Bay Tree Care | Bay Tree Rescue | Laurus Nobilis

Bay Tree Care and Bay Tree Rescue. #baytree #bay #topiary #laurus
The Bay Tree is a beautiful evergreen Mediterranean bush with aromatic leaves which can be used as flavouring when cooking. The tree is hardy in the UK winter and enjoys full sun or partial sun in the summer. It likes free draining soil and if it is in a pot should be fed regularly during the growing season. It can easily be pruned as topiary and can be made into a standard tree with exposed trunk. The leaves can be susceptible to damage in a cold winter (-5 degrees) but this is easily remedied by pruning back in the spring. If in a pot and there is a forecast of prolonged low temperatures it's a good idea to wrap the pot in bubble wrap to prevent the roots from freezing. Alternatively move it to a garage or shed. Generally it is quite hardy.
If kept in a pot for a long time it is helpful to remove some of the old roots and refresh the compost. I would add some slow release fertiliser. Feed weekly all summer. Soak well weekly and allow to almost dry out before watering again to allow oxygen to the rootball.
Slow release fertiliser can be purchased here: amzn.to/3JY0bIk
Secateurs can be purchased here: amzn.to/3ZxSVsr
Fabric snippers can be purchased here: amzn.to/3U1arnq
Please also click a banner on my website and shop the whole of amazon: www.marksgardenuk.com/
#gardens #gardening #marksgardenuk #gardendesign
Please also visit my website: www.marksgardenUK.com
email: [e-mail]

[@annechristian3556]

Beautiful shot with the rainbow 🌈 in the background

[@MarksHouseandGardenUK]

Thanks Anne xxx

[@ernestturman706]

Fantastic recovery Mark loved it

[@MarksHouseandGardenUK]

Thank you very much 😊

[@bobsharman9623]

Great videos done in a way that's so easy to understand. My favorite garden videos.

[@MarksHouseandGardenUK]

Bob. Thank you. I really appreciate your feedback. Best wishes. Mark

[@samanthalowther6441]

A great video. Thank you!

[@tropiclaud]

Enjoyed this one Mark, will be very useful when I’m repotting my Bay tree next spring! I love the ramp contraption too.. very resourceful!

[@MarksHouseandGardenUK]

Thank you. Was the ramp in the trachycarpus video? 😊

[@tropiclaud]

@@MarksHouseandGardenUK I've only seen it in this one so far ☺ I loved your resourcefulness in wheeling the bay trees up the planks in order to get them into their new pots. I can just picture myself making a pigs ear of that now 😁 I've gone and purchased chicken wire to create some sort of cage for my musa basjoos. I plan to video it, but accepts it would also be You've Been Framed-worthy ☺

[@MarksHouseandGardenUK]

@@tropiclaud oh yes! I remember doing that now, yes it's the bay tree video where I wheel it up the ramp. In the trachycarpus I roll it like a pub barrel 😂

[@user-iq4sg8oo1n]

Thanks Mark its a helpful video

[@MarksHouseandGardenUK]

Thanks for watching 😊 much appreciated. Mark

[@paulinecrispin121]

I wish knew folk who would give away such good plants. They don't look too bad and as you say they will put on nice new growth 😊

[@MarksHouseandGardenUK]

I know!! I'm very lucky. 😊

[@chilliking123]

Nice video. I've got a Bay to repot this Spring. I was going to use a loam based potting mix (mix of multi purpose compost, grit and john innes no3). I find the john innes helps with water retention in the hot summer months.

[@devbachu7072]

I have a bay leaf tree in a container Caribbean sidep

[@MarksHouseandGardenUK]

Thanks Dev. Hope your plant is doing well.

[@MarksHouseandGardenUK]

This sounds like the perfect mix. How long has it been in the pot?

[@SusanOnyangi]

Thanks

[@MarksHouseandGardenUK]

It's my pleasure. Thank you for watching. Mark

[@baldnproud]

Well, take it off all of the soil around the roots of the plant 🪴 it looks satisfying. I believe the plant enjoyed it, especially when you were scratching at the dirt and all the roots were being released, I believe the Bay leaf tree enjoyed it, because it looks satisfying ! And all the roots were being free 😊 I believe the tree was relieved! Thank you for the video cause I have a small bay leaf plant two of them and one of them the leaves are turning brown, so I’m going to cut them off put some more fertilizer sprayed maybe some Nemo oil, or maybe the mixture of baking soda water little soap, oil, what do you think because he looks a little sick, but the other one is thriving. Thank you for the video. i’m sorry I forgot to say it to Bays leaf trees 🌲 are stunning, the trunks, braided together, or like weaving together It’s magnificent . 😍👩🏾‍🦲🥰

[@MarksHouseandGardenUK]

Hi Mary. Thank you 😊 i have just posted an update about the bay tree. Mark

[@baldnproud]

@@MarksHouseandGardenUK ok I’ll make sure I check out the video. 🥰👩🏾‍🦲😍

[@joannenardoni17]

Wonderful

[@MarksHouseandGardenUK]

I will ask them, my neighbours, I have seen them around though in a couple of nurseries. Mark

[@joannenardoni17]

@@MarksHouseandGardenUK ok I checked Amazon Not there No nursery’s in Idaho would have them. I’ll check Sacramento Ca.

