Do you want to have a bay plant on your balcony that’s always healthy? Here are some tips you should always follow to avoid any problems.
Bay leaf is an evergreen plant with incredible health benefits. It is an aromatic plant, capable of adding flavor to many recipes and providing significant benefits to our body . Bay leaves are used to create tasty condiments for various meat dishes and more. They are also used to make infusions, herbal teas, and, in some specific cases, even alcoholic products, such as liqueurs.
Very often people buy bay leaves directly from the supermarket, without realizing how comfortable, convenient and simple it is to grow a bay plant on the balcony of your house or in the garden.
Having a bay plant at home, always available, can be very important, both in reference to the preparation of tasty culinary recipes and for other specific aspects.
As we have said, the beneficial properties of bay leaf are innumerable. For example, if used in decoction, infusion or herbal tea, it will help relieve various ailments and greatly improve our digestion . Bay leaf also relieves several intestinal disorders and abdominal swelling . This plant is also associated with a property capable of combating aerophagia.
In this article, however, we do not want to write a treatise on the beneficial properties of the laurel plant, but rather to discover some techniques for growing the laurel seedling always healthy and abundant . Let’s find out all the information about it.
Tips for growing bay leaves on your balcony
We’ve already mentioned that growing a bay leaf on your balcony is really quite simple. So let’s find out how to make it grow in a completely healthy way and without suffering any harm. Bay leaf can be grown either by planting seeds or by planting a newly sprouted shrub. For growing bay leaves in pots on the balcony, the seed-planting technique is more recommended.
Laurel
The soil in which you are going to plant your bay leaf seedling must be sufficiently loose and well-drained. Furthermore, despite what one might think, it should not contain a huge number of organic nutrients. It will be enough if the soil is universal and rich in fertilizers and earthworm humus . You can ask your trusted nursery for more information.
The pot in which to plant the bay leaf seedling should be medium-sized . The important thing is that the root development is facilitated in the best possible way. The hole should have holes for water drainage, preventing it from stagnating dangerously.
Inside the pot, you will need to insert the potting soil that we described earlier. Now, all you have to do is place your seedling inside the pot with the potting soil. Now let’s find out how to best grow and maintain this seedling over time . Here are some tips.
Balcony growing: here are the best strategies
Not all plants have the same rules and the same places to grow best. In fact, each one differs depending on the soil, the choice of location – most often in the shade or in the sun – the amount of water needed for irrigation and many other factors. Our bay leaf seedling will have to be placed mostly in the shade , but it will not disdain to receive 3 or 4 hours of sun per day.
Bay leaf seedlings
The important thing, however, is that it is not directly illuminated by the sun’s rays , as it could “suffer” from this condition for too long. The balcony, in a bright and dimly lit area, will be the ideal place for planting your laurel.
As for irrigation , it will therefore be essential not to give too much water to the seedling. Carry out this operation only and exclusively when the soil is particularly dry . In addition, irrigation will be preferable to take place in the coolest hours of the day, as with all plants. Therefore, choose either early morning or late afternoon.
As we mentioned, you can take the leaves from your seedling that you will need for your kitchen preparations . You will need to use very clean scissors, but without removing a single leaf from the branch. Instead, you will need to cut the entire branch so that growth does not stop and a new branch can soon develop.