Common Bay (Latin name Laurus nobilis) has shiny, dark green, aromatic leaves & is easy to grow..
Bay Lollipop
Growing Bay
Plant young plants in:
- Spring when danger of frost has past
- Well drained soil
- A sheltered spot
- In full sun
- Away from strong winds
Care of Bay Plants
- Water well, especially during dry periods over summer
- Feed monthly
- Prune long shoots off in summer
Harvesting Bay Leaves
- Pick Bay leaves at any time
- Best used fresh, although some people consider dried leaves to be less bitter
- Leaves can be dried by hanging a branch in an airy spot. The leaves will dry in a couple of weeks and can be stored for a year
Use Bay Leaves to flavour stocks, sauces, casseroles and marinades. One or two leaves are left in a dish as it cooks then retrieved before serving.
Bay Problems
Sara from FarmingFriends had this comment on her website about black substance on bay leaves & asked if TopVeg could help.
“I have two standard bay trees in pots and have kept them like this for three years. Recently, I have noticed a black substance on the leaves which washes off with just plain water but keeps coming back! Do you have any idea what this is? Or what I can do to prevent this reoccuring? Mia”
Malcolm Allison, our plant consultant, has answered:
“This would be a result of aphid infestation ~ the aphids secrete honeydew which provides a substrate & nutrition for the black mould. I’d recommend spraying the aphids with soapy water (or water with a bit of washing up liquid in it), hopefully this should deal with the problem.”
Farming Friends & TopVeg have collaborated to create a How To Grow Bay card.
how2groBay
If you would like a pdf of the grow card for How to Grow Bay, please complete the contact form asking for the grow card for bay and we will email it to you.
Bay is included in the How to Grow Culinary Herbs eBook written by TopVeg & Farming Friends which costs £4.
Click this link to buy a copy of the eBook How to Grow Culinary Herbs.