Rosemary plant - growing at home: choosing a location, requirements, soil preparation

If you are planning to grow rosemary at home in a pot, then read the article. It describes the methods and gives useful tips for each stage.

People are accustomed to purchasing the necessary seasoning or products in the store, and this also applies to rosemary. The herb complements delicacies made from meat and fish. Rosemary sprigs add a sweet and sour flavor to the dish, all due to the aroma of citrus and camphor.

Read an article on our website about how to grow herbs on a windowsill all year round . You will find useful instructions and tips.

If you go deeper into history, the plant translated from Lat. means “sea freshness” . The herb has special properties: it reduces anxiety and disorders, relieves tension in the nerves, and improves food digestion. Rosemary contains essential oils and tannins. It is permissible to grow it at home, but you need to know some of the nuances. Read more in this article.

What types and varieties of the rosemary plant are there?

Homemade rosemary
The common rosemary plant grows in Italy, France, and Spain . In localities and regions of Russia it is difficult to grow it into a bush, so they begin to germinate it on their own; the best place is a window. There is also another name for the plant - incense herb .

The variety of rosemary allows you to choose the appropriate option for yourself. The most popular types and varieties:

Common rosemary brings a pleasant smell of pine needles to the living space of an apartment or house and stylishly decorates the window.

Characteristics of rosemary and what it looks like

Rosemary is a genus of perennial plants from the Lamiaceae family. In its natural habitat it can grow in the form of a shrub or subshrub, due to which it is often grown as a hedge. The Mediterranean wild plant can be found on the dry sloping mountains of Africa, Turkey, Cyprus, Greece, Israel, Italy, Portugal and Spain.

The shrub is distinguished by a highly developed root system, which is capable of penetrating 4 m into the soil, due to which it can grow even in arid areas. Thanks to its beautiful and flexible bark, the plant can be grown in bonsai style. The height of the bush can reach 1.5-2 m in its natural habitat and up to 1 m indoors.

Sessile linear leaves are attached to the gray pubescent shoots of rosemary using short petioles. Leathery, glossy leaves with curved edges have a two-tone color. They are rich green above and gray-green or almost white below.

Blue-violet rosemary flowers are collected in dense small inflorescences. Flowering under favorable conditions can last about 25 days. The shrub exudes a pleasant, refreshing aroma, reminiscent of a mixture of pine needles, eucalyptus and lemon.

Rosemary plant: requirements for growing it in a pot at home

Sunny grass can grow in areas with cool temperatures , within Russia. There are 2 ways:

1. Replanting in a flower pot in winter
2. Sprout from seeds

To grow a rosemary plant at home in a pot, it is important to prepare everything you need:

• Drainage filler
• Good soil - rich in minerals and beneficial elements
• Flowerpots
• Light source - not direct sunlight
• Constant ventilation
• Time and a little patience

Common rosemary needs a comfortable temperature with relative air humidity, but a change in temperature (especially minus values) is not desirable.

Choosing a place to grow rosemary plants at home

Home rosemary
This plant loves sunlight, so choosing a place to grow rosemary at home is taken with particular seriousness. The grass is sprouted on a window, on a balcony or loggia. These are the best options for common rosemary. These tips for choosing a comfortable place must be followed, especially for beginner gardeners.

Room temperature and excellent lighting are the main conditions for successful plant germination. Therefore, it is important to select the sunny side (east or south) on which the windows face. During the cold season, daylight hours are shorter. Therefore, it is necessary to provide additional lighting - electric lamps. When growing the seasoning in the shade, there is a high probability that rosemary will die, as the leaves will begin to turn yellow and gradually dry out.

Worth knowing: It is forbidden to place flowerpots near radiators; this will negatively affect the soil, leading to drought and death of the grass.

General recommendations for growing rosemary outdoors

For central Russia, growing rosemary in open ground is possible only in the warm season. It is better for him to overwinter in a pot at a temperature of about 10 degrees. Lowering the temperature to -5 degrees is detrimental to the plant. In the southern regions, with a milder climate, it is enough to cover it with spruce branches, leaf litter, or other suitable material for the winter. This Mediterranean guest feels good in Crimea and in some regions of the Black Sea region. Without much difficulty it is bred as a house flower.

