Rosemary (rosmarinus) is an evergreen shrub or shrub belonging to the Yasnotkov family. The plant lives mainly in the Mediterranean countries - Greece, Spain, Cyprus, the French Riviera, as well as in the countries of North Africa. But today varieties have been developed that can be successfully grown even in room conditions, in Russia.
Indoor rosemary: growing in the apartment
Due to the peculiar taste, combining notes of citrus, a light aroma of needles and camphor, rosemary is widely used in cooking and the production of perfumes.
Rosemary
For the first time in Russia, rosemary as a perennial plant was cultivated in the early 19th century on the Crimean Peninsula. In other places, due to intolerance to frosts, the cultivation of this plant in open ground is not possible.
In natural conditions, rosemary can reach very impressive sizes - up to 2 m. In southern countries, this fragrant shrub, along with eating, is widely used in garden design.
If on the garden bed perennial rosemary is unlikely to take root, then to grow a fragrant plant on the windowsill in an apartment is quite an achievable task.
For this, the most suitable varieties are:
- drug;
- "Dewdrop";
- "Richard";
- "Tenderness"
These varieties are stunted, quite unpretentious, and do not require any special conditions.
For reference! With proper care, indoor rosemary can grow in a lush bush up to 90-100 cm in size.
For rosemary on the windowsill to please the household with a healthy look, you need to know under what conditions the plant will feel good. By the way, like all perennial plants adapted to grow in an apartment, rosemary will grow quite slowly, so be patient.
Rosemary - planting and care at home
How to grow rosemary at home? First, you should choose the right place to place the bush. For a southern plant, placement on the south, southwest or western windowsill will be comfortable. If there is still insufficient light, you can always use special lamps. In any case, in winter the plant will have to be lightened for several hours in the morning and evening.
Potted rosemary
In the summer, when the danger of night frosts or temperature changes is over, you can place a rosemary pot on the loggia or balcony. In this case, it is imperative to shade the plant from direct sunlight. In addition, drafts and accumulation of cold air can adversely affect the development of a resident in outdoor conditions.
Temperature
The southern resident of rosemary will feel great at temperatures from 21 ° C to 25 ° C in the summer, and about 15 ° C in the winter.
If there is a desire to stimulate the flowering of shrubs in the winter, then the content assumes an even lower temperature - from 5 ° C to 10 ° C.
Watering
Proper watering is one of the decisive factors in the successful cultivation of rosemary.
The soil in which the plant grows must be constantly moist. However, constant dampness and waterlogging of the soil will definitely lead the plant to death.
A drought, especially a protracted one, will also not have a positive effect on the bush. In a word, you should keep a balance in providing rosemary with moisture: do not overfill, but also prevent aridity.
Attention! In winter, the frequency of watering should be reduced to once a week.
Spraying
To prevent the tips of the rosemary leaves from drying out, you should regularly spray the plant. This is especially important when the bush is only growing.
In this case, you should spray the plant with soft or melt water twice a day. When the plant grows, you can reduce the spraying up to once a day.
Priming
To grow rosemary does not require any special soil, however, if the earth is neutral acid or slightly alkaline, the bush will grow better. The substrate must pass air well. It is better if it is light sandy, calcareous or crushed soil.
Before filling the pot with soil, it must be sieved to separate large clods, stones, and weed roots. In addition, before planting the bush in the soil mixture, you need to disinfect it from possible pests by calcining, freezing or treating with an antifungal agent.
Attention! Such a preventive procedure will avoid many diseases that can destroy the plant.
Rosemary planting soil
Top dressing
Usually, when breeding a rosemary bush in room conditions, regular feeding is not required. However, you can apply fertilizer some time after planting so that the plant grows faster. Universal fertilizer is perfect for this purpose.
Transfer
A young bush is transplanted annually in April. If rosemary has been living in the house for more than 5 years, then you can transplant the plant in the 2nd or 3rd year after the last transplant.
In order to plant rosemary in a new pot, the transshipment method is used. A transplant of an adult plant does not allow the complete elimination of an earthen coma. It will be enough to replace the topsoil with a new fertile substrate.
