On the coast of such Mediterranean countries as France, Italy, Portugal and Spain, you can often find wild rosemary, but its garden variety is loved by flower growers and gardeners in many European and not only countries.
This plant got its name, sea dew or Rosmarinum, because, according to the ancient Romans and Greeks, its light blue flowers look like sprays of sea foam that have flown to bushes growing on the coast. Now a lot of people are passionate about Mediterranean cooking. Buy this herb in powder form or as part of seasonings, but nothing can compare with the aroma and taste of a freshly plucked green leaf! Today, each of us, the inhabitants of modern apartments, may well grow rosemary at home. How to do it and whatrequired, we will tell you in more detail.
What is this
Rosmarinus, like sage, monarda, lavender and coleus, belongs to the Lamiaceae family. In warm climates, it is an evergreen shrub growing in the garden or outdoors, which can reach a height of two meters. Its bark is brownish-gray, and the tetrahedral branches are covered with needle-like, wrapped around the edges, shiny above and soft, fluffy below the leaves. This plant is a good honey plant, blooming from March to May with small, pale blue flowers that are clustered at the top of the branches. Its root system is well developed and can go 3-4 meters deep, which should be taken into account when transplanting.
A bit of history
Even in ancient times, the ancient Greeks and Romans knew about the beneficial properties of rosemary and used it and its oil in cooking and perfumery. In the 13th century, this plant was used as an element of medicines, for example, The Queen of Hungary Water.
According to the surviving evidence, Queen Elizabeth of Hungary, who took this remedy, at the age of 72 was able to captivate the Polish king, who offered her a hand and a heart. The inhabitants of medieval Europe knew how to grow rosemary, and planted it in pastures and meadows, as well as cultivated it in their homes and associated many different signs and customs with it. The branches of this plant were woven into brides' bouquets and hairstyles, used in magical love spells.rituals and to protect dwellings from nightmares. Rosemary branches were thrown into the grave of the deceased in memory of him. Documentary evidence has been preserved that the branches of this plant were fumigated at home during the plague epidemic of the 14th-15th centuries.
Rosemary began to be used as a spice in the 16th century and was added not only to meat and game dishes, but also to wine.
Where it is used
Today, rosemary is widely used in cooking, medicine and in the production of cosmetics and perfumes. Many European housewives not only know how to grow rosemary at home, but also keep pots of rosemary in their kitchens. This spice is widely used in English, French, Italian, Indian and Chinese cuisines. As an independent seasoning, rosemary is rarely used, as a rule, it is part of various flavored s alts and spices, spice mixtures. Those who grow rosemary at home add it when preparing various vegetable and meat soups, salads, season fish, meat, poultry and game with it when frying or baking. In the food industry, Rosmarinum is used in the production of semi-finished products from fish or meat, pasta, in various preservatives and marinades. In addition, this spice is used to flavor alcoholic beverages and beer.
Rosemary has long been used in folk medicine for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular and urinary systems, rheumaticjoint damage. Research by modern scientists has confirmed most of the beneficial properties attributed to this plant. Today, rosemary is part of medicines aimed at normalizing the work of the digestive organs, means to increase blood pressure and improve blood microcirculation.
How to grow rosemary
This plant, which came to us from the warm Mediterranean countries, can hardly endure the conditions of our unpredictable winters. If you plant it in the garden and do not cover it before a cold snap, it will die. Experienced gardeners recommend growing rosemary at home in winter, summer, if possible, transplant it into a garden or garden for a warm period, and return it to a warm room with the onset of cold weather.
This spicy plant is quite unpretentious and usually difficult to germinate from seed. For normal growth and development of a rosemary bush, moisture-permeable poor soil and the sun are needed. This plant is quite resistant to drought.
To grow rosemary at home, you can use one of the following methods:
- buy rooted young seedlings in specialized garden centers or stores;
- stock up on seeds and patience;
- in cold weather, take an air layer for rooting from a young plant;
- take a few cuttings from a strong plant.
Trying to grow from seeds
Rosemary seeds are recommended to be sown in late February - early March, simply by spreading them on a well-moistened surfacesoil and lightly pressing the palm into the ground.
After that, cover the landing containers with glass or a thick film and put them in the refrigerator or any room with a constant temperature for two to three weeks +50C 0C, and then transfer to a warm room. After about two to three weeks, shoots should appear, if this did not happen after a month, then it is better to repeat the sowing. It is important not to overmoisten the soil and try to keep the temperature in the room around +100C +120C.
Propagated by cuttings
Someone tries to grow rosemary at home from seeds, but the most common way is to propagate this plant with cuttings. To do this, in late autumn, young shoots about 7-10 cm long are cut from an old rosemary bush. The lower leaves are removed, and the cuttings are dipped with a “leg” into any powder or solution to stimulate root formation, and then they can be placed in a dark glass container filled with water and wait until young roots form. After that, the seedlings are planted in separate pots and grown on a warm sunny window. Some gardeners skip the rooting stage and immediately root freshly cut cuttings in a peat-sand mixture. After 10-14 days, subject to fairly frequent spraying of rooted cuttings from a spray gun, they are transplanted into large pots with loose soil.
Features of home content
In order to please you with rosemary grown by you, home careconditions is as follows:
1. Since the plant is thermophilic, it needs a warm and well-lit place in your home. In summer, this spice will be happy to “live” on the southern window, but in winter it is better to put it on a cool windowsill, where the temperature will be in the range of +100С+150 S.
2. In order for the plant not to lose leaves in the autumn-winter period, it needs to artificially extend daylight hours to 7-8 hours using additional lighting.
3. This plant should be watered moderately in summer, and in winter only as the soil dries.
4. If you grow rosemary at home, in the warm season, you can feed it with complex fertilizers twice a month. In winter, you can fertilize the plant once every two months.
