Propagation of rosemary by cuttings at home: how to grow from a twig

Rosemary has spread throughout the world due to its aromatic and medicinal essential oils. Its homeland is the Mediterranean.

It has become popular among Russian gardeners to grow shrubs on their plots. He is capricious and thermophilic, so he often does not take root. The method of propagation of rosemary by cuttings is the most rational, because the plant develops and gains strength faster.

Features of growing rosemary from cuttings

One of the wonderful properties of the plant is the release of essential substances that can freshen the air in the room and rid it of pathogens. It will be a plus if you grow rosemary at home in pots and put them in children's rooms and bedrooms.

In the southern regions, shrubs can be propagated at any time, except for the winter period. Gardeners in temperate climates at home are advised to select twigs and prepare seedlings in the spring (late March, early April), and in May, June, transplant them into the ground on the site.

Attention! Rosemary cuttings are the tops of the stems of the shrub. They must be cut from adult plants or bought in specialized stores or on the market. The main thing to remember is that only the top shoots are taken.

Preparation of cuttings

Many gardeners make a common mistake in growing rosemary from cuttings. They do not withstand seedlings a certain amount of time for the formation of roots and plant them immediately in the soil. As a result, the cuttings do not take root and die.

To avoid problems, you must adhere to the following rules:

Prepare a pot for the plant and soil (you can take the substrate from the store). If the soil is harvested independently, then you need to mix black soil, peat, sand and humus.
Put small pebbles on the bottom of the container, then pour the earth and moisten it.
Make small holes and bury seedlings 3-4 cm. Be sure to cut off the lower leaves and water the soil again.
Put the container with the cuttings on a warm and sunny windowsill for 1-1.5 months.

Attention! Rosemary should be watered at least four times every seven days and the water in the pot should not be allowed to stand. It must be drained if it has gathered on a saucer.

Retrieve the rosemary seedlings and transplant them to the open field.

A good way to root the twigs of a plant is to place them in jars of water. It needs to be updated every 3 days. At the same time, it is important to provide the branches with light and warmth.

Rosemary is very sensitive to soil type. It does not tolerate alkaline, clay and heavy soils. For the well-being of the plant, it is recommended to loosen the earth, this will not allow water to linger. The shrub does not like dry weather, and excessive watering can lead to root rot.

Date of planting

In central Russia, it is possible to grow rosemary on a site if, during planting, the soil temperature is at around + 5-10 degrees. In the northern regions, the plant is recommended to be transplanted into greenhouses and greenhouses, because the climate will not allow it to develop well. Gardeners in the central regions can start growing shrubs from the third decade of April.

Rosemary can die if grown in frost conditions when the temperature reaches -5 degrees. The shrub grows well all year round in warmth, therefore, in autumn and winter, plants must be transferred to rooms where the air must be warmed up to plus 5-15 degrees.

Choosing a landing site

Rosemary is very sensitive to external conditions, does not tolerate temperature fluctuations and cold. The best place to grow it is in a sunny, wind-sheltered area. The southern and eastern sides of the vegetable gardens are the most priority for the plant.

Shrub loves light sandy, non-acidic and well-drained soil, because such land perfectly passes water without retaining it at all. In addition, its friability allows the root system to be saturated with oxygen.

In case of predominance of acidic soil on the site, it must be limed. To prevent excess soil moisture, drainage should be laid at the bottom of the planting hole. It is mainly purchased in stores or using large pebbles and broken bricks.

Landing

To plant rosemary outdoors, you first need to root and grow seedlings in pots or boxes. Only then the plants are transferred to the beds. It is important to keep a distance of 1 meter between the bushes.

Before planting, a special mixture is prepared that will help rosemary take root well in the soil. To do this, take river sand, leafy soil and peat in equal parts and 1 tbsp. l. crushed chalk per 1 kg of the resulting mixture.

Plants are dug up to leaflets, watered and covered with polyethylene. It is removed no earlier than a week later. This is necessary so that rosemary can take root safely.

Very often, stems can become bare in adult rosemary. In this case, it is necessary to cut off the lower shoots. The procedure is carried out once every 7 years.

You can harvest from shrubs 3 years after planting during the flowering of plants. Fragrant twigs must be cut along with the flowers.

Caring for rosemary

Rosemary is slow growing. For its stable development, you need to leave a sufficient number of leaves. When a bush from a branch reaches a large size and its roots fill the pot, a transplant should be made. Plants grown in containers usually grow up to 90 cm. They must be moved to larger boxes each time.

To prevent rosemary from becoming too thick, it should not be trimmed too often. Botanists recommend doing this in June-July, immediately after flowering.

Pests and diseases

The plant has antibacterial properties. But this wonderful property does not protect him from diseases. If you take care of the shrub incorrectly, then the following problems appear:

Silky leaves indicate an overabundance of sunlight.
Yellow foliage indicates lack of moisture.
The absence of a characteristic aroma, on the contrary, indicates that the plant is watered too often.

It's easy to avoid the above deviations. It is enough to create optimal conditions for rosemary to feel good.

The hardest part of caring for a plant is pest control. Most often it is attacked by aphids and whiteflies. For destruction, it is more rational to use disinfectants.

If rosemary is grown at home, then insects are fought by soaping the bush. Then all the foam is washed off with a shower. At the same time, it is important not to forget to protect the soil from soap.

The plant can be affected by downy mildew. To avoid its occurrence, it is necessary to monitor the humidity of the air in the room and the earth in the container. During the winter months, it is recommended to use a fan as it helps to circulate the air better in the room.

Growing rosemary in the garden and at home on the windowsill does not require much effort. It is necessary to take care of the bushes and provide optimal conditions for good growth. It is noticed that the immunity of plants weakens in winter, at this time more attention should be paid to them.