Bay laurel

Bay laurel: plant 90 cm (35 in) apart in the row and 120 cm (47 in) between rows, 1 plant per 9 squares. No known bad neighbours.

Key facts

Spacing in the row	90 cm (35 in)
Between rows	120 cm (47 in)
In a 30 cm (1 ft) square	1 plant per 9 squares
Sun	Full sun, 6–8 hours a day
Root depth	40 cm (16 in)
Height when grown	200 cm (79 in)
Crop rotation group	Herbs, flowers and perennials
Support	None needed

How it is started	From cuttings, from a bought plant
Cuttings per planting hole	3
When to plant	Indoors 6 weeks before the last frost; outdoors after the last frost; soil at least 12 °C

Takes transplanting	Easily
Hardening off	7–10 days
Life cycle	Perennial
Cold tolerance	Takes a light frost
Soil	Light, sandy, free draining, pH 6–7.5
In a pot	40 L, 45 cm (17.7 in)
Watering	Water when the soil is dry two fingers down
Feeding	Little; at planting
Support and training	None needed; pinch the tips

Days to first harvest	1–2 years, from planting
Ready when	The leaves are big enough to use
Harvest window	Picked again and again, 30–40 weeks
Typical yield	0.2–0.6 kg per plant
Botanical family	Lauraceae
Watch out for	Aphids, powdery mildew
First crop after	2–3 years
Pollination	Fruits on its own

Open the free planner, drop Bay laurel onto a bed and see how many plants fit.

Plant out	Apr–May
Harvest	May–Oct

My country Last spring frost where I live

Give the date once and this page, the sowing calendar and the planner all follow it.

Months for a temperate climate: about a month later in the north and a month earlier in the south. Give your own last frost date for exact dates.

Plants of the Lauraceae family share diseases and pests, so they follow each other in the rotation only after a break.

Crops that need about the same room and care, from another family.