growing this plant first and leave those things for last.
Planting laurel is what we do once our plant that we have sown or obtained by cuttings has reached a certain size. It can be planted both as a hedge and as a tree.
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Where to plant a laurel
In both cases, whether in a hedge or in a tree, it is important to choose the site carefully, although it adapts to both direct sun and partial shade, which would be the best. case in regions where the sun and heat in summer are more extreme.
You should know that this plant is endemic to the Mediterranean but it adapts to almost all climates and resists frost as long as it is not very strong. If the winters are very harsh, the first years of our plant’s life must be covered with frost for it to survive.
How to plant laurel and when
The first thing we will do is make a deep hole twice the diameter and depth of our pot. We do this so that the roots of our plant adapt better to loose, fertilized soil.
As seen in the video, we prepared the soil so that it drains well and the substrate is fertile, so that our tree grows healthy.
At the time of planting, if it is noticed that the roots are very compacted, it is good to open them a little and to avoid that the pot effect causes the roots to drown each other.
We fill the hole with the soil we have prepared, so that our plant is about 3 or 4 centimeters inside the hole, and we fill it on the sides, leaving the soil loose but covering everything the hole.
We can add a orchard mulch like the one we explained recently, which will prevent weeds from growing and provide organic matter.
The last thing we will do is give it a good watering so that the plant adapts to its new space and suffers less from the transplant.
As for the ideal time, it is important to know that the laurel can be planted at any time of the year, but it is better to avoid both the coldest periods of winter and the hottest periods of the summer. summer.
Irrigation
It is a crop that adapts very well to droughts and very dry climates, so weekly watering will suffice.
harmful
The most common pests that usually affect this crop are Woodlousethe aphid and the psyllid. Of all these, cochineal is the worst, because in addition to being very present in this crop, it can cause bolda fungus that affects many plants.
With the laurel plant itself, an insecticide can be made to treat certain pests, including aphids:
For cochineal we can use both diatomaceous earthWhat neem oil Where potassium soap.
For the psyllid we can use potassium soap or buy a natural insecticide effective against this pest.
To offer
Dust Insecticide Carpocapsa, Psila, Leafminers, Fly…
- Insecticide powder to control: codling moth, psylla, leaf miner, fruit fly, antonomus, cacoecia, barreneta, thrips, caparreta, potato beetle, scale insects, olive fly, grapeworms, altica and driller.
- Dose for 16 liter knapsack sprayer (not included).
- About 20 g.
Plant laurel seeds
To plant from seed, what we are going to do is soak the same 24 hours and then place them in the seedbed or in a small pot. It is a slow growing plant, as it will take about 2 months to germinate.
How to plant laurel by cutting
The easiest way to reproduce it is to plant bay laurel by cuttings, as it is a much faster process than doing it from seed. We will do this in the spring, which is the most optimal time.
With a pruner, we cut a few young branches of different thicknesses from the base, to see which ones adapt best and respond well. The ideal is that they are about 15 centimeters approximately and before planting them we will remove the lower leaves and from the upper part we will leave only the youngest leaves.
We make a diagonal cut at the base, just below a yolk, we will cover it with a little cinnamon powder and place it overnight in a lentil rootinglike the one whose preparation I explain to you in the following video:
The next day we plant two or three cuttings in each pot. We can do a first irrigation with water and a little rooting too, to help in this process.
Is planting laurel bad luck?
The idea that planting laurel brings bad luck is an unfounded popular belief. And not because certain beliefs must be demonstrated, because otherwise they would not be beliefs but something else, but because there are also those who say that having a laurel at home brings good luck: in other words, it is quite the opposite.
The truth is that if we take advantage of this tree for its medicinal use, to treat digestive disorders, skin problems and to season the most varied dishes, it will be all the benefits.
And no, its consumption in infusion is not toxic as is sometimes said, and we can assure you that this is a belief without any basis.
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