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Types of Bay Laurel plants you can buy and when to plant them

There are two different ways you can buy our Bay Laurel trees and shrubs

Bay Laurel in pots can be planted all year round and can be any size, from a plant in a 9cm pot to a plant in a very large tub. Their root is settled into the pot and the plant has been actively growing in the pot thus it is well established.  A plant in a pot can be sown all year round.  As it is established in the pot, there is little disturbance to the plant when planted into the ground so it is more likely to grow.  It is seldom that a plant in a pot fails unless the watering conditions haven’t been correct. It will need to be watered in well when initially planted. If planted during a hot time or in the summer, it may need to be watered a few times a week until they get established in the ground.

Root balled:

Root balled plants are larger plants that come in a root wrap of hessian. You leave this hessian on when planting. You only plant these plants when the plant is dormant or has stopped growing for the winter.  They are planted from October/November to April/May depending on what the season is like i.e. if the spring is early or not, or if the autumn is very dry.

Planting Tips – Bay Laurel Trees and Shrubs

Distance apart:

Smaller plants should be planted at a distance of 30-50cm apart in a single row.  Larger plants won’t need to be planted as close, but how close will depend on how soon you want your hedge to look full.

Preparation before planting:

The ground should be clean and free from weeds and grass.  This gives the new plants a good chance to get established.  If the area you are going to plant them in has grass or weeds, the ground should be sprayed off a week or so before planting to avoid any competition. To help prevent too many weeds appearing after you have planted your hedge, I find it a good idea to put your grass clippings or mulch around the plants as this smothers out the weeds and helps prevent the plants drying out.

Depth:

The plants should be planted deep enough to cover the roots. They do not like to be planted too deep as this may kill them or stunt their growth.

Bay Laurel doesn’t like to be lying in water so if the area you want to plant them in is wet, you may need to consider draining the ground or making a mound/ditch of top soil on top of the ground and plant them above ground into this topsoil.

Bay Laurel can grow well in full sun and partial shade.

Aftercare:

Once the Bay laurel is established you can trim it once a year around mid to late summer.  It shouldn’t be trimmed if the weather is really hot and dry. You can give your hedge a feed of any high nitrogen feed (e.g. in the nursery we use 18-6-12) or poultry manure pellets in late spring/early summer.

General Problems with Bay Laurel Trees and Shrubs

Yellow leaves:

When the leaves turn yellow and fall off this may be caused by lack of water or too much water or hunger.

Lack of water

Bay Laurel trees and shrubs can survive better than most plants in dry conditions but it is better not to let the plants dry out too much.  If the plant dries out too much, it may lose some leaves and this will leave the plant looking spindly.

Too much water (waterlogged):

If you have a more established hedge and it starts turning yellow, the ground may be waterlogged.  Bay Laurel trees and shrubs don’t like sitting in water for a long period of time.

Stress:

If you have planted large root balled hedging, if your water conditions are correct, it may be the plant reacting to its change of environment and is under a little stress, but once it gets going it should be ok.

Hunger:

Another reason for your leaves turning yellow is hunger and your hedge may need a granule or liquid feed with high nitrogen or some poultry manure pellets.

If you have any questions, please do reach out to us by phone +353 87 277 3492 or email for answers.