We often use all sorts of herbs and spices for cooking. Rosemary is worth mentioning among spice-aromatic plants. It is used in the kitchen quite often. If you always want to have a fragrant seasoning in stock, you can plant a plant in your window. In our article, we want to talk about growing rosemary outdoors and indoors.
Description of the plant
Rosemary is a shrubby evergreen plant of the Lamiaceae family. In the wild, it is common in northern Africa, Cyprus and southern Europe. Rosemary was introduced to our country in the nineteenth century. Since then, the plant has fallen in love with people and is actively grown in homes and garden plots. Rosemary is not found in the wild in Russia, because it does not tolerate our climatic conditions. Growing rosemary is possible at home.
The plant looks like a voluminous bush, heightwhich reaches 50-200 cm. Rosemary stems have a tetrahedral shape. Small leaves are very reminiscent of needles. Small flowers of the plant have a purple hue. They are located on small shoots in inflorescences. After flowering, fruits are formed in the form of brown nuts. Rosemary blooms in April-May, but may release inflorescences in February. By mid-September, seeds ripen on the bushes.
Growing rosemary from seeds at home
Rosemary at home is grown from seeds, using seedlings, layering, cuttings and the method of dividing the bush. Each of the methods has its own characteristics. Growing rosemary from seeds is quite a hassle. In general, seed nuts have good germination and are perfectly stored for up to three years in paper bags. Before planting them in the ground, additional processing is not required.
Growing rosemary from seeds will require patience from housewives. Seeds can be sown in early March. The first shoots in boxes will appear no earlier than a month later. The reason for this is the peculiarity of the seeds of the culture to germinate for a long time. To speed up the process, you can prepare them for planting by placing them in boiled water to swell for five hours.
To grow rosemary, you need to prepare the right soil. To do this, mix two parts of ordinary earth of neutral acidity with a part of sand and compost. You can also purchase a ready-made substrate in the store.
In addition, it is necessary to prepare pots for sowing. Their height should not exceed 15 centimeters. At the bottom of containersbe sure to lay out expanded clay or small gravel for the drainage layer. Next, fill them with substrate. The swollen seeds are scattered over the surface of the soil, after which they are lightly sprinkled with earth. After sowing, the substrate is moistened with a spray bottle. We cover the boxes or pots with a film on top to get mini-greenhouses. The containers must be placed in a warm place so that the seeds begin to germinate. The optimum temperature is about 20-25 degrees Celsius. Growing rosemary indoors from seeds is just one possible solution. The process is quite lengthy, since seedlings, as we have already said, appear no earlier than a month later. During all this time, it is necessary to maintain the optimum temperature for crops. Mini-greenhouses regularly ventilate and moisten the soil surface with a spray gun. After germination, the film is removed so that tender plants do not undergo such a disease as blackleg.
Crop care
Successful cultivation of rosemary is possible only if certain rules of care are observed. For the normal development of seedlings, heat and lighting are necessary. The best option is to place the pots on the south window. On cloudy days, you will have to illuminate the plants with a lamp. The temperature of the content should not be below +18 degrees. Moderate watering is best done through a spray bottle.
Seedlings can not dive if the distance between plants is three centimeters. With good lighting, seedlings can develop well for a month and without thinning. In the same case, if your seedlings are very thick, then you will have todive. You can do this immediately after the appearance of the first two leaves. Plants are dived into separate cups or pots with a nutrient mixture.
After the seedlings grow to three or four centimeters, it can be gradually hardened off. At first, you can simply put the plants near an open window for a few minutes. But at the same time, it is important to prevent drafts, which are terrible for seedlings. Gradually, hardening sessions can be increased, subsequently the plants can be taken out to the balcony, and then to the street. Outdoors, you need to choose a calm place. Seedlings must be protected from direct sunlight as they are very vulnerable.
Permanent Landing
Strong seedlings that have reached eight centimeters can already be transplanted to a permanent place. It is possible to grow rosemary at home in a pot or in open ground. If you plan to plant a plant in the open air, then you should first choose the right place. The plot of land should have good lighting, drainage and nutrient soil. In a draft, in the shade or in a lowland, plants will simply die, so such places should be avoided.
Dig a hole for planting, apply organic fertilizers. The seedlings are carefully removed from the containers and lowered into the recesses. Plants are watered and sprinkled with soil, tamped and soil is added again.
When planting in groups, it is necessary to maintain the distance between the bushes. This will allow you to organize the proper cultivation of rosemary, because withover time, each bush will increase significantly in size and volume.
Planting in flowerpots
If you plan to organize the cultivation of rosemary at home, then planting seedlings in pots, in fact, is no different from planting in open ground. The containers are pre-drilled with drainage holes. Next, the flowerpots are filled with light soil or ready-made substrate, not forgetting to place expanded clay on the bottom. Next, the seedlings are planted and watered. Immediately after planting, rosemary can be placed in light partial shade to make it easier for the plant to take root.
