
How to Grow Rosemary
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Rosemary
Rosemary is one of the most decorative herbs and is well worth
growing for its appearance alone. Dependent on the variety, it
has small, profuse flowers appearing in late spring which range
from dark blue through pale blue right down to white.
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ROSEMARY QUICK GUIDE
Rosemary Folklore
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Latin Name Rosmarinus officinalis
Type
Evergreen, perennial shrub with flowers
Site and Soil Light soil, full sun
Height
Up to 1.8m (6ft) but commonly 1m (3ft)
Plant to Harvest Time
Nursery plant - 3 months
Cuttings - 1 year Seed - 15 months
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Another great advantage of rosemary is that it
is a perennial and will last for twenty years or more with only
minimal pruning once a year. Put this together with it's cooking
value as a herb and this shrub is a winner - what more do you
want from a plant!Although rosemary is a native plant of the
Mediterranean and Asia, it is still reasonably hardy in cooler
areas. Rosemary is a good choice if you want shrubs that are
able to withstand droughts well. It will survive a severe lack
of water for lengthy periods of time.
Rosemary has leaves which look like pine needles. It is these needles
which can be finely chopped and used to flavour a variety of dishes,
especially stuffing. Many cooks simply cut sprigs of rosemary and place
many roasted meats, especially lamb, pork, chicken and turkey with great
results.
Where To Grow Rosemary
Rosemary prefers a light soil, a sandy soil will fully satisfy its
meagre feeding needs. Having said that, rosemary is tolerant of most
soil conditions as long as they are not water-logged. Rosemary prefers a
slightly limey soil (the opposite of acid) because this results in
smaller plants with more fragrant leaves. True to it's origins, rosemary
prefers sunny and sheltered conditions. It will stand severe frosts if
conditions are not windy and wet as well.
| Planting and Care of Rosemary The ideal time to plant out rosemary is April.
Dig a hole in the soil slightly larger than the size as the pot. Add
1cm (half an inch) of sandy soil or sharp sand to the bottom of the
hole. Place the plant in the hole and fill around with a mix of half
sharp sand and half from the removed soil.
Rosemary does not like to have its roots disturbed so leave as
much of the root ball undisturbed as possible. Water well if the
conditions are at all dry. |
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Rosemary requires very little care throughout the year.
Water only when the compost is clearly dried out and feed once a month
with liquid fertiliser from April to October. Trim the side stems to
keep the plant to the size you want, the best time to do this is just
after they have flowered.
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If you like your rosemary plant to grow large and become a
specimen plant like the one in the picture on the left then it may
need some help from winter winds. Put a strong stake in the ground
near it and tie string round the plant and stake to support it in
winter. Click the picture to enlarge. |
Propagation of Rosemary
Seeds are readily available from most major seed merchants, although
only for Rosmarinus officinalis - we have not seen any seed for sale for
the other varieties. The seeds are cheap (85p from Dobies), but
propagation by this method is difficult. Sow the seeds in potting
compost around
mid-May
time and place in a sheltered position in the
garden - unfortunately you will only achieve a success rate of
about 15%. The seedlings may well take up to 2 months to appear so don't
give up hope until maybe 3 months has past.
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The best method of propagating Rosemary is by taking
cuttings,
mid-May
or
June
being the best time. Select a healthy looking plant with lots of
new growth on it. Click the picture on the left to enlarge it and
see a young, healthy rosemary plant. |
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Use a sharp knife to take 7.5cm (3in) cutting from young shoots
either just below a leaf joint or torn off at the stem. The picture
on the left is a cutting from a healthy shoot. If tearing off a
cutting, trim the "heel" to remove most, but not all of it. |
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Strip of the leaves from the lower 4cm (1½in), pulling them off
with your fingers. Click the picture on the left to enlarge it. |
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Fill a 7.5cm (3in) pot with standard potting compost and insert
one or two cuttings in each pot. Water the compost from below and
place in a propagator or cover it with a plastic bag.
A temperature of 15°C to 20°C (60°F to 70°F) is needed for the
cuttings to root. |
A windowsill out
of direct sunlight is an ideal position. They can be transplanted to
their permanent position when they have rooted, this will be in roughly
8 weeks time.
Container Growing Rosemary
The herb Rosemary grows extremely well in large pots or other containers.
The pots need to be reasonably deep because rosemary is a deep rooting
herb. Fill the pot with a mixture of 20% sharp sand or grit and 80% standard potting compost.
Make a hole in the compost and place one rooted cutting
in the middle of the pot. Water the plant well to help it settle in and
consolidate the soil around the roots.
Container grown plants are more likely to affected by
severe frosts, so move the containers close to the house walls in
winter.
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