[@aliceg5677]

This is helpful because I’m about to repot my bay trees into a larger pot but I didn’t see how u cut the roots back? Do u cut them from the bottom or all around the outside?

[@MarksHouseandGardenUK]

Hi Alice I would suggest a light trim all over. And balance that with a light prune up top. Mark

[@linhchi0911]

Can you show how to shaped 3 branches into 1 like that bay tree, pls?

[@joannenardoni17]

Where do people get a beautiful braided bay tree.

[@emmynguyen1693]

I have a big bay tree in my garden. Can i turn it to topiary ball shape like yours? Do u have any tips for that? Thanks a lot ❤

[@niloufar696]

Hey mark! Brill video! I have a bag that’s suffered in the heatwave 2 weeks ago, I have repotted and gave good watering but the leaves are pretty brown on top but I also can see life and dark green underneath- my tree is much smaller than this but can I still prune the dead leaves to encourage new growth?

[@MarksHouseandGardenUK]

Assuming you are in the UK I think you can just about still do it but it may be better to wait until spring now. I'm pretty sure the brown ones might shed as the new ones emerge and grow beneath. Mark

[@SamanthaWright-cm3of]

When is the best time to do this? My bay trees need some love

[@MarksHouseandGardenUK]

i would suggest late spring, early summer or in the growing season. mark

[@stuartmurphy9242]

Hi Mark, our bay tree doesn't have the large mass of greenery that these did. Without those leaves to absorb sunlight and feed the new growth, am I safe to prune back to the living matter? I'm in Cheshire also

[@MarksHouseandGardenUK]

Hi Stuart, is it completely bare of leaves? If you prune back into a couple of branches is there any sign of life? Mark

[@stuartmurphy9242]

@Mark's Garden UK will be attempting the rescue next week. Plenty of brown leaves and very few green. Pretty much bald on top

[@georgetouliatos5972]

I just planted two Bay trees, they are about 8 cm high in 5 gal pots each. When and how do I prune them to topiaries?

[@MarksHouseandGardenUK]

Hi George. That is still quute small. I think you will need to wait a few years yet. Mark

[@tracytyrrell4621]

Hi. I’m in Cheshire too. I have a bay with curling leaves. I cut it back last year but it still doesn’t look great. Do you think it’s too late for it. 😢

[@MarksHouseandGardenUK]

I wonder if the curling leaves are something different. I think read somewhere about a pest which causes curly leaves. Definitely worth googling. And no I would not give up 😊

[@MrJ027]

Hi Mark excellent video. I bought 4 bay laurels 2 years ago in square terracotta containers. First year they were very healthy now the leaves are lime green/yellow/brown. I thought this was a lack of water so i watered them twice a week even in the winter. I have just tipped the container up and poked my finger in drainage hole and the are very damp. I gave them a liquid feed a week ago first time in 2 years. Can you tell im a novice! Any advice? They will be hard to get back out the pots as theyre square like you say. Should i just water them once a week and not at all in the winter? Thanks Mark

[@MarksHouseandGardenUK]

Hi there. Thanks for watching. My opinion is to let them almost dry out between watering and water very sparingly during the cold season. I understand the roots need oxygen too so that keeping them too soggy is not a good thing. If you can't repot them consider removing the top of the soil and re dressing with fresh organic matter. But keep the soil level identical as before. I will feed mine during warm times (the growing season) but not during dormant times. The terracotta should help them breath. Mark

[@davidcoleman3661]

A couple of observations. 1. Bay laurels are Mediterranean plants. They don’t like their roots to remain soaked in water. They should be planted in well drained soil and NEVER water them in winter. 2. If the leaves are going light green they are getting enough nutrients. They need to be fed well over the summer - they like plant food/fertiliser with high nitrogen content.

[@danielsisson9791]

Hey any update on the bay trees?

[@MarksHouseandGardenUK]

Hi sorry, missed this comment, yes they're doing well lot's of new growth. Mark

[@jcnyvall1136]

Hi Mark, how old are your topiaries?

[@MarksHouseandGardenUK]

Hi JC, do you mean these bay trees in the rescue video? Or my other topiaries? Mark

[@jcnyvall1136]

@@MarksHouseandGardenUK ya, the Bay Laurel.

[@purplethumb7887]

Why so dramatic and complicated with the drop-off from the ramp? 🤣😂 Appears to be more work. Seems the whole plant could easily and simply be lifted into the new pot. Anyhow, well-done job on pruning the trees and repotting.

[@MarksHouseandGardenUK]

If I could have lifted it I would. too heavy for me alone. I need to go to the gym lol. But anyway, my subscribers enjoy my antics and experiments in my videos. It's all fun.

[@aliceg5677]

This is helpful because I’m about to repot my bay trees into a larger pot but I didn’t see how u cut the roots back? Do u cut them from the bottom or all around the outside?

[@MarksHouseandGardenUK]

See above. Thank you. Mark