Location

Well-lit, draft-free areas are best suited for rosemary. These can be slopes on the southern or eastern side, places protected from through blowing by supporting walls or walls of outbuildings.

Landing

In autumn, the growing area is prepared in advance:

• Dig to the depth of a spade bayonet.
• You need to add 5 kg of compost or humus per 1 m2 of area.

Bushes are planted in open ground when the threat of frost has passed. Add 30 grams of complex mineral fertilizer or wood ash to each hole. The planting pattern is 50 x 50. For growing greens, a distance of 10 cm between neighboring plants is sufficient.

When planting, the bushes are watered with well-settled warm water.

Soil composition requirements

Rosemary does not tolerate acidic substrates, stagnant water, or waterlogging. Grows well on alkaline calcareous sandy loam soils, loose and well drained.

Watering

It needs regular moderate watering, but it tolerates drought well, and stagnation of water is destructive for it.

Feeding

Not picky about soil fertility. In its homeland, it feels great on rocky coastal slopes. However, it responds well to mineral and organic fertilizers. They are carried out no more than 2 times a month.

When to Harvest

Fresh greens from a rosemary bush are collected throughout the season, however, the content of essential oils is at its maximum during the flowering period.

Harvesting is best done in dry, sunny weather.

Breeding by layering, dividing the bush

Rosemary bushes planted in open ground are conveniently propagated by layering or division.

To form a daughter plant, a branch from an adult bush is bent to ground level and buried 4 cm. After about a month, the cuttings germinate. By the end of the summer season, a young bush forms in its place, which can be separated from the mother plant and planted in a small pot for the winter.

Dividing bushes can be done both in spring and autumn.

Wintering

For the middle zone, the best solution is to transplant them into pots for the winter and move them to a well-lit room with a temperature of 10 - 120 C. If there is not enough light, it is important to provide additional lighting with phytolamps. There is no need to feed a wintering plant. Care consists of rare watering and loosening. The soil should not be allowed to dry out.

As practice shows, growing rosemary in the garden, even in temperate latitudes, is not so difficult. It is only important to try to provide him with familiar conditions.

It is interesting that a rosemary bush that has lived in the open ground all summer is unlikely to take root in a potted plant on a windowsill.

Rosemary Pot: Choices for Growing

The roots of the plant are branched - this must be taken into account when choosing a pot to plant it in a spacious container. The ideal solution for rosemary is pottery or clay pots. It is not advisable to choose plastic and wooden pots for growing, as this interferes with normal air circulation and may cause mold development and rotting.

The main thing is to lay drainage on the bottom of the pot: expanded clay, aquarium soil or small pebbles. To prevent moisture retention, it is advisable to leave a small hole in the bottom of the planter.

How to choose the right soil for rosemary?

Soil is not the most important condition needed for the harmonious and proper development of rosemary. Therefore, most gardeners easily make do with purchased universal soil mixtures.

If you want to prepare soil for rosemary yourself, then follow the standard rules. Mix the four ingredients in equal proportions:

• Turf;
• Peat;
• Humus;
• Sand.

And under no circumstances forget about a drainage layer of at least 3-5 cm at the bottom of the pot.

NOTE! If you want healthy, fragrant rosemary, try to plant it in soil that is well-permeable to air. And, of course, there should be no stagnation of liquid in the container in principle.

Preparing the soil for growing rosemary

Successful cultivation of an evergreen plant in a flowerpot depends on the condition of the soil. Therefore, it is important to prepare it. Rosemary is not demanding, but it is still important to choose neutral and slightly alkaline soil. For good air circulation, you need to add a small amount of sand. There is also another option: purchasing ready-made land for a house. flowers at a specialized retail outlet or combining humus with soil from your plot of land.

