Sounds like scale, a parasitic bug that climbs the trunk.

Apr 09, Place the cutting in a four-inch container filled with your potting mix. Poke a hole in the soil and insert the cutting about halfway up the stem.

Bay leaves aren't poisonous, but they are harmful if ingested.

Firm the soil up around it so that it stays upright. Repeat with the rest of your cuttings, placing them in their own individual shrubgrinding.bar: Kristine Lofgren. Jul 22, Bay tree cuttings are best taken in midsummer, when the new growth is half ripe. Cut a 6-inch (15 cm.) length from the end of a stem and remove all but the top couple leaves. Stick the cutting in a pot of good growing medium (Note: you may dip the end in rooting hormone first, if desired.) and keep it moist and out of direct sunlight.