Into The Bloom: How To Grow Tej Patta Or Bay Leaf Plant At Home

From curries to soups to rice dishes, bay leaves or tej patta makes it to a lot of our everyday dishes. Most of us use market-bought bay leaves to enhance the flavour of our different recipes but nothing can beat the aroma, and freshness of bay leaves from your home garden. 

How To Grow A Bay Leaf Plant At Home?

• Bay leaf plants can be grown at home with cuttings. Get a cutting from a healthy bay leaf plant, make sure it is 4-6 inches long. 
• Get a pot with drainage holes at the bottom. 
• Next, buy potting soil. Let the gardening expert know that the soil will be used to grow bay leaf plants, they might add sand to it to make the mixture the best fit.
• Plant the bay leaf cutting. Dip the bay leaf into the potting mix and water the plant well.

• Bay leaf plants grow well under direct sunlight. The plant needs 6-8 hours per day. If you can't place your plant in natural sunlight, use a grow light. 
• Keep watering the plant whenever the top layer of the soil feels dry but don't overwater it. 
• A bay leaf plant can be placed in moderate temperatures. If the weather is too cold, place the plant inside. If you are placing the plant in dry indoors, keep watering it whenever required. 

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• Keep pruning the plant, it will help you encourage quicker growth. (Bay leaf benefits)
• When the bay leaf plant starts to outgrow the pot, repot it. The pot should be changed every 1-2 years or whenever you feel the roots are becoming overcrowded. 

How To Grow A Bay Leaf Plant Quickly?

• To maintain the growth of a bay leaf plant, use a balanced fertiliser every 4-6 weeks. Follow the instructions on the fertiliser pack carefully.
• Check for pests and diseases. If you spot any indoor pests like aphids, use neem oil or insecticidal soap on it. 
• Use a rooting hormone if required. Rooting hormone is a synthetic chemical that is applied to leaf cuttings to encourage faster growth. (Bay leaf tea benefits)

• A bay leaf plant can also be grown from seeds. With seeds, the plant takes 6-8 weeks to grow. The seedlings grow slowly. If using a cutting, it will also take a similar duration to grow out. It can take both seeds and cuttings about a year to reach 6-12 inches.

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• Bay leaf plants grow well in warm temperatures. If you are growing them outdoors, make sure they get enough sunlight and are protected if the temperature drops.
• Regularly monitor your plant. If you see pests, or diseases more often, don't delay and address the issue immediately. Seek professional help if possible.

Remember that growing plants at home is rewarding but it requires a lot of patience. Each plant takes its own time to grow. Just make sure you give your plants the right environment.

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