The leaves of the culture contain tannins, acids and alkaloids. In addition, greens are valuable essential oils, which are actively used in cosmetology and medicine. Their highest content in the plant is observed precisely during the flowering period.
Rosemary at home: cultivation and care
The main issue in care is proper watering. Wherever the plant is located - in the garden or in a pot - the earth should not be either dry or wet. You can navigate in the amount of required moisture directly by the plant itself. If the lower leaves begin to turn yellow, then the roots clearly do not have enough moisture. Falling leaves indicate excessive waterlogging. A jet of water is directed directly onto the soil to keep the greens dry.
If you plan to use rosemary for food, then you can only fertilize it with organic matter. Feeding is carried out no more than twice a month. The culture is quite resistant to many diseases and pests, but it is still possible for plants to be damaged by scale insects, spider webs.tick, spotting.
Diseases and pests
In the early stages of the appearance of the mite, it is enough to wash the foliage with soapy water. In more advanced cases, you will have to use Agravertin and Fitoverm. When spotting appears, the bushes should be treated with preparations that contain copper.
Features of care
In indoor growing conditions, the plant should receive enough sunlight. Periodically, the pot must be unfolded so that all shoots are well lit. Houseplants need to be ventilated. They can be taken out to the balcony or kept outside in the warm season, starting in spring. Gradually, rosemary grows strongly and requires pruning. You can give its crown the desired shape. Pruning must be done at least twice a year - in spring and autumn. With the advent of cold weather, plants are brought into the house. For normal development indoors in winter should be at least +10 degrees. And at the same time, the plant does not like high temperatures. The best option is +16 degrees.
In the summer, the plant can withstand higher temperatures, but in extreme heat, yellowing of the foliage may occur. In winter, it is better to provide the plant with lower temperatures (from +10 to +16). If rosemary is in a room that is too warm during the cold season, there is a high probability that it will not bloom in the future. A pot with a plant can be placed at a cold window or taken out during periods of thaw to a covered balcony.
Rosemary planted outdoors in southern regions,can overwinter outdoors if shelter is available. The soil at the roots is sprinkled with dry foliage and sawdust. Shelter is prepared even before the onset of the first frost. You can cover the plant itself with spruce branches on top or wrap it with other materials so that it does not suffer from wind and snow. When growing rosemary in the open field, it is simply impossible to do without careful preparation for the winter. Many gardeners plant plants in the garden for the summer, and with the advent of autumn they put them in flowerpots and put them into the house so as not to risk it.
Propagation by cuttings
Very convenient to propagate rosemary cuttings. The fast way gives good results. Good shoots are selected from the plant and cut into cuttings (10 centimeters long).
Further, soil is prepared for planting from a mixture of peat, sand and soddy soil in a ratio of 1:2:1. The resulting mixture is disinfected. You can use ready-made substrate. Expanded clay is placed at the bottom of the pot, and the rest of the space is filled with soil and poured with water.
The lower part of the shoot is dipped in "Kornevin" or any other stimulant. The cuttings are immersed three to four centimeters into the soil and dug in. From above, the seedling is covered with a jar or a bag with holes for ventilation. Pots are placed on the western or southern windowsill. In bright light, you should definitely consider protection from direct rays. Young plants take root for at least three weeks. During this period, it is necessary to observe the plant. Rotten branches are removed. After the roots are already formed, rosemary can be transplanted intoindividual containers. Slightly larger pots can be used at this point.
Procurement of raw materials
It is possible to collect rosemary leaves for cooking already in the second year. By this time, enough useful substances will accumulate inside the plant, and it will get stronger and grow up. For drying, the leaves are harvested during the flowering period of rosemary. Only he althy young branches can be cut. The shoots are dried in a ventilated room with a normal level of humidity. It is more correct to dry the greens separately from other aromatic herbs so that the flavors do not mix. After the stems are crushed and stored in glass containers with lids.
Some housewives freeze greens by placing them in bags. This option is also good. In this case, rosemary does not lose its properties at all for several months. In dry form, the foliage can be stored for up to two years. If you have such a beautiful plant in your house, then you can always use fresh leaves from it. They contain much more essential oils and nutrients than dried or frozen leaves. Accordingly, the aroma of a dish prepared with rosemary will be stronger.
Instead of afterword
Culture is of interest not only in terms of spices for cooking. Beautiful and voluminous bushes look very impressive not only on the window, but also on the site. Their decorative appearance is an adornment of any garden or flower bed. In addition, outwardly, the plant is very reminiscent of coniferous crops.
