I have a bay laurel in a pot in the kitchen window (killer frosts are
predicted this week and the winter her is severe) and, after a season of
vigorous growth, it needs cutting back and shaping.
What is the best time for pruning?
Graham

"Graham" wrote in message
news:qSdxk.259806$gc5.201181@pd7urf2no...
I have a bay laurel in a pot in the kitchen window (killer frosts are
predicted this week and the winter her is severe) and, after a season of
vigorous growth, it needs cutting back and shaping.
What is the best time for pruning?
Graham

I'm not in your part of the world but my bay is in a pot outside and in
comparitive shade from sun and has withstood frosts, drought, wet, rain,
wet, damp, rain (the last five this summer) and it's never suffered. I've
never pruned it - except of course for removing the odd leaves for culinary
use.

Other growers will have had different expeiences.

In fact I seem to remember that last year some people, including me, had a
problem with browning and dropping of leaves in the summer, the only thing
we had in common was rain. This year it's fine.

shrug

Some you win ...

Mary

In article ,
"Mary Fisher" writes:
| "Graham" wrote in message
| news:qSdxk.259806$gc5.201181@pd7urf2no...
| I have a bay laurel in a pot in the kitchen window (killer frosts are
| predicted this week and the winter her is severe) and, after a season of
| vigorous growth, it needs cutting back and shaping.
| What is the best time for pruning?
|
| I'm not in your part of the world but my bay is in a pot outside and in
| comparitive shade from sun and has withstood frosts, drought, wet, rain,
| wet, damp, rain (the last five this summer) and it's never suffered. I've
| never pruned it - except of course for removing the odd leaves for culinary
| use.

Bay can't take hard frosts. In a pot, it can be killed by sustained
periods of below -10, and it always suffers even from short ones of
below -15.

Anyway, you can prune it whenever you like - it is a good hedging
plant and will regrow from both new and old wood.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

In article ,
"Mary Fisher" writes:
| "Graham" wrote in message
| news:qSdxk.259806$gc5.201181@pd7urf2no...
| I have a bay laurel in a pot in the kitchen window (killer frosts are
| predicted this week and the winter her is severe) and, after a season
of
| vigorous growth, it needs cutting back and shaping.
| What is the best time for pruning?
|
| I'm not in your part of the world but my bay is in a pot outside and
in
| comparitive shade from sun and has withstood frosts, drought, wet,
rain,
| wet, damp, rain (the last five this summer) and it's never suffered.
I've
| never pruned it - except of course for removing the odd leaves for
culinary
| use.

Bay can't take hard frosts. In a pot, it can be killed by sustained
periods of below -10, and it always suffers even from short ones of
below -15.

Anyway, you can prune it whenever you like - it is a good hedging
plant and will regrow from both new and old wood.

I noticed a neighbour's today, it must be 20' high, it was a small shrub
when she planted it. It's at the bottom of her garden and never gets any sun
at its lower half.

But the OP said that the bay was on a kitchen windowsill - surely it
wouldn't get as low as -10C indoors?

Mary


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article ,
"Mary Fisher" writes:
|
| I noticed a neighbour's today, it must be 20' high, it was a small shrub
| when she planted it. It's at the bottom of her garden and never gets any sun
| at its lower half.

Curiously enough, it is technically an undershrub :-) It will grow
quite happily with little direct sun, if it gets enough light. Up
to 30' high and 9" in diameter ....

| But the OP said that the bay was on a kitchen windowsill - surely it
| wouldn't get as low as -10C indoors?

I was actually responding to your posting. If he lives in a seriously
cold winter area, it won't survive outdoors.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

The message qSdxk.259806$gc5.201181@pd7urf2no
from "Graham" contains these words:

I have a bay laurel in a pot in the kitchen window (killer frosts are
predicted this week and the winter her is severe) and, after a season of
vigorous growth, it needs cutting back and shaping.
What is the best time for pruning?

If you're keeping it inside during intense cold, I wouldn't think there
is a 'best' time.

--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
Separator in search of a sig

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

In article ,
"Mary Fisher" writes:
|
| I noticed a neighbour's today, it must be 20' high, it was a small
shrub
| when she planted it. It's at the bottom of her garden and never gets
any sun
| at its lower half.

Curiously enough, it is technically an undershrub :-) It will grow
quite happily with little direct sun, if it gets enough light. Up
to 30' high and 9" in diameter ....

| But the OP said that the bay was on a kitchen windowsill - surely it
| wouldn't get as low as -10C indoors?

I was actually responding to your posting. If he lives in a seriously
cold winter area, it won't survive outdoors.