So, as mentioned above, before planting a plant for cultivation, the soil ball needs to be prepared. The soil is a favorable environment for the development of pests, so it is important to pre-treat it before sowing:

• Special preparations that are sold in any flower shop. This method kills harmful bacteria and microorganisms.
• Heat treatment: roast the soil in the oven at high temperatures for several hours.
• Cold Exposure - Place the soil outside in the cold for a week.

Place the drainage in a thin layer on the bottom of the pot. To create comfortable conditions, fill the soil in advance, 7 days before planting. In order for it to be perfectly saturated with oxygen, just hold it on paper and then pour it into a container for the flower to grow.

How to further care for seedlings

2 weeks before moving into the soil, seedlings must be hardened off. To do this, on the first day it is enough to open the window and ventilate the room with drawers. Then the container is taken outside for 3-4 hours.

Important! Rosemary can hardly tolerate frosty weather, so planting the crop in open ground is permissible only after it has been warmed to +5... +10 degrees.

A sunny place that is protected from drafts and wind is suitable for planting the crop. It is advisable to place the bush in an area with loose sandy soil. Insufficient lighting slows down the development of shrubs.

Rosemary should be watered in a timely manner, but excess moisture negatively affects the condition of the crop. To prevent stagnation of water, it is worth placing drainage in the recesses before planting. Its functions can be performed by expanded clay or large pebbles.

Rosemary plant: growing from seeds at home

Rosemary: growing from seeds at home
This is a method that will allow you to grow a rosemary plant yourself at home. You need to purchase seeds at a specialized retail outlet - a flower shop. It's simple, the main thing is to choose the variety you need. There are some species that take a long time to germinate. But in any case, you can germinate any seeds. This can be done in spring or autumn - the seeds will germinate at home in any case, cool outside or warm.

Prepare the conditions for sowing in advance:

• Induce germination - place seeds in damp gauze for 4 days .
• If necessary, season the dried gauze with water (a small amount so that the seed does not rot).
• After 4-5 days the seed germinates.
• Make a hole in the ground (about cm) and place the seedlings there.
• Fill the hole with a small amount of soil and cover it with plastic wrap with holes (this will speed up growth).
• Place the pots in a sunny place at an air temperature of +20°C .
• Then, with abundant growth, move the seedlings to the window.

Worth knowing: It is not advisable to plant seeds in one container, as this may cause competition with the root system.

Growing rosemary from a sprig or cuttings at home: stages

The cutting process is easy and simple at home. Start at the top of the herb - trim or take a separate herb sprig. So, we grow rosemary from twigs and cuttings.

Preparatory/sequential stages:

1. Tear off the lower leaves, place the petiole in water ( up to 2 weeks ) - this is necessary until the shoots grow roots. It is important to keep the water clean by constantly replacing it every 2-3 days .
2. When roots appear, plant the cuttings in the ground (pots). Make a small hole in advance, cover it with soil and do not water it too much.
3. Trim the tops of the grass to ensure full root formation, although this is not so important.

The best planting time is early to mid-April. Propagation by cuttings is a faster process when compared with germination using seeds.

Creating favorable conditions at home for growing homemade rosemary

Favorable conditions for the successful growth of homemade rosemary is an important stage. For this grass it is good that the air humidity does not exceed 40% . The seasoning should not grow in drought. The room should be ventilated occasionally, avoiding drafts and temperature .

In the cold season, ordinary rosemary “sleeps”. Comfortable temperature in the winter season - up to +15°С . It’s easy to create such conditions: place flower pots near a window in a balcony or on a loggia. During the growing season, it is important to ensure a constant temperature of +20-25°C.

Remember: Rosemary is a resilient plant. Weakening of the immune system occurs only in winter.

Lighting for grass is enhanced, but not more than 10 hours. per day You just need to make sure that the grass receives enough light from all sides. You need to occasionally rotate the pots with grass 180° 1 r. in 3 days In winter, additional lighting sources are used - special lamps or several small lamps.

Transplantation to a permanent place

You can replant seedlings whose height has reached 7-8 cm. Rosemary is grown both in open ground and in a container in an apartment.

