Rosemary: planting and care in the open field with a photo

Gardeners from various regions are engaged in planting rosemary in open ground and caring for it. No one has considered this plant exotic for a long time: it grows in garden beds, in greenhouses and on the windowsills of city apartments.

Mediterranean aborigine attracts summer residents with aroma, original appearance. Rosemary is used in cooking, aromatherapy, cosmetology, perfumery. Traditional medicine offers enough recipes based on aromatic plants. It's nice to always have a fresh, he althy remedy on hand.

It is really possible to grow a shrub in the country, subject to the requirements of the plant. It will decorate any flower bed or alpine hill. The phytoncides emitted by him will improve the air. And as a reward, the gardener will receive the freshest spice for meat or fish: the country menu will become more diverse.

Rosemary: plant description

It is difficult to confuse a Mediterranean inhabitant with another plant:

This Mediterranean shrub has evergreen leathery leaves. Their color varies from green to silver. The shape is elongated with a sharp tip.
The height of the plant in natural conditions (at home) reaches 2 m. Gardeners rarely manage to grow rosemary above 1 m. Usually it reaches 50-60 cm.
In spring, rosemary delights with the appearance of flowers of white, lilac, pink or purple hues. But with artificial cultivation, the bush pleases with beauty only with proper care.
The aroma of the plant is multicomponent: it simultaneously resembles the smell of eucalyptus, camphor, pine, lavender, citrus. The emitted phytoncides refresh and improve the air. The larger the area occupied by planting, the he althier the atmosphere in the country. But rosemary fully reveals all the notes, subject to the rules of cultivation.
Features of rosemary - the content of vitamins (40% of the daily norm C, A) and folic acid. This makes the plant not only tasty, but also he althy.

The key to the success of growing rosemary in the country is competent agricultural technology. With its observance, rosemary will please with an unusual aroma and pleasant appearance.

What kind of rosemary is on sale

Speci alty stores offer rosemary varieties to gardeners:

Semko, Tenderness, Vishnyakovsky, Rosinka (developed by Russian breeders);
Severn Sea (grows to a maximum of half a meter);
Prostpatus (shoots spread along the ground, carpet height 15 cm);
Roseus (distinguished by pink tint colors);
Albiflorus (decorated with white flowers).

Foreign varieties are especially decorative.

Choosing the best landing spot

Rosemary is a resident of the Mediterranean. To grow it in other regions, it is necessary to create conditions as close as possible to its native ones. Planting needs to be taken care of in advance: only in this case the gardener will get the desired result.

Home Accommodation

“Urban gardeners” also successfully grow rosemary. At home, it is really possible to create suitable conditions:

put rosemary on the south, southwest or southeast window sill (if there are none, the west or east one will do);
bush requires additional lighting (an agrolamp will do);
to ensure the required air humidity, it is recommended to pour a layer of expanded clay 2-3 cm thick over the ground of the pot (when it is moistened, the water evaporates and the air around the rosemary becomes comfortable);
plant roots need access to air: rosemary should be planted in a clay container;
shrub should be repotted once a year (the pot should be 2/3 larger than the previous one);
A guest from the Mediterranean is afraid of drafts: when airing, it is required to protect it with a plastic screen.

Subject to all the rules, the plant will delight the gardener with aroma and original flowers. But the British say that only good owners grow rosemary at home.

Landing in the country

Before planting on the site, the gardener should carry out preparatory work. At home, rosemary is an unpretentious plant. But in regions with excellent climatic conditions, careful preparation is required. Shrub feels great in place:

the sunniest and warmest;
sheltered from cold northern winds;
deep water table;
with alkaline, light soils.

Perfect location on the south side of the house. The wall will cover the rosemary from the northern winds. It heats up during the day and gives off heat to the plant at night.

Rosemary does not tolerate shading. In low light, it wilts and drops leaves.

In flooded areas, drainage should be poured into the planting pit. Crushed stone, broken red brick, gravel, expanded clay will do. Layer thickness - 5-10 cm.

Rosemary placed in the garden does not tolerate weeds in the neighborhood: the soil around must be clean. In dry summers, soil mulching is allowed with a layer of 5-7 cm.

If the soils do not meet the required characteristics, it is necessary to carry out structuring at the intended planting site.

