How to grow Bay Leaf

A comprehensive guide to growing Bay Leaf (Bay Laurel), including sun requirements, spacing, planting, feeding, and when to harvest. 

Plant Bay Leaf plants in rich, well draining soil with plenty of compost mixed in. 

Bay Leaf requires a full sun to partial afternoon shade position.  

Bay Leaf can tolerate winter temperatures no lower than -7°C (20°F). In cold climates, bay is best grown in a container that can be kept indoors over winter. 

Plant Bay Leaf roughly 2m apart, particularly if they are being used as a hedge plant. 

Bay Leaf is best planted out in spring, once temperatures have warmed, however can be planted at any time of the year as long as it's protected from frost. 

Plant out in the early morning or evening and/or on an overcast day. Avoid planting at peak sun times or on windy days, this will allow your plants to settle in comfortably and protect them from windburn and sunburn. 

Dig a hole 2-3 times the width of the root ball. The hole should allow the plant to sit at the same level in the soil as it was previously. Fill the hole with soil ensuring the crown of the plant, where roots and stem meet, is level with the soil surface. 

Before planting Bay Leaf, prepare the soil by working in compost. Feed with an organic fertiliser from spring through to late summer.  

 Harvest Bay Leaves as needed by trimming the stems. 

Pests that can affect Bay Leaf plants include: Scale, Psyllids, Aphids, Mites, Slug, Snail. 

Diseases that can affect Bay Leaf plants include: Root Rot, Sooty Mold. 

Bay Leaf can be dried and stored for later use. 

If growing Bay Leaf in a container, re-pot by moving to slightly larger containers as the plant grows, this will prevent it from becoming root bound.