How to Winterize Bay Laurel

The advice commonly given for cold protection is to grow bay laurel in containers so the plants can be moved into a sheltered location to overwinter.

But what about those growing in the ground or in large, immovable planters?

It’s true that in-ground trees have improved cold tolerance once they’re established, but they can still benefit from protection from unusual cold snaps and desiccating winds.

And it doesn’t take much to cozy them up against inclement weather!

Caring for a bay tree in colder climates might take a bit of extra work for winter survival, but the fragrant, flavorful leaves, and ornamental value makes it well worth the effort.

Are you ready to learn the best ways to protect your bay laurel from cold snaps, heavy snow, and harsh winds? Then let’s jump into how to overwinter bay trees.

Here’s a look at what’s ahead:

Bay Laurel Basics for Cold Weather

Hardy in USDA growing Zones 7 to 10, bay laurel trees have moderate cold hardiness.

To help them survive winters within their preferred hardiness Zones, plant your trees and shrubs in sites that are protected from strong winds.

High winds can cause breakage to large limbs and when coupled with freezing temperatures, the leaves and stems can become desiccated, taking on a blackened or dull, mottled appearance before dying off.

My in-ground tree regularly handles gale force winds and drenching salt spray from winter storms.

But when occasional freezing temperatures are added, some of the leaves facing the weather system become dried out – but those on the leeward side always stay healthy and green.

If wind and freezing temperatures are normal in your region, keep your trees happy over the winter months by planting them in a sheltered spot that’s away from prevailing winds.

And to survive winter, L. nobilis shrubs must be planted in well-draining soil regardless of whether they’re grown in the landscape or containers.

Prolonged exposure to cold, wet soil or standing water can easily cause problems like root rot.

When planting, mix in one or two parts of grit to improve the drainage as needed. Use materials like crusher dust, landscape sand, pea gravel, or stone chips to keep the soil draining freely.

And if wet soil is common in your winter garden, consider planting your trees in a raised bed or mound to improve drainage.

Raising the soil 12 to 24 inches, and adding grit, is a reliable way to avoid soggy conditions and standing water in gardens with clay or heavy soils.

You can learn more about how to grow bay laurel in our guide.

And bays grown in pots are more prone to cold damage compared to in-ground trees.

This is because the soil in containers freezes much quicker than it does around the roots of in-ground trees. But we’ll talk more about winter care for container-grown plants later in this article.

Also, it’s important to withhold fertilizer during winter while the plants are dormant.

Once temperatures drop to 45°F, L. nobilis enters dormancy with no active growth – resume feeding once warm temperatures return and new growth starts.

Although bays have good drought tolerance once they’re established, they can’t go without water indefinitely.

Water plants deeply in late autumn before the soil freezes but avoid watering in freezing conditions.

If rainfall provides adequate moisture during the winter months, there’s no need to irrigate.

But if winter temperatures remain above freezing and rainfall is insufficient, provide a deep watering every six weeks to prevent the plants from drying out completely.

Potted Plants

In frost-free regions, container-grown plants can remain outdoors in the garden.

However, if your region receives a lot of winter rainfall, it’s helpful to move containers into the rain shadow of a fence or wall.

Also, remove catchment saucers and place the containers on pot toes, bricks, or a couple of short pieces of lumber to raise them off the ground and prevent puddling or standing water.

If you receive regular frosts of a light or moderate nature, moving them into a sheltered outdoor location out of the wind is usually sufficient.

Suitable sheltered locations outdoors include placing pots against an exterior heated house wall, under large conifers, tucked into evergreen shrubbery, or any location that remains a couple of degrees warmer than exposed sites.

If you’re concerned the roots might freeze, add a two- to four-inch layer of mulch over the root zone using materials such as bark mulch, conifer needles, or straw.

Moving them indoors for winter isn’t advisable, but if you absolutely have to, they must go into a room that’s no warmer than 60°F.

Indoors, they’ll also need bright, indirect light and regular water applications to keep the soil lightly moist.

Outdoor Planters

For trees in permanent or immovable planters, apply a thick, four- to six-inch layer of mulch to cover the entire root zone as protection against heavy frosts or freezing temperatures.

Use porous mulch materials that allow water to move freely, such as bark mulch, conifer needles, pebbles, or straw.

