Herb Series : The Bay Tree

One Grecian Bay Tree (Laurus nobilis) can supply an entire neighborhood with bay leaves forever. It is a large, dense tree. The leaves are light green when new and a deep, green when older. They are glossy, leathery and sweet smelling when you rub them.

The leaves can be used fresh or dried any time of the year; however, the warmer the weather the higher the oil content. I also grind them with my mortar and pestle for powder. (My mother uses the powder to make homemade turkey sausage and I season breads with it.)

In antiquity the trees were sacred to the god Apollo and laurel wreathes were rewards, crowned on the honored.

Now if you are like me, you don't have room for a 40ft tree. Or there is no need for so large a tree. I keep mine in a pot. When I purchased mine, 21 years ago, I think (I think) it was a one gallon nursery pot. For fifteen years it was happy in a 14" pot. It is an extremely slow grower. Then one day I noticed the tree had cracked the pot. I transplanted it to a 20" pot. It has been happy for t he past six years. I use plastic because pottery dries out too quickly.

Bay is an easy tree to grow. Planted in the ground, they need little water and food. They are native to the Mediterranean, so they need very little organic matter. Minor compost mix is required, just enough to break up the hard clay soil of San Diego. Because of our soil over watering these trees is very easy. A new tree, just planted, will need deep watering ( 1 gallon) once every 4-7 days depending on the season in which it's planted. After a month stretch the watering to 7-10 days; then to twice a month. A mature tree may not need water at all during the winter, or early spring.

In a pot its care is more rhythmic. Transplant immediately out of the one gallon pot into a five gallon. It should be happy in that size for a couple of years. Use cactus mix for best drainage and water it every 7-10 days for a couple of months then every 10-14 days till winter. Then only water when pot is light when (gently) pushed. Once it has outgrown the 5 gallon it can be transplanted into a half barrel. It will be happy there for a very long time.

In the ground feed bay trees every three months with a low yield fertilizer. In a pot it should be fed monthly with the same type of fertilizer. The only time I have had problems with my tree was when I gave it too much love. The softer tissue caused by over watering and feeding made it susceptible to scale. I caught it early and hosed most of them off and the rest died.

If it is too late for that, used a suffocating oil, like neem (from a tree nut), or parafinic oils, such as dormant spray oils.

Bay trees are easy to grow and very pretty. They are one plant that thrives on neglect.