Quote:
Originally Posted by Šave
Is there a specific way of growing bay trees to get the 'lollipop' shape and
get it to between 5 - 7 foot. I've just bought a pair of very young plants,
each about a foot tall and would like to know if there's anything I should
be doing to encourage them to grow into the shape I want? I've checked on a
few websites but they only tend to talk about temperatures, feeding and
pruning to keep the height of the tree down.
TIA
Dave
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Most people think of bonsai as a way to miniaturise trees but the techniques can be used in several ways. For example I have a cotoneaster growing on one trunk ten feet tall with weeping branches.It has taken me abou 15 years to get it to this height, but the bay tree should reach the height you want in a few years.
First, you need to encourage a single trunk by removing all the larger lower branches. The top stems (branches) are needed to encourage growth. As the tree grows the lower ones of these can be removed. When the tree has reached the height you want you can cut off the growing tip and encourage the top branches to spread. As they reach the size you want you can pinch out the growing tips of these to create the ball effect.Shears will controll their future shape.
Ideally you need to grow them in as large a large pot as you can to encourage fast growth. You could leave them in the garden for a couple of years. Left in permanantly they will continue to grow very much larger. If they get pot bound remove from the pot, wash away all the soil, and cut away one third of the roots. Repot in fresh soil or potting compound washing it in gently to get into the rooting system.
Feeding through the summer months is very important. Trimming of the roots is the factor restricting growth, not lack of food. You should have something akin to what you want in about 5 years. N.B. Any tree growing in a pot will need repotting every few years. If the tree appears weak - repot.