I do! Although most of the winter is tolerable, in the -5C to -15C range,
we do get colder spells. For example, last winter it reached -35C but -42C
with windchill. You can see why I have to grow these culinary plants
indoors{;-)
Graham

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

In article ,
"Mary Fisher" writes:
| "Graham" wrote in message
| news:qSdxk.259806$gc5.201181@pd7urf2no...
| I have a bay laurel in a pot in the kitchen window (killer frosts are
| predicted this week and the winter her is severe) and, after a season
of
| vigorous growth, it needs cutting back and shaping.
| What is the best time for pruning?
|
| I'm not in your part of the world but my bay is in a pot outside and
in
| comparitive shade from sun and has withstood frosts, drought, wet,
rain,
| wet, damp, rain (the last five this summer) and it's never suffered.
I've
| never pruned it - except of course for removing the odd leaves for
culinary
| use.

Bay can't take hard frosts. In a pot, it can be killed by sustained
periods of below -10, and it always suffers even from short ones of
below -15.

Anyway, you can prune it whenever you like - it is a good hedging
plant and will regrow from both new and old wood.

Thanks, Nick! I'll wait until the new leaves have "hardened" a bit so that
they can be dried for future use.
Graham

"Mary Fisher" wrote in message
t...

"Graham" wrote in message
news:qSdxk.259806$gc5.201181@pd7urf2no...
I have a bay laurel in a pot in the kitchen window (killer frosts are
predicted this week and the winter her is severe) and, after a season of
vigorous growth, it needs cutting back and shaping.
What is the best time for pruning?
Graham

I'm not in your part of the world but my bay is in a pot outside and in
comparitive shade from sun and has withstood frosts, drought, wet, rain,
wet, damp, rain (the last five this summer) and it's never suffered. I've
never pruned it - except of course for removing the odd leaves for
culinary use.

Other growers will have had different expeiences.

The winters here are just too severe - I have to keep it indoors.
Graham

"Rusty Hinge 2" wrote in message
k...
The message qSdxk.259806$gc5.201181@pd7urf2no
from "Graham" contains these words:

I have a bay laurel in a pot in the kitchen window (killer frosts are
predicted this week and the winter her is severe) and, after a season of
vigorous growth, it needs cutting back and shaping.
What is the best time for pruning?

If you're keeping it inside during intense cold, I wouldn't think there
is a 'best' time.

--
Well it does sort of "hibernate" during the winter low light. As diiferent
tree species demand different pruning times, I wasn't sure of the best time
for this.
Graham

In article 9pkxk.160670$nD.101521@pd7urf1no,
"Graham" writes:
|
| Thanks, Nick! I'll wait until the new leaves have "hardened" a bit so that
| they can be dried for future use.
| Graham


You don't have to prune it all atb once, so can pick leaves fresh and
cut shoots back as and when appropriate. It really doesn't seem to
mind any sort of pruning.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

In article ,
"Mary Fisher" writes:
|
| I noticed a neighbour's today, it must be 20' high, it was a small
shrub
| when she planted it. It's at the bottom of her garden and never gets
any sun
| at its lower half.

Curiously enough, it is technically an undershrub :-) It will grow
quite happily with little direct sun, if it gets enough light. Up
to 30' high and 9" in diameter ....

er - not like you to make a typo but did you men 9' ?

| But the OP said that the bay was on a kitchen windowsill - surely it
| wouldn't get as low as -10C indoors?

I was actually responding to your posting. If he lives in a seriously
cold winter area, it won't survive outdoors.

I assumed his kitchen windowsill is inside his kichen ... perhaps he should
tell us more. It the kitchen heated for instance? Even I wouldn't like to
work in a kitchen at -10C.

Mary




Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

"Graham" wrote in message
news:9pkxk.160670$nD.101521@pd7urf1no...


Thanks, Nick! I'll wait until the new leaves have "hardened" a bit so
that they can be dried for future use.
Graham
You can of course dry them but they're better used fresh and it's an
evergreen so fresh ones will always be available.

If you don't kill the tree :-)

Mary

In article ,
"Mary Fisher" writes:
|
| Curiously enough, it is technically an undershrub :-) It will grow
| quite happily with little direct sun, if it gets enough light. Up
| to 30' high and 9" in diameter ....
|
| er - not like you to make a typo but did you men 9' ?

I meant stems - it can sucker and make a patch of any diameter!


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

"Mary Fisher" wrote in message
t...

"Graham" wrote in message
news:9pkxk.160670$nD.101521@pd7urf1no...


Thanks, Nick! I'll wait until the new leaves have "hardened" a bit so
that they can be dried for future use.
Graham
You can of course dry them but they're better used fresh and it's an
evergreen so fresh ones will always be available.

I don't use that many and I abhor waste, therefore, I dry them for later
use.
Graham