About a month ago I cut back this 'out of control' Bay tree. It had started life as a small, square-cut, manageable bush, then became something of a monster. There was only one thing to do, and that was to take drastic action. My only reserve was 'would it survive my attack?'.
Well, I'm very pleased to say that it grown back beautifully, and will soon be back to how it was about 5 years ago.
I don't use a huge amount of Bay, but it's always handy to have nearby. The plant was given to me by a dear friend; and is named 'Jean' after her.
I think it's future is now assured.
Yes, I am sure it is far happier after being cut back.
ReplyDeleteIt looks full of life. A Spring Chicken again.
DeleteA bay tree would be a good idea for our garden. Anything green that grows easily is welcome.
ReplyDeleteK is drying branches of bay leaves given to us and we will have enough for the next 5 years. We use it a lot in cooking though.
I use very little, yet we have a huge bush up at the barn, and this one down here. But better to have a thousand leaves than none!
DeleteThe Bay Tree looks wonderful, Need to look up to see if it would like the burning hot weather of Tucson ?
ReplyDeleteI imagine it would be OK. The leaves are very waxy and not given to heat damage.
DeleteI knew it would be okay, bay trees are tough to kill.
ReplyDeleteYou were right, it's grown back more vigorous than before.
DeleteI said at the time, Cro.... you can't kill a bay tree by cutting it back... like rhodododod... ruddydendrons, you have to poison them.... sometimes more than once!!
ReplyDeleteLooks lovely!!
A bit like Fig trees!
DeleteYes! The superfreeze of Feb 2012....
Deletethat "killed" the fig tree adjacent to our post office.... by September, new shoots were emerging from the ground and lower parts of branches.... 10 years later it is as big, if not bigger.... and supplies tasty figs to passers by!!
I am still waiting for my little baby bay to get a move on.
ReplyDeleteDon't encourage it too much. It'll soon be an unruly adolescent; growing to a huge height, and demanding constant attention!
DeleteI've only ever used dried bay leaves. Can you use them straight from the plant?
ReplyDeleteI've only ever used them fresh, so the answer is 'yes'. I can't imagine dried leaves having the same flavour.
DeleteDid Jean have bushy hair and was she a member of the Laurel family? Perhaps she is distantly related to Stan Laurel?
ReplyDeleteShe was in fact the wife of an English gentleman who had seriously posh Portuguese ancestry. Even I was impressed!
DeleteAnd the odd bay leaf doesn't come amiss
ReplyDeleteI hardly ever use them. What I should have growing in the garden is Parsley and Basil.
DeleteWhen I picked the lot to build my last house in Florida there was a Bay tree in the back, when the man cleared the space for the house, he ripped it out, he didn't like Bay, so he always tore them out. He left a bunch of pines, that promptly died.
ReplyDeleteOh dear. My neighbour hates trees; especially fruit trees. He tore out some magnificent apples; goodness knows why!
DeleteA strong cut back often springs new growth. Keeping the Bay tree modest in size is looking much better than the monster it was.
ReplyDeleteYes, it had become out of control and was part blocking the door. It's much better now.
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