Pot selection
For this southern plant, the choice of capacity is an important factor on which it depends on how comfortable it will be at home. Rosemary has impressive roots. This means that you need to choose a pot for planting so that the home bush is not crowded in it.
Rosemary planting pot
The most suitable container will be made of natural materials. Porous walls of such a capacity will allow the root system of the bush to carry out air exchange, and excess fluid can easily evaporate without stagnation.
A plastic pot for rosemary is undesirable. Rosemary in a plastic pot can die from lack of air or stagnation of moisture.
Pruning
The stopping of the rosemary bush, which is grown at home on the windowsill, is designed to give the plant the desired shape. In addition, this procedure contributes to the formation of new side shoots.
When pruning, 1/3 of the stem is removed. In no case should you cut the branch at the level of the lignified part, as this will weaken or even destroy the bush.
For reference! The trimmed ends of the plant can be used as a spicy spice, or put on new seedlings for seedling.
Bloom
Blooming rosemary at home can not always be achieved. Even less often, the fragrant bush is covered with white, pink, lilac or purple flowers, if the plant was grown from seeds.
If the goal is to achieve the appearance of flowers, then do not pinch the tops, avoid stagnation of air and sharp jumps in temperature.
Breeding
Propagation of rosemary can be done in two ways:
- by seeds;
- cuttings.
Seed propagation
In order to grow a spicy bush from seeds, you need to be patient and be prepared for the fact that this venture will fail, since the seeds of rosemary have low germination. Be that as it may, in early spring or late autumn, before deepening into the ground, the seed must be soaked for 2 days in water.
When the seeds are swollen, they are sown in a miniature greenhouse or in a planting box, which will need to be closed with plastic wrap or glass. Watering seedlings is not recommended, as the soil may erode. The substrate should be moistened with a finely dispersed atomizer as it dries. Airing of landing is made twice a day. For the appearance of the first shoots, a period of 2-4 weeks is required.
After the appearance of the first young sprouts, you need to wait for the plant to mature to the third leaf, and then dive. Seedlings can be sent to the pots, where it will grow constantly, if the plant is strong enough, and in the box for seedlings it became crowded.
Propagation by cuttings
If the attempt to grow rosemary from seeds failed, you should not despair. You can grow a spicy bush from cuttings. Planting stock is usually taken after pruning an adult plant.
What should be done:
- remove from the cut branch a few lower leaves;
- place in a vessel with water or nutrient liquid;
- put the vessel with the cuttings in a well-lit place;
- wait for the roots to appear.
Propagation by cuttings
As soon as the root system of the plant is more or less formed and strengthened, you can immediately place the stalk at a constant place of growth. The top of the young bush should be pinched, then the side shoots will more actively develop.
Care for the young bush should be in normal mode.
Diseases and Pests
Growing rosemary at home in a pot is usually straightforward. But sometimes mistakes in care or inattention to the needs of a green southerner can lead to disease and a treacherous attack by pests.
Excess watering, waterlogging of the soil or lack of proper aeration can trigger the development of powdery mildew - a dangerous fungal disease that entails the death of the plant. In this case, it is necessary to remove the affected areas of the plant, treat the plant with a fungicide and rethink the approach to the content of rosemary.
In some cases, a complete change of soil mix will be required. If the powdery race has affected the plant by more than 2/3, then it is unlikely to be saved. It is advisable to completely replace the plant.
Powdery Mildew Rosemary
Under conditions of dry air, parasitic insects attack rosemary. We especially love the southerner with a spider mite and aphids.
Attention! If the owner of indoor rosemary has any prejudice to the use of chemical insecticides, then you can use tobacco dust.
Rosemary is quite often affected by a scab. Unfortunately, due to the dense chitinous shell, the insect is practically not susceptible to biological products, so parasites will need to be collected manually, and only then treated with a chemical solution. During the treatment period, rosemary should be grown separately from other plants.
If you want to get a plant that does not cause any problems and, moreover, will be useful in the kitchen, then you should pay attention to rosemary. Planting and caring for this fragrant bush is beyond the reach of even a novice.
