How easy is it to propagate a bay tree?

 

We have a laurel/bay bush in our back garden (which is actually a tree which
has been cut down to a stump and then regrown as a bush).

I have some other bushes in tubs but they have a different scent and I
particularly like the one in our back garden.

However it may have to go because it is really in the wrong place for our
redesigned rear area.
Obviously being a truncated tree it cannot be lifted and moved.

http://www.herbs2000.com/herbs/herbs_bay_laurel.htm  makes it sound quite
difficult to propagate (however as they can't even get their
Farenheit/Centigrade conversions right I don't know how much to trust them).

Of the three options, I don't see any seeds and layering may take too long
(although air layering is not mentioned, which might be an option) so
cuttings seems to be the best bet.

Has anyone had success taking cuttings from bay?

How do I tell which type of bay it is?
The web site above describes it as a bush but the trunk was pretty big and
the bay trees around this area seem to be just that - trees.
My other bays have grown from seedlings lifted from a friend's garden and
his bay tree is huge.

Cheers

Dave R

 



<snip>
http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/fruit_veg_diary/fruit_veg_mini_project_september_3_bay2.asp

also talks of seed germination at 65F/21C

Now
65F = 18.34C
21C = 68.8F

Strange how two sites have the same mistake,

 


Where?  Bay is like hazel - it's a natural shrub (i.e. multi-stemmed)
but will grow into a fair-sized tree if conditions are right.  9" in
diameter and 20+' high is likely.  The simplest diagnostic is the
scent - Laurus nobilis is the true bay you use for cooking, and all
others smell different.  It has small yellow flowers in spring.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

 



I have propagated a bay from cuttings. Initially, the potted cuttings seemed
to take quite easily, but most died off in the first year. The sole survivor
stayed stunted for the next five or so years, but then took off like a
rocket, for some unknown reason.

'True' bay trees can grow very big - there's one in the gardens at
Portmeirion that must be over sixty feet tall.

 



I've never had success with bay cuttings, mine all died.  I was given a
self-sown seedling about 3" high a couple of years ago, in quite a big pot.
It did not do anything the first year, just sat and sulked but it shot away
this year to about 2 ft tall.

Tina