Laurels are very difficult to grow from seed, but you’re much likelier to succeed by propagating them from cuttings. There are a variety of types of laurel grown in Britain including the bay tree, common laurel and Portuguese laurel. Laurels are evergreen and can be grown as a single specimen or trained and cut as a hedge. The bay tree has the advantage of producing aromatic leaves which are widely used as a herb in cooking, either fresh or dried.
Step Two
Fill 15-centimetre (6-inch) pots with a 50-50 mixture of potting compost and sharp sand or fine grit. Make a hole in each pot 3 to 4 centimetres (1 to 1 1/2 inches) deep with a pencil. Dip the cut tips of the prepared cuttings in hormone rooting powder.
Step Three
Insert the cuttings into the holes and firm the compost around them. Give them some water so that they remain damp but not waterlogged. Keep the pots over winter in a greenhouse or cold frame. The following spring, put the pots out after the risk of frost has passed.
Step Four
Plant the cuttings out in their intended growing positions when they are producing new buds. Plant them in rich compost in a well-drained spot and keep watering them until they are well established.