"Growing Bay"

Growing bay in your herb garden is very possible, the own problem is that bay is a tree and will grow to around 30ft in height if left to it's own devices and in ideal conditions.

The best way of growing bay in a limited space is to limit it's growth by planting in a container.

This serves two purposes; it keeps the plant small and can be brought indoors in the winter months if your winter is particularly cold.

Buying a ready made plant is the fastest way to start using bay in the kitchen!...

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Crocus in the UK have online supplies of bay trees. Click on this link to take you to their homepage, then type 'bay' into the search box at the top of the page.. Growing Bay at Crocus UK

And amazon in the US have bay trees available ..

Two Bay Laurel Plants-- Four Inch

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Growing bay - planting: Bay can be started from seed but will take a long time to get going and germination is usually poor. If you decided to have a grow at sowing seed, fill a well-drained tray or pot with moist compost and gently sprinkle the seed on top. Cover with a layer of dry compost and keep warm until germination. Check on your seed packet for manufacturer's growing recommendations, as regions and needs will differ.

The other way to get bay growing in your garden, apart from buying a ready grown plant, is to take cuttings from a well-established plant. Take healthy looking cuttings from the plant, about 3 or 4 inches in length and push the cut end into a well-drained pot of compost. Keep warm and watered but never over-water.

Re-pot when the plant has produced roots and is growing well.

Growing bay - Caring for plants

Bay is particularly resistant to bugs and diseases as are most aromatic herbs. The main reason bay trees die in containers is lack of water. The leaves will start going brown if it's thirsty. Try to avoid letting the soil in the pot dry out completely, but make sure it's well-drained and not water-logged.

Bring the plant indoors in the winter months or protect from extreme cold by putting into a greenhouse when the nights start drawing in.

Bay can be stored well, although as it's an evergreen it's hardly worth using up extra storage space in the kitchen cupboards. Use fresh as required.

Bay is one of the ingredients generally used in the 'bouquet garni' mixture of herbs ,and sprigs or individual leaves can be added to stews, casseroles and curries. Remove leaves before serving.

Happy Gardening!

You'll also find gardening advice as well as some ideas on planning a herb garden. Order it now direct from the publisher... Herb Gardening

http://www.flower-and-garden-tips.com/growingbay.html