Does anybody have any advice on how this recently planted large Bay (Laurus Nobilis) can be helped to grow bushier and fill out. See image - it's all stems and gaps at the mo. Thanks so much!
I’d cut all those tall stems down to the same height as the others ... and then stand well back ... with bay it’s often a case of ‘be careful what you wish for’ ... 😉
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Cut it a bit lower than the eventual height / girth you want. You will have to prune it a couple of times a year. If you want to leave some of the trunk bare, you could plait some of the lower stems and pull off the leaves. They will eventually fuse together (this takes a long time!) to make an interesting shape. I did this with mine when it was young. It's over twenty years now.
This is our Bay @aston.ross , I don't want it to grow tall, so I trim it once a year, after the flowers have well finished and are dying back. I agree with B3 and Dove's advice.
Cut it a bit lower than the eventual height / girth you want. You will have to prune it a couple of times a year. If you want to leave some of the trunk bare, you could plait some of the lower stems and pull off the leaves. They will eventually fuse together (this takes a long time!) to make an interesting shape. I did this with mine when it was young. It's over twenty years now.
Hello!
would you mind sharing a photo of your plaited bay tree? And some advice on how to do this?
I have a young multi stemmed bay tree that I want to try it with but didn’t find much helpful advice online.
The stems are somewhat flexible but not sure how young the plant needs to be to start plaiting.
I'll see if I can get you a useful pic later, but there's not a lot to see as I did it over 20 years ago and it's a trunk now..The weave doesn't need to be very tight. The leaves you have left at the top of the stem should tangle enough to hold together. If not, tie loosely at the neck with some twine. I @Mariam_86 Pics in PM
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Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Have pruned back and looks better already
Enjoy your garden 😊
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
would you mind sharing a photo of your plaited bay tree? And some advice on how to do this?
I have a young multi stemmed bay tree that I want to try it with but didn’t find much helpful advice online.
The stems are somewhat flexible but not sure how young the plant needs to be to start plaiting.
thanks
@Mariam_86
Pics in PM