In the first case, it is important to choose the right site for growing rosemary. The soil should be well drained and light. It’s good if there is a slight admixture of limestone in it. The area should be well lit. Shading will not allow the plant to fully develop. Avoid low-lying areas where moisture tends to accumulate. Rosemary should not be planted where there are drafts and strong winds.

Procedure for transplantation:

1. When planting in a permanent place, the plants are fed with organic fertilizer. It is enough to take no more than a handful of rotted manure.
2. The seedlings are removed from the previous container along with a lump of earth. Such a transplant will avoid injury to the roots.
3. The sprout is carefully placed in the hole and held with your hand. Then carefully pour the required amount of soil onto the roots.
4. After sprinkling the sprout on all sides, water it.
5. Then the soil is added again and the soil is lightly compacted by slamming it down with your hands.

When planting in open ground, the minimum distance between sprouts should be at least 10 cm if the purpose of cultivation is decorative use. If harvesting is planned, then the distance should be at least half a meter.

To grow indoors, you need to use a pot that has one or more holes in the bottom. This is important to ensure good drainage. When the transplant is done, the rosemary is placed in the shade for two days to make it easier for it to adapt to the new conditions.

Growing in a pot

Features of growing rosemary at home

Growing healthy seasonings at home is easy if you care for them correctly. Features of growing at home:

• This herb is propagated by cuttings or seeds.
• It was described above that these 2 processes are different. If the seeds need to be germinated, then with cuttings everything is somewhat simpler; it is enough to plant the prepared shoot in fertile soil (rich in vitamins and microelements).
• At home, grass can grow up to 1.5 meters high.
• For lushness and growth control, it is important to trim off excess leaves in the spring and autumn.
• A healthy shrub on a windowsill is usually about 60 cm . in height, which is quite normal.

Plant care is also important. Read on.

Methods for propagating rosemary

You can propagate rosemary in order to start growing it indoors in several ways:

• sow and grow from seeds;
• cut cuttings and then root;
• buy ready-made bushes or young seedlings.

Naturally, the easiest way is to buy it as seedlings and then continue to grow it on the windowsill. But it’s much more interesting to monitor the growth of a spicy plant from scratch, especially in an apartment where you can observe its full development. Plus, growing rosemary is not that difficult.

However, it is worth knowing that rosemary is a perennial, and like all perennials, it grows very slowly in the initial period.

Video: growing direct greens on a windowsill - how to propagate rosemary by seeds and cuttings

Caring for domestic rosemary when growing at home

Caring for domestic rosemary
Common domestic rosemary, although not whimsical, still requires due attention when growing at home. Without this, you won’t be able to grow a good flower. Plant care:

• It is important to shed it with water in a timely manner: 2 times. per week (in winter) and 1 r. in 2 days in warm weather , flavoring with a special fertilizer 1 r. per month
• It is important to ensure that the grass does not dry out.
• Excessive watering is also undesirable. This is fraught with rotting of the roots and death of the grass.

Evergreen grass requires good lighting:

• In the warm season, the pots are placed on the sunny side of your house on the windowsill.
• In winter, artificial lighting is necessary, for a maximum of 6 hours . With a lack of light rays, the leaves fade and dry out.

In a living space, it is important to maintain moisture. The necessary indicators can be achieved with timely ventilation, protecting from exposure to cold air.

Remember: This grass is prone to various diseases when kept indoors and dry.

Homemade rosemary: diseases and pests

Achieving a healthy appearance of this useful plant is not difficult if you follow the rules of watering and good lighting. In addition to the fact that the homemade rosemary bush has an antibacterial effect, it is not spared from some diseases. Here are the diseases and pests of the plant:

• The pleasant pine smell is not felt - heavy watering. Reduce soil moisture slightly, but do not overdry.
• Powdery mildew - abundantly covered with light dots. In appearance it can be compared to flour spilled on a plant. This is possible in case of strong humidity and dryness of the room.
• Spider mites - You will see spider webs on the leaves that are starting to turn yellow.
• Aphids - the leaves curl into a tube and turn yellow.
• Scale is a growth on the stems and leaves of a plant.
• The whitefly is a small moth with white wings. It eats leaves, causing them to wither and turn yellow.

