new bay trees how do i take care of them

etcetc

just got two ball shaped bay trees(laurus nobillius) to use on front porch

they are in 30cm pots at the moment.

anyways lots of questions none of which were answered by the instructions on the plant label

a google has me more puzzled as majority of sites are american based

so i thought it best to get to seek advise of any boardies who have direct experience

i will need to pot them on what size should i get or will i repot them directly into planter?

also what type of watering feeding do they need(how much and how often)

i know overwatering is just as dangerous as underwatering so what signs should i be looking for to indicate they need watering and how much should be put on

can i leave them out overnight or should i take them

the guy in garden centre said they need to be fed once a month with liquid seaweed but then i read on web not to feed them in winter as they are dormant till spring and new growth shouldnt be encouraged again clarification on this would be most welcome

your input would be most appreciated:)

looksee

Bay trees are a bit expensive so you'd tend to be a bit nervous of them, but they are easy to look after and do not need a lot of special treatment.

If you could plant them in the ground rather than a pot, they are even easier. Dig a hole wider than the root ball and a bit deeper. Put some compost in the bottom and fork it in a bit. Ease the tree out of the pot and stand it in the hole, backfill with the dug out soil mixed with a bit of compost.

If there are a lot of matted roots when you take it out of the pot, scrape at them a bit to loosen.

If you have to put it into a pot get a large pot - maybe double the diameter of the one it is in. Put a layer of pebbles/gravel or broken clay pot in the bottom to help drainage, then plant as the previous instructions. Use a compost and soil mix as just compost dries out too easily. You can also get moisture retaing granules to mix in which help keep the soil damp. I find that a layer of small pebbles or gravel on the surface helps too.

Keep the soil moist but not waterlogged (don't stand it in a tray that will hold water). How much water depends on conditions and time of year, feel the soil and if it is at all damp it will be ok. You don't have to take them in - in fact they are happier outside.

Keep the ball shape by trimming in summer (I think they look better if you trim carefully so you don't get cut leaves, but its a bit slow). Most likely shoots will come up around it from the ground, cut them off, also any shoots that appear on the stem.

Sonnenblumen

Bays are very hardy, but like all potted specimens require a little more attention than would otherwise be the case if they were planted out in the ground.

Water regularly, they are thirsty but require less in winter time, pot should be kept reasonably moist. Watch for wind scorch, leaves suddenly turning brown.

Clip now and then to retain shape, and more often (perhaps weekly) during the growing season. Suckers tend to emerge at base from rootball, these should be cut and not allowed develop.

Bays are hungry plants, so feed monthly (liquid feed eg Miracle Gro is simple and ideal) during the growing season. Wash head now and then to remove dust etc.

Potted bays can be transplanted every two years, however they can be kept in same container indefinitely but remember to replace the top 3"/75mm of soil each year.

A super plant that is quite tolerant of Irish conditions.

You can also use the leaves as flavouring in casserole cooking, but discard the leaves before serving.

Enjoy

metricspaces

looksee wrote: »

If you have to put it into a pot get a large pot - maybe double the diameter of the one it is in. Put a layer of pebbles/gravel or broken clay pot in the bottom to help drainage, then plant as the previous instructions. Use a compost and soil mix as just compost dries out too easily. You can also get moisture retaing granules to mix in which help keep the soil damp. I find that a layer of small pebbles or gravel on the surface helps too.

I know this is an old thread, but it I'm looking into same thing for a lollipop bay tree I just bought. Opinions from more expert gardeners on here would be appreciated as I am looking at buying my pots over the next few days. My current pot is 25cm diamater and 25cm in depth - this is the pot it came in from the garden center. The diameter head of my baytree lollipop is 55cm.

Interestingly I was thinking of going double the diameter of the temporary pot the bay tree came in as suggested by looksee above. However, I came across this site https://www.gardenfocused.co.uk/herbs/bay-tree.php where it suggests going so much bigger could actually be a bad idea! They suggest going 5cm wider in diameter.

"When potting up a bay tree only transfer it to a pot which slightly bigger than the previous one - 5cm / 2in wider at most. If a potted bay tree is given too much room it can often suffer for a long period of time."


I'm thinking of going for this pot here https://www.cyan-teak-furniture.com/set-of-2-large-garden-planters-versailles-planters , which has these dimensions

There is a large one available also, but possibly this is too big?

Lumen

Sonnenblumen wrote: »

Potted bays can be transplanted every two years, however they can be kept in same container indefinitely but remember to replace the top 3"/75mm of soil each year.

Why?

My potted bays are in rag order after the drought. Maybe I should feed them.

@metricspaces I've had that potting up advice from others too. I plan to achieve this in a single large pot using some sort of root guard.

metricspaces

Lumen wrote: »

Why?

My potted bays are in rag order after the drought. Maybe I should feed them.

@metricspaces I've had that potting up advice from others too. I plan to achieve this in a single large pot using some sort of root guard.

RHS site suggests replacing top few cm of soil also so it must be correct https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=251

So what's the best approach here for my 25cm diameter × 25cm depth pot? Put it into one that is 50cm x 50cm or go for one slighly bigger than 25cm x 25cm?

I'm leaning towards the planter in the link I sent above which is 35cmx35cm square and put a good few stones in the bottom for drainage leaving a soil depth of close to 35cm.