How to Grow a Bay Leaf Tree

Choose a potting soil that is well-drained. Soilless potting mixes are good options, consisting largely of peat moss, vermiculite and compost.

Pay for a larger Laurus nobilus seedling if you want to harvest it sooner. Laurus nobilus seedlings are sold in various heights. The bigger the seedling, the higher the price. Since bay leaf trees grow slowly, invest in a larger one if you want to cook with it quickly.

Plant the seedling in a pot that is twice the size of the root ball. Make sure to cover the entire root ball with potting soil, so that there are no air pockets. Place in a window that gets full sun to partial shade.

Insert a moisture meter into the soil alongside the tree. Moisture meters monitor a soil's wetness and give you a nearly foolproof way to avoid over- or under-watering your tree. Water whenever the moisture meter informs you that your tree needs it.

Apply an all-purpose fertilizer in the spring, when your bay leaf tree comes out of dormancy. Never apply during the winter.

Prune your bay leaf tree twice yearly. Prune in spring, after the first growth spurt has occurred. Prune again in the fall after the flowers have dropped off. Bay leaf trees can take any shape that you prefer, from popular lollipop topiary to simple miniature tree.