If needed during very cold spells, tent your trees with burlap or a frost blanket and extend the material all the way down to the planter’s rim or soil line, anchoring it in place with large stones.

Tenting traps warm air from the soil, and to be effective, it needs to extend all the way down to the soil line.

When tenting evergreens, always use permeable materials like burlap, frost blankets made of bonded or spun polyester fibers, old sheets, or commercial frost jackets.

Frost protection blankets and jackets are typically made of non-woven materials like bonded or spun polyester and should have a weight of at least one and a half ounces per square foot – materials lighter than this may not provide adequate protection or survive winter storms.

Plastic or polyethylene sheets alone should be avoided.

Plastic, or poly, is very good at trapping and holding warm air, but its non-breathable nature also traps moisture, which can lead to rot. And when the sun comes out, temperatures under the plastic can quickly become oven-like, scorching leaves and overheating plants.

For extreme weather conditions, you can tent with two layers of permeable fabric over the plant then cover them with a layer of polyethylene – but be sure to remove the plastic quickly as soon as warmer temperatures return.

In-Ground Care

When bays are planted in the ground, they become tougher and more resilient to weather extremes as they mature, including frost and freezing temperatures.

But they should still be protected against harsh weather or extreme conditions.

To help them easily handle winters within their hardiness range, start out by planting them in a site that’s protected from strong winds and has soil with excellent drainage.

As mentioned, winter’s freezing winds can dry out foliage, stems, and branches which can result in stunted shapes, slow growth, and a slow decline in overall health.

For those trees that are exposed to drying winds, cover the foliage canopy with burlap, a frost blanket, or old sheets. Tie the corners around the stem just below the canopy or use plant clips to secure them to branches.

Trees with a compact or trimmed canopy rarely suffer from snow damage.

But over time, the long limbs in loose, unpruned canopies can become weak and susceptible to breakage when loaded down with heavy, wet snow.

If wet snow or freezing rain is a regular occurrence in your region, prevention is the best remedy for ice and snow breakage.

in late spring, cut large limbs back by as much as one-third to improve their weight-bearing ability.

Should a limb break from snow, ice, or wind, prune it in late winter while the bay is still dormant. Use a clean, sharp saw to cut back the damaged limb to a healthy branch, or right back to the main trunk if needed.

Our guide to pruning bay laurel covers how to trim large or mature trees, shrubs, and topiary as well.

To protect the root zone from freezing temperatures and freeze/thaw cycles, apply a two- to six-inch layer of winter mulch and extend it to the drip line. The drip line is an imaginary circle on the soil surface that mirrors the trees’ outermost branch tips.

Winter mulches should be made from coarse, loose materials that don’t trap water, such as bark chips or shredded bark, conifer needles, evergreen boughs, pebbles, or straw.

Frost Protection Jackets

Commercial frost protection bags or jackets are also available and can be used for container or in-ground plants.

Plastic jackets need to be opened frequently to allow air circulation and dry off excess moisture on the plants.

And when the sun comes out, they can become excessively hot in a very short time, causing sun scorch on exposed foliage and plants to overheat and become stressed.

Also, in the case of a broadleaf shrub like bay, the plastic has to be suspended away from the foliage, typically via some makeshift, chicken wire contraption.

This is because where it touches the leaves, plastic conducts the cold, which in turn, can freeze the leaves it’s supposed to protect!

Frost jackets made of permeable materials are the better option for bay laurels.

Repairing Winter Damage

Within their hardiness range, the most common winter damage to bays are blackened leaves and stem tips from freezing temperatures and harsh winds, and occasionally limb damage from high winds or heavy snows.

Blackened, brown, dead, or damaged leaves and stem tips can be pruned out in early spring, but wait until the leaf buds have started to swell before removing anything. The emerging buds are a positive sign that healthy stem tissue is present.

Use clean, sharp shears to cut away dead or damaged materials to just above a set of strong, healthy buds.

Cutting above a set of healthy buds helps to encourage branching, but don’t remove more than just the damaged material at this time.

Pruning and reshaping can be done in early summer when the foliage is vibrant and in full leaf – this makes it easier to correct any gaps or odd shapes left after cleaning away damaged material.

Dead or damaged branches should be removed in late winter or early spring as well.

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