Whether with potatoes or meat - rosemary impresses with its intensive aroma. We show what needs to be considered when cultivating the Mediterranean herb.

In a good location, rosemary grows very luxuriantly

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) belongs to the lamiaceae family (Lamiaceae) and thus joins other famous herbs such as sage ( Salvia officinalis) or thyme (Thymus vilgaris). The intense fragrance, which rosemary owes to its essential oils, was already widespread and very popular in ancient times. We will show you what needs to be considered in order to properly grow, care for and, of course, harvest the aromatic Mediterranean herb in your own garden.

Growing rosemary - step by step

  • Location: When choosing a location for the rosemary, you don't necessarily have to rely solely on the bed, because the Mediterranean subshrub also thrives in a pot on the balcony or terrace. However, the sun child should always be given a sunny spot. Rosemary prefers loamy, stony soil that is not too rich in humus. However, it is much more important to ensure that the soil is well drained of water. So there is no risk of waterlogging, which would result in mostly deadly root rot.
  • Propagation: Propagation via seeds is possible, but not recommended. It simply takes too long for the seed to grow into a handsome herb to harvest from. Propagation via cuttings is more promising and does not take as long as seed propagation. To do this, young, herbaceous shoots 5 to 10 cm long are cut off with a sharp knife in the spring. The cut shoots should be placed in a special substrate for propagating cuttings, such as our Plantura organic herb and seed soil. If you don't have a mother plant yet, every well-assorted nursery offers rosemary plants in pots. These can either be cultivated in pots or planted out in a bed.
Only cut off young shoots that are not yet lignified
  • Watering and fertilizing: Even if the rosemary does not like waterlogging, it has no objection to balanced watering. If the drought lasts too long, the subshrub quickly loses its aromatic needles. Fertilization should be carried out in spring to support the exhausting budding. A primarily organic long-term fertilizer such as our Plantura organic universal fertilizer is ideal for this. After that, further fertilization is not absolutely necessary, especially if the rosemary is in the bed. In any case, the lamiaceae should not be supplied with additional nutrients after August.
  • Winter storage: If the rosemary is cultivated in a pot, it should be brought into a cool room in the house over the winter, or even better in the bright conservatory. However, if the spicy subshrub is planted in the bed, the Mediterranean heat lover should definitely be covered with twigs or protective fleece. This also helps if the herb is in a place that the rays of the low winter sun can reach. Because if the ground is permanently frozen and there is high solar radiation at the same time, water will still evaporate, whereby the roots cannot draw any water from the frozen ground. There could therefore be a risk of drought damage.
In winter, freshly planted rosemary should definitely be covered with fleece
  • Pruning: Rosemary shows a fairly strong growth and threatens to lignify quickly without regular pruning. In order to keep the plant in shape and to ensure good branching, a strict pruning should be carried out in spring. However, you should wait until the beginning of May to protect the young new shoots from dangerous night frosts after pruning. Unlike thyme (Thymus vulgaris), rosemary should not be cut back into the woody part of the plant. It would be too difficult for the herb to sprout from shoots that were too woody and new sprouting and the desired branching would not occur at all. But the harvest cuts also ensure that the rosemary is kept in shape. However, this cannot completely replace the spring topiary.
  • Plant protection: In the open air, rosemary usually does not have any serious problems with pests. On the windowsill, the plant can be visited by animal pests such as aphids or spider mites. Usually is a repeatedTreatment with soapy water is sufficient to drive the pests away from the spicy shrub. Chemical pesticides should only be used in extreme emergencies. If these are in use, possible waiting times must also be taken into account until the rosemary is suitable for consumption again after treatment.
  • Harvest: Rosemary can be harvested all year round. A clear advantage of rosemary: you can harvest aromatic shoots from it even in winter. However, the harvest should only take place as needed in order to always enjoy the full aroma.
  • Storage: Like many other Mediterranean herbs, rosemary can of course be made to last longer by drying. However, it is not recommended to speed up the process in the oven or hang it up to air dry in a bright place, as too much flavor will be lost. A better result is achieved by soaking in olive oil. The rosemary needles stripped from the twigs and chopped finely are put into a bottle with the help of a funnel and then filled with good olive oil.

Category:

Herbs