How to grow bay laurel
Updated: 21 October 2026
The 9–13 cm pot on the doorstep is a juvenile Laurus nobilis, and the nursery pot is not the pot it should stay in. How to grow bay laurel in the first season is a short list: move it up one size into free-draining compost, water without drowning the roots, feed only in the growing season, and cut with secateurs. The [bay laurel plant comparison](/hub/herb-seeds/bay-laurel-plant) is the six Carbeth listings, not a care manual. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
The 9–13 cm pot on the doorstep is a juvenile Laurus nobilis, and the nursery pot is not the pot it should stay in.
The 9–13 cm pot on the doorstep is a juvenile Laurus nobilis, and the nursery pot is not the pot it should stay in. How to grow bay laurel in the first season is a short list: move it up one size into free-draining compost, water without drowning the roots, feed only in the growing season, and cut with secateurs. The bay laurel plant comparison is the six Carbeth listings, not a care manual. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Pot size | Form | Plants | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Carbeth Plants Carbeth Plants Laurus Nobilis Bay Tree in 13cm Pot | 13 cm | Young plant; listing says bay tree | 1 | 8.6 | about £15.99 | View offer |
 Carbeth Plants Carbeth Plants 2 x Laurus Nobilis Bay Tree in 10cm Pot | 10 cm | Two young plants; listing mentions shaping into standards | 2 | 8.7 | about £16.99 | View offer | |
| Best value |  Carbeth Plants Carbeth Plants Bay Laurel Plant Herb for Cooking in A 9cm Pot | 9 cm | Bushy evergreen shrub | 1 | 8.2 | about £11.99 | View offer |
Best value
Carbeth Plants Carbeth Plants Bay Laurel Plant Herb for Cooking in A 9cm Pot8.2/10about £11.99
On this page
Get it out of the nursery pot
Amazon's expected height on these listings is 9, 10, 12, or 13 cm, and that number matches the pot, not a grown shrub. The RHS container rule is a pot slightly larger than the one it arrived in. A 9 cm herb moves into something a little wider, with drainage holes, not into a 45 cm patio tub on day one. The first move is one step.
Use peat-free John Innes No. 2 or No. 3, or a soilless compost, plus grit, so the mix drains. BBC Gardeners' World describes crocks over the holes and pot feet so the base is not standing in a saucer. Several stems in one Carbeth pot are common in the reviews. Grow them as a bush. Whether the next pot stays a container or the plant goes into the border is on bay tree pot or ground.
Water and feed without soaking the roots
Over-watering damages bay roots. The RHS is plain about that, and cold damp soil rots them. In a pot, water when the compost is drying, and let the excess run out of the holes. Do not leave a saucer full under the pot. In winter, reduce the water.
Feed in the growing season only. The RHS window is controlled-release granules, or a liquid feed every two weeks from mid-spring to late summer. Stop at the end of summer. A late feed pushes soft growth into the frost. Repot about every two years in spring, one size up. A jump from 9 cm to a tub you can barely lift leaves wet compost around a small rootball. Fleece and a cool room are on bay tree winter care.
Cut with secateurs and pick whole leaves
Trim new shoots back to a bud with secateurs in summer. The RHS prefers secateurs or loppers to shears, because a hedge trimmer tears the face of the leaf you might later cook. BBC Gardeners' World keeps hard renovation for mid- to late spring, best over two or three seasons. Frost-damaged tips come off in spring, once you can see what is still alive.
You can pick leaves at any time of year. Fresh leaves are stronger and slightly bitter. Take the leaf out of the dish before you serve. Berries are not food. A new 9 cm plant will not supply a large batch this month. The pair's listing mentions pruning towards a cone or a standard, and that is a project of years, not an afternoon with the shears.
Curled yellow edges, then stop
Thickened leaves with curled, yellow margins from May to October are usually bay sucker, Lauritrioza alacris. The RHS says the plant usually keeps its vigour, and stripping every marked leaf can do more harm than the insect. Do not spray a culinary plant from a recipe beside the listing.
If someone may have eaten hedge laurel, use NHS 111 or emergency care. How to tell culinary bay from cherry laurel is on the bay laurel plant buying guide. A heavy standard on the steps, or honey fungus in a planting you value, is the point to stop guessing. Peter F. took the compost, feed, and sucker points from the RHS and BBC Gardeners' World. The six pots were not grown on as a trial.
Common questions
Do I leave it in the nursery pot?
No. A 9–13 cm pot is the pot it was posted in. Move it into a slightly larger container with drainage holes, peat-free John Innes No. 2 or No. 3, or a soilless compost, plus grit. A 45 cm tub is a later size for a much larger plant. Several stems in the pot are normal in these reviews. Keep them and grow a bush.
When do I feed it?
Use controlled-release granules, or a liquid feed every two weeks, from mid-spring to late summer. That is the RHS window. Do not feed through winter. A late feed makes soft growth that frost cuts back. Repot in spring about every two years, one size up, rather than feeding a root-bound 9 cm pot and hoping that replaces a move.
Can I shear it into a ball with hedge trimmers?
You can shape it, and shears are the wrong tool if you care about the leaf. Secateurs, back to a bud, leave a clean cut. A hedge trimmer marks the face of the leaf. Hard renovation belongs in mid- to late spring and is kinder over two or three seasons. Summer trimming is for the new shoots, not for removing half the plant.
What are the curled yellow leaf edges?
From May to October that pattern is usually bay sucker. The leaf thickens and the margin curls and yellows. The RHS says the shrub usually keeps its vigour, and stripping every marked leaf can cause more damage than the insect. It is not a reason to spray a culinary plant from a recipe you found beside the listing. If the plant is collapsing rather than marked, look at wet roots first.
What should I hand to a professional?
Passport questions, if you trade plants for planting. Hedge laurel that someone may have eaten, which is NHS 111 or emergency care. A standard too heavy for the steps. Honey fungus in a planting you care about. Ordinary potting on, summer secateurs, and a few curled leaves stay with you.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources named below. amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts on these six listings are the figures kept for this comparison. A search on 19 October 2026 showed no featured offer on B07B6NWPXL. Page updated 21 October 2026.
- RHS, How to grow bay (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- RHS, Bay tree care (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- RHS, Laurus nobilis (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- RHS, Bay sucker (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- GOV.UK plant passports (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 9 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- GOV.UK returns and refunds (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Demasi and others, Toxins (2022), cherry laurel (retrieved 19 October 2026)