2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Laurel (lat. Laurus) - a genus of shrubs and trees of the Laurel family. The genus includes only two species, but according to modern English-speaking taxonomy, about 40 species are ranked in the genus. Under natural conditions, laurel grows in the Canary Islands, the Mediterranean and Western Transcaucasia.
Characteristics of culture
Laurel is an evergreen tree or shrub up to 10 m. The leaves are whole-edged, simple, leathery, alternate, slightly wavy along the edge, contain a large amount of essential oils. The flowers are small, yellowish, collected in umbellate or axillary inflorescences. The fruit is a single-seeded drupe of blue-black color. For several hundred years, laurel was considered a sacred plant; it was grown in monastery gardens and at the walls of temples. Laurel boasts a pleasant, rich aroma. Its flowering is scarce and inconspicuous, and the flowers do not represent decorative value. The plant is grown not only in personal plots in regions with warm winters, but also as a room culture. True, in the latter case, the laurel does not form fruit.
Types and their characteristics
* Azores Laurel, or Canarian Laurel (Latin Laurus azorica, or Laurus canariensis) - the species is represented by trees up to 15 m high with hairy-pubescent shoots. Leaves are dull green, ovoid, up to 10-12 cm long. The flowers are small, collected in umbellate inflorescences, which are located in the axils of the leaves in several pieces. It blooms in early spring, usually in April-May (depending on climatic conditions).
* Laurel noble (lat. Laurus nobilis) - the species is represented by shrubs and trees up to 8 m high with bare shoots. Leaves are simple, leathery, short-petiolate, glabrous, pointed, glossy, oblong-ovate, up to 12 cm long. Flowers are small, yellow, collected in umbellate inflorescences, 1-2 pieces. Laurel noble is a valuable edible, essential oil and highly decorative species. Recently, it has been very popular among gardeners. The type is also used for landscaping premises.
Growing conditions
Laurels prefer well-lit areas with light shading from direct sunlight. The optimum growing temperature is 20-23C. When growing crops at home in summer, the temperature of the premises should not be lower than 13-15C, in winter - at least 10-12C. At elevated winter temperatures, plants need regular spraying. Higher air humidity is desirable for laurels. Pots with indoor specimens must be placed on pallets with damp pebbles, expanded clay or moss, but the bottom of the pot should not come into contact with water. The soil for laurels is desirable loose, fertile, non-saline.
Reproduction
Laurels are propagated by seeds, cuttings and division. The seed method is the most common breeding method. Seeds are sown in February-March in a container with a substrate made up of leafy and turfy soil and sand in a ratio of 1: 1: 0, 5. The temperature in the room should be at least 18C. In the phase of two true leaves, seedlings dive into separate pots with a diameter of 7-8 cm, filled with a substrate consisting of leafy and soddy soil, peat and sand (1: 2: 0, 5: 0, 5).
Laurels are cut in April or summer (late June - early July). Cuttings are cut from annual shoots located at the bottom of a tree or bush. Cuttings should contain 2-3 internodes. The optimum cutting length is 6-8 cm. Cuttings are rooted in a substrate made up of turf and sand. It is advisable to cover the cuttings with polyethylene, but so that it does not come into contact with the cuttings. It is important to regularly spray the cuttings and ventilate; drafts should not be allowed. Rooted cuttings are planted in a permanent place only after 2-3 years.
Care
Laurel is an unpretentious plant that does not require abundant watering. This procedure, when grown in open ground, is carried out only during prolonged drought, when grown in room conditions - as the soil in the pot dries up. During the period of active growth, the plants must be fed with mullein infusion. Laurel tolerates pruning well, so it is often used in hedges. Plants can be shaped like a pyramid or a cone. Indoor specimens need timely transplants. Young laurels are transplanted annually, adults - once every 2-3 years.
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