Sunday 10 June 2018

Return of the Bay Tree (Or, in Praise of the Occasional Beheading)




Another plant I'm happy about is my bay leaf tree.  I had it indoors in a presentable looking pot by my cooker for about a year before I got my allotment.  Though it did provide a steady supply of fresh bay leaves (rarely unwelcome in any recipe) I felt it really wanted and deserved to live outside.  So around September last year I found a spot for it on my allotment and left it to nature's devices.

Right through until around April, it was starting to look as though this had been a mistake.



Three or four sorry brown leaves were all that remained.  Until I noticed this:



A new branch!  All green, and everything.  As concerned the tree itself, there was only one thing for it.  I would have to chop its head off.  So I did.  Cut it right back to just above where the new branch had sprouted.  Two months later, I'm proud to present:


A healthy and productive new branch.  Lesson learned: trees, unlike humans, don't mind having their heads chopped off every now and again.  In fact, they often seem to thrive from it.






Historical footnote: beheading humans has, on occasion, been observed to advance the cause of freedom and democracy. 
Sort of.



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