In the greenhouse

Some gardeners have enough space to house a plant in a greenhouse. In regions with a harsh climate, gardeners are trying to grow rosemary in heated greenhouses. Subject to the rules of cultivation, summer residents have spicy greens on the farm all year round. Some sell cut shoots: the exotic spice is in high demand.

What a plant needs:

light calcareous soils mixed with crushed stone;
no weed or crop neighbors;
humid warm air;
no drafts;
temperature in summer 25-26 degrees Celsius, in winter 5-15;
light day 16-18 hours.

Often summer residents plant rosemary in an unheated room. In this case, the plant is ready for cutting 2-3 months earlier than planted outdoors. A bush should be left in such a greenhouse for the winter only during relatively warm winters: the temperature should not fall below zero. Otherwise, the guest from the south will freeze.

Landing in open ground

It is required to plant on the beds of the southerner after the return frosts have passed. When the temperature drops to 5 degrees, rosemary stops growing. If the thermometer shows 0, it will die.

The soil should warm up well. To speed up, it is recommended to cover the intended placement for 5-7 days with a film. With this method of preparation, the earth will become warm, and moisture will remain completely.

Landings should be covered with a double layer of white lutrasil. This will protect them from sunburn and night cold. In the absence of non-woven fabric, it is recommended to use any light-colored fabric and perforated film.

When warm weather (15-20 degrees) is established, the shelter should be removed. It is possible to grow rosemary in open ground while creating comfortable conditions for the plant.

How to prepare the land

Mediterranean prefers light, permeable, alkaline soil. Gravel is a must. Landing area should be prepared in advance:

carry out acidity analysis with litmus paper: acidic soil needs to be limed;
heavy earth should be sanded (1 square meter bucket);
dig well, remove weeds;
add crushed stone (1 kg per square meter);
add phosphorus-potassium fertilizers;
planting rosemary should be after warming up the earth.

Properly prepared soil will provide the gardener with he althy plants with fragrant shoots.

How to properly plant a plant

Growers grow rosemary in two ways:

from seeds;
cuttings from an adult plant.

Each method has its supporters.

When to sow seeds

Seeds are not planted in open ground. They are planted at home, and young bushes are placed in a permanent place. For outdoor planting, sow the seeds 2-3 months before the intended filling of the ridge.

Planting material is recommended to pre-sprout. To do this, carefully place the seeds on a damp cloth. It needs to be constantly sprayed from a sprayer.

After hatching, the seeds should be placed in a container on the surface of the prepared soil and lightly sprinkled on top.

When to plant cuttings

When planting cuttings, use pre-rooted or freshly cut ones. To do this, use one-two-year-old shoots 10-15 cm long.

They should be cut in spring (March to May). Cut the upper part at a right angle, the lower part at an angle of 45 degrees.Dip the lower cut into any root stimulator. Stick shoots in moist soil or put in water. Organize a greenhouse on top. Plants should not be in direct sunlight.

With this method, the cuttings take root within a week.

Conditions for good outdoor growth

Successfully growing rosemary requires the gardener to create a comfortable environment.

Lighting and temperature

Shrub prefers good lighting. A long sunny day is just what he needs. Comfortable temperature - 18-25 degrees Celsius. But even at a lower (positive) or high level, it develops enough. The shrub will be happy with a warm climate with moderate rainfall.

How to water

Shrub is able to endure a short period of drought. But the quality of cut shoots is declining. The gardener should not allow extreme situations. Watering rosemary is required as the ground dries up under it. It is important to prevent stagnant water and waterlogging of the soil.

Loosening, weeding and fertilizing

Rosemary loves free access of air to the roots. Therefore, you should regularly loosen the soil under the bushes. At the same time, weeds are removed: they deplete the soil and shade the plant.

For feeding it is recommended to use a complex mineral fertilizer. Application frequency - once a month. It is also necessary to feed the shrub after cutting the shoots.

How to trim

Pruning rosemary for rejuvenation is recommended once every 8 years. Pruning is done to the level of the soil. After the procedure, young shoots grow back.

But there is one more type - shaping pruning. It is produced annually in the spring. In this way, gardeners give the plant the desired shape.

How to cover

Cover rosemary in regions with warm winters is not required. But where there are slight negative temperatures, the plant should be covered with white non-woven material.

In cold areas, the bush is recommended to be transplanted into a pot and sent home for the winter period.

Plant propagation

The shrub is easy to propagate. Gardeners use methods:

cutting;
layering;
planting seeds;
dividing the bush.

