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Bay Laurel Tree

KEEPGREENKEEPGREEN Posts: 108
in Plants
Hi everybody,

I need your valuable assistance please.
I need some guidance in transferring the Bay Laurel tree, from the temporary plastic vase to a proper solid cement vase.

Just wanted to know what compost do I use in the vase
Where do I buy the compost from?
And once the Bay tree is potted, can I leave it out in the garden ? Or can I leave it indoors ? 

Thank you all. 


Posts

  • steephillsteephill Posts: 2,764
    edited August 2019
    I would use John Innes no. 3 compost. Note that this is a formula for compost rather than a brand name so you should find it at any decent garden centre or diy shed under a number of different brand names. It will be heavier than a similar volume of multipurpose compost so be careful when handling.

    It should go outside and the pot should have a decent drainage hole in the bottom. You might also need pot feet to raise it off the ground to help with drainage and avoiding frost damage.
  • Guernsey Donkey2Guernsey Donkey2 Posts: 6,713
    I agree with @steephill that the bay should be outside, however if you do keep it outside @KEEPGREEN you will need a more substantial, heavy pot for the plant which at the moment is top heavy and will soon blow over in the wind if kept in a light plastic pot. Do you have an area outside where the plant could be moved to? Preferably somewhere sunny and sheltered if possible.
    I must add that the plant looks very healthy and is obviously thriving although you don't say how long you have owned it.
  • LynLyn Posts: 22,889
    @KEEPGREEN. You say you’re going to put it in a concrete vase, what is that.? 
    It needs a large container. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • Joy*Joy* Posts: 571
    It might be a good idea to give it a support to straighten its trunk. I'm currently making a holly pop tree from a rather leggy hedgehog holly. To keep the trunk straight I've splinted it with a thin cane and then wrapped soft twine around it to keep it straight.  You just have to monitor it to make sure that as the trunk grows you re apply the twine so that it remains just comfortably tight. Your tree certainly looks healthy  but it will need a heavy pot or it will blow over. I kept a bay in a pot for several years so that I could over winter it indoors as I thought that they were tender. After I planted it in the garden it grew to epic proportions, more than 20 meters high!
  • CeresCeres Posts: 2,528
    If your new pot is tall and thin you will still have the problem of the plant toppling over in the wind which is liable to cause damage to both plant and pot. It is best to plant it into something robust and heavy.
  • KEEPGREENKEEPGREEN Posts: 108
    steephill said:
    I would use John Innes no. 3 compost. Note that this is a formula for compost rather than a brand name so you should find it at any decent garden centre or diy shed under a number of different brand names. It will be heavier than a similar volume of multipurpose compost so be careful when handling.

    It should go outside and the pot should have a decent drainage hole in the bottom. You might also need pot feet to raise it off the ground to help with drainage and avoiding frost damage.
    Noted, Thank you very much . 
  • KEEPGREENKEEPGREEN Posts: 108
    Guernsey Donkey2 said:
    I agree with @steephill that the bay should be outside, however if you do keep it outside @KEEPGREEN you will need a more substantial, heavy pot for the plant which at the moment is top heavy and will soon blow over in the wind if kept in a light plastic pot. Do you have an area outside where the plant could be moved to? Preferably somewhere sunny and sheltered if possible.
    I must add that the plant looks very healthy and is obviously thriving although you don't say how long you have owned it.
    Thank you very much, will certainly now seek a bigger pot since you mentioned. 
    It's just a week old, since i bought . 

  • KEEPGREENKEEPGREEN Posts: 108
    Lyn said:
    @KEEPGREEN. You say you’re going to put it in a concrete vase, what is that.? 
    It needs a large container. 
    Thank you - Will get a lager pot :-) 
  • KEEPGREENKEEPGREEN Posts: 108
    Ceres said:
    If your new pot is tall and thin you will still have the problem of the plant toppling over in the wind which is liable to cause damage to both plant and pot. It is best to plant it into something robust and heavy.
    Thank you - Will certainly seek a bigger pot. 
  • KEEPGREENKEEPGREEN Posts: 108
    Joy* said:
    It might be a good idea to give it a support to straighten its trunk. I'm currently making a holly pop tree from a rather leggy hedgehog holly. To keep the trunk straight I've splinted it with a thin cane and then wrapped soft twine around it to keep it straight.  You just have to monitor it to make sure that as the trunk grows you re apply the twine so that it remains just comfortably tight. Your tree certainly looks healthy  but it will need a heavy pot or it will blow over. I kept a bay in a pot for several years so that I could over winter it indoors as I thought that they were tender. After I planted it in the garden it grew to epic proportions, more than 20 meters high!
    Thank you for the tip , appreciated.
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