Strong, spicy, delicious - that's how we know rosemary. Here are ten tips on how to grow your own supply of the he althy spice.
Although rosemary comes from southern Europe, the "incense herb" found its way into German cuisine as early as the Middle Ages. Since then, the aromatic shrub has been pampering German palates and not only gives Mediterranean dishes that certain something. Here you can find out how you can easily plant rosemary in your own garden.
Tip 10: location and good neighborhood
The rosemary likes a Mediterranean climate. Sunny, warm and wind-protected places are entirely to his liking. The rosemary can hardly get too warm, but it does not tolerate cold so well, which is why it is more suitable as a pot plant in regions prone to frost. He likes his soil dry and permeable. If the soil is also stony and calcareous, rosemary thrives particularly well. But the choice of your bed neighbors should also be considered: sage gets along well with the green shrub and carrots and cabbage are also suitable. Rosemary is particularly good friends with beans. The smell of rosemary drives away annoying pests and helps the beans to perform at their best.
Tip 9: Small becomes large
The rosemary is best propagated by cuttings. To do this, simply cut off the approx. 10 cm long shoot tip of an already fully grown plant. The lower leaves of the plant are removed and the cutting is pressed about 5 cm into the ground. The soil should be slightly moistened, a transparent foil bag over the pot ensures the right climate. As soon as strong roots and the first new leaves appear, the rosemary can take its new place in the bed or flower pot. The sowing of rosemary, on the other hand, is not recommended. Seeds are very unreliable, with only about 15% eventually making it to adult plants.
Tip 8: Put it in the pot
Rosemary canthrive in your own garden. But it is also easy to grow in pots. The advantage: the plant can be transported quickly if necessary (e.g. for overwintering) without the hassle of digging up. When buying the bucket, you should make sure that the bucket is big enough and also has drainage holes. Rosemary is sensitive to waterlogging and, with increasing age, to frequent repotting. You should use conventional potting soil as a substrate and mix it generously with sand and clay, after all the shrub prefers a humus-poor, mineral soil. A special herbal soil such as our peat-free Plantura organic herb and seed soil is also ideal.
Tip 7: Stay away from fertilizer
Fertiliser is a must for good growth? Not with the rosemary. The Mediterranean herb gets along very well without additional fertilizer, after all the plant is adapted to the barren soil of the Mediterranean region. Too much fertilizer is therefore more of a waste of time and money. Only in spring can you help the plant with some compost or complete fertilizer. But the same applies here: less is more. Rosemary in a pot, on the other hand, can be fertilized a little more. From spring to around mid-August, some organic fertilizer can be given every two months. Instead of fertilizing, you can also make the rosemary happy in other ways. The plant likes calcareous soil and is happy about one or two doses of lime a year.
Tip 6: Save water
Watering is like fertilizing: the rosemary doesn't need much. The rosemary should only be watered regularly during longer dry phases, otherwise the Mediterranean plant can do without water from the watering can. Rosemary, on the other hand, reacts sensitively to too much water. Unfortunately, the shrub does not get waterlogged at all. Before each watering, you should therefore check whether the soil around the rosemary has dried well. If not, it's not time for more liquid.
Tip 5: The right cut
The rosemary should be pruned at least once a year. Otherwise it will, in the truest sense of the word, grow over your head. Some strains can eventually reach an impressive two meters in height. Furthermore, without pruning, the bouquet will spread out and become lanky. In order to obtain a compact form, he is welcome in the springbe trimmed a bit. Heavy woody growth, which rosemary is prone to, is also mitigated by regular pruning.
Tip 4: Frosty times
Although rosemary is frost-resistant down to a temperature of -10 °C, the heat-loving plant often does not survive the winter in Germany without help. Rosemary has the best chance of spending the winter indoors. You can learn more about overwintering rosemary in our special article on rosemary care. In a dry room with a temperature of 4 to 12 °C, rosemary can last until next spring. It is important that the room is illuminated by sunlight, after all, rosemary is an evergreen plant. If the plant is to overwinter in the garden, measures must also be taken. The plant should be covered about 40 cm with dry leaves, brushwood or spruce branches to protect against the frost. Nevertheless, enough air must reach the rosemary. Large plants with well developed roots tend to withstand the winter better than cuttings or weakened plants.
Tip 3: Get out of the garden
If the rosemary is big and strong, it can finally be harvested. After all, it's not just a decoration in the bed, it also tastes great. As a rule, rosemary can be harvested all year round, so that fresh herbs are always available. When harvesting, the individual leaves can be plucked off or the entire shoot tip can be cut off with a sharp knife. By the way, the right time for harvesting (from the garden) is late morning or after a few days without rain. Although one might suspect it, this has nothing to do with superstition, but is actually important. This ensures that the needles are as dry as possible. If something is left over during processing or needs to be dried, the risk of mold growth is reduced and the herbs remain more aromatic.
Tip 2: A pleasure not just fresh
If you don't always want to run into the garden to get fresh rosemary, you can simply dry the aromatic plant. Do not use damaged needles for this, as they will lose the aroma. Spread the good leaves out on a tray lined with kitchen paper. Regular turning and a well-ventilated,room temperature will do the rest. You can tell if the rosemary is really dry by the rustling of the needles and crackling when crushed. The dried needles should be stored in glass jars, tin cans or porcelain. Under no circumstances should they be stored in plastic - this falsifies their beautiful aroma.
Tip 1: A true all-rounder
The rosemary is only suitable for the kitchen? Wrong thought. Besides smelling and tasting good, this herb has other abilities. The essential oils, which are mainly found in the leaves, are real miracle weapons in home medicine. For example, they help with flatulence and a feeling of fullness, which makes them ideal for flavoring hearty dishes. But a bath with the oil can also provide relief for sore muscles or circulatory problems. Women even benefit in two ways: rosemary can not only relieve menstrual cramps, but also have a supportive effect on menopausal symptoms. But be careful: the use of rosemary is strongly discouraged during pregnancy.