Often gardeners want to plant rosemary. The search for planting material begins. What to do if there are no seeds for sale? The solution is simple: buy spice in the green department of the supermarket. It can be used for cuttings. It is important to make sure that the branches look fresh.

How to properly divide a bush

The bush should be divided after 7-8 years of its life in the garden. An adult bush is dug up, cut into pieces with a shovel. The upper (ground) parts are cut off and transplanted to a new place. For better survival, the operation should be carried out in early spring (as soon as weather permits). So you can plant a constantly growing rosemary in the open field. The advantage of the method: a visitor from the Mediterranean is perfectly rejuvenated by this separation.

How to cut cuttings

The plant is easily propagated by cuttings. Rooting should be shoots of the first or second year. The operation can be performed in early spring (at home) or in June (at the dacha). Sliced shoots from below are cleaned of leaves. The lower cut is dipped in a root growth stimulator, the upper cut is dipped in melted paraffin.

How to root in water

5 mm of rainwater is poured into a vessel made of opaque material. The cuttings are placed in a liquid, a perforated plastic bag is tied on top. The vessel is placed in a bright place, but protected from direct sunlight. With this method, the branches will give roots in 2-3 weeks. Non-lignified shoots take root faster.

How to root in soil

The gardener should allocate a school garden. How to proceed:

choose the warmest place in the garden;
loosen the soil;
stick branches at an angle of 45 degrees at a distance of 5-6 cm from each other;
set arcs;
stretch white high-density non-woven fabric (20g/sqm and above);
press the shelter to the ground and secure.

Then it remains to monitor the soil moisture: as soon as it dries, gently moisten. When young leaves begin to appear, the cuttings are ready for planting on the ridges. The method allows branches to take root in 3-4 weeks.

How to make layering

Propagation of rosemary by layering is not difficult even for inexperienced gardeners. In May-June, the shoot of the 2nd year is slightly cut across, slightly pushed apart at the site of the cut. Then they are dipped in a root former, pinned to the ground and sprinkled with soil on top. Cut off the top of the branch. This is necessary in order for the plant to better grow the root system. Within 3 months, the layers are regularly moistened. The rooted shoot is ready next spring.

How to get cuttings without cutting

Gardeners know an ingenious way to get rooted cuttings without pruning:

choose a shoot of the 1st or second year 15-20 cm long;
cut off the top (for intensive root formation);
clear it from leaves 5-7 cm in the middle;
make a bag out of a film with holes and tie it from the bottom of the peeled stem;
fill the film with wet sphagnum or neutral peat;
tie the bag loosely on top of the peeled stem.

Further, the gardener needs to monitor the regular moistening of the contents of the envelope. As soon as white roots appear, the shoot is ready to land in a permanent place.

How to propagate from seeds

This method is suitable for obtaining material of rare varieties. The method is rather laborious. How to proceed:

check seeds for germination in water (empty ones will float, full ones will sink);
soak them in aloe vera juice or potassium humate for 6-8 hours;
scatter on the surface of the soil;
moisten a little and sprinkle sand on top;
cover with a film with holes on top;
put in a warm place (22-25 degrees Celsius).

Seeds will germinate only after a month. All this time, the gardener must monitor the soil moisture and remove condensation from the film. As soon as the leaves appear, the shelter should be removed. It's time to put the container on the lightest window sill or take it out to a heated greenhouse.

How to prepare rosemary for wintering

In regions with cold winters, transplanting into a pot and moving to an apartment will help to save the plant.

In warmer climates, rosemary should be trimmed, fed and covered with non-woven fabric in autumn.

Pests and diseases

Spice is threatened by the spider mite. This happens during dry periods or when watering is incorrect.

Fragrant plants are willingly eaten by scale insects. To protect against these pests, it is recommended to maintain high humidity around the plantings.

When excessive moisture, the plant becomes moldy. Violation of growing conditions leads to a deterioration in the consumer qualities of cuttings.

Where is rosemary used

The aroma of the spice and its chemical composition explain the use in various fields. In the cuisine of Italy, Spain, France, it is impossible to cook lamb dishes without sprigs. The spice goes well with fish and seafood.

Medicinal effect is used in the treatment of bacterial and viral diseases. Gargling helps to get rid of inflammation of the throat. With a runny nose, cold inhalations with infusion of the plant are useful. Planted in a flower bed, it heals the air.