It is possible to eliminate pests yourself by spraying concentrated laundry soap or using products that can be purchased at specialized flower shops. It is rare to observe such diseases on a windowsill, unless the soil was initially contaminated (treatment as described above will help).

Collection and storage of homemade rosemary after cultivation: stages

Storing homemade rosemary after growing
The last pleasant stage after growing is harvesting. Carefully collect the shoots of the plant; the special aroma is stored on its upper parts. Just carefully cut off the tops of the branches 15-20 cm long. Choose the juiciest and greenest branches.

Homemade rosemary herb perfectly complements many dishes, giving an intense sweet and sour flavor. Beneficial properties are retained for a long time even in dried or frozen products.

Sequence of drying and storing rosemary - stages:

1. Rinse the stems thoroughly, dry on a towel, dabbing with a dry cloth.
2. Place the prepared branches on a sheet, cover its surface with parchment paper in advance.
3. Dry in a dark and well-ventilated place for about 20 days , occasionally turning the branches over for even drying.
4. Then tie the dry twigs into a bundle and hang it in the pantry for storage.
5. Should be stored no longer than 1 year . You can put the twigs in a cloth bag.

Dried rosemary
Gardeners and experienced housewives also dry rosemary in the oven:

• Set the temperature to minimum.
• Keep the spread branches on a sheet on the top shelf for 3-4 hours.
• Then tie the branches with rope and put them in the pantry for storage.

You can also dry the herbs in a vegetable and fruit dehydrator.

Dried rosemary sprigs in the oven

It’s also good to do vacuum freezing:

• Wash the branches and place them on parchment paper until completely dry.
• Place them separately in the freezer.
• When the grass is frozen, place it in a separate bag.

In winter, it is convenient to take the right amount of seasoning and use it in cooking.

Mistakes when growing rosemary at home

Properly growing a healthy rosemary plant on a balcony or window indoors is not a complicated process. But you need to know some aspects of caring for this grass. As people say: without labor and effort you can only grow rubbish. Mistakes that flower growers often make:

• It is prohibited to replant grass. Caring for evergreen grass itself requires careful treatment, especially in the cold season, it is during this period that the immune system weakens.
• Bad light. It is also important to provide proper light - up to 10 hours . If necessary, additional light sources should be used.
• Poor water or, conversely, oversaturation of the soil with moisture. In fact, there are no special recommendations when watering. The main thing is not to overwater and not to dry out the soil of the plant.
• Lack of feeding. It is necessary to take care of fertilizing with useful microelements, which are publicly available in the store.

Rosemary is not often grown at home on the windowsill. Its pleasant pine aroma fills the entire apartment, relieving fatigue and pain. Depending on the growing conditions, it is worth maintaining a comfortable room temperature, relative humidity and a well-ventilated area. Only in this case will you grow a beautiful and fragrant plant, as well as a spicy and healthy seasoning for dishes and herbs for treatment. Good luck!

Mr. Summer Resident recommends: medicinal, cosmetic and other beneficial properties of rosemary

The herb has a lot of medicinal properties that are used in folk and traditional medicine.

Healing properties of rosemary:

1. Has a beneficial effect on the skin of the face and body.
2. Heals fresh wounds.
3. Has a beneficial effect on joints.
4. It has a strong diuretic effect, which stimulates increased kidney function.
5. It is actively used for the treatment of oncology and prevents the development of cancer cells.

For dry, annoying coughs, rosemary oil is also used. It kills all harmful microorganisms and has antiseptic properties, helping the body cope with chronic ailments.

For psoriasis, it can be used either fresh or in powder form.

If you have rosemary growing in your garden or home, you can use it as an aromatic addition to your bubble bath for magical aromatherapy. You can also make a tincture from the herb to dry out acne and inflammation on the face.