Guest guest Posted February 25, 2009 Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 I haven't grown bay trees, but they can be grown in pots as long as you check the roots. If the roots are coming out of the drainage holes or winding around the edges of the pot, it's time to transplant or root-prune. I wouldn't transplant it if there's snow on the ground! But probably any time after the ground warms up and is diggable would be ok. When you're putting it in the ground, take a few minutes to figure out how to orient it -- this is obvious, but usually a tree has a better " face " on one side or another, especially if it's placed against a fence or a wall. It's a good idea to shape/prune trees when they're young to correct any structural problems -- as long as you don't overdo it and have a good reason for each cut. If it has a good shape, it may not need any pruning. Less is more! (The organization called Plant Amnesty in Seattle has an entertaining slide show on horrors of bad pruning -- it may be on the web.) Get a couple books on pruning and study them, or find someone who's an experienced pruner. One of the most important things to consider is that every pruning cut will stimulate growth below the cut, so you are not only cutting away wood, you are also telling the tree where to concentrate its next burst of energy. In general, pruning in summer will stunt trees, which is often what you want. Pruning in wet weather invites pathogens to enter fresh wounds, so it's usually better to prune when rain is not forecast for a couple days at least (not as crucial for bay trees as for, say, anything in the rose family). At 7:50 PM +0000 2/20/09, heartwerk wrote: >Can I ask also about bay. I have a small bay tree in a tub - it is >about eighteen inches high. At the moment it is looking healthy and I >want eventually to plant it in the ground. > >What time of year is best for this? and when do I start to prune or >trim it? > >Jo > >> >> At 7:45 AM +0000 2/20/09, heartwerk wrote: >> >I seem to be unable to grow rosemary! Over the years I have made five >> >attempts, and lost the small bushes each time. They never even get >> >big enough to be transplanted out of the pot. >> > >> >Does anybody have any tips on growing rosemary? >> > , yarrow wrote: >> Rosemary likes excellent drainage, alkaline soil, and a warm climate >> (or a container you can move indoors or to a sheltered spot for the >> winter). >> If it's in a container, it needs to be watered regularly. >> >> It grows like a weed here. I planted a small one in the garden last >> year and it needs no attention! All I do is prune it back when it >> starts growing into the other plants. It's a low-growing variety >> planted between bearded irises, thyme, and marjoram, so it does get >> some water when I water the irises in the dry season. >> >> Do you have a local garden center that knows plants? Usually someone >> at a small independent nursery (not a chain/franchise) will know >> something about local soils and how to grow the plants they sell. >> >> If you bought them all from one source, try a different nursery. >> Maybe they were not fully rooted, or the roots were beginning to rot? >> Maybe the soil mix was too soggy, or the nursery workers overwatered >> it? >> > > > > >--- > >To send an email to >-! Groups Links > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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