Growing rosemary in open ground in the Moscow region has its own characteristics.
This shrub in wildlife found in countries with warm climates. It can be seen in the fields of Greece, Spain, Italy, and the south of France.
Rosemary is a very common plant that is used in medicine and cooking.
It is not surprising that everyone who has their own land plot wants to grow this not only useful, but also very beautiful-looking crop.
Kinds
In appearance, all varieties are not much different from each other. Only a true professional can distinguish them.
In our strip they grow common or medicinal rosemary. Rarely, but you can also find the following varieties:
- Dewdrop;
- Tenderness;
- Vishnyakovsky semko;
- Rosmarinus Prostratus repens (bushes up to 15 cm tall).
Beneficial features
Rosemary is a shrub that has evergreen needle-like leaves with a pleasant scent of pine, eucalyptus and light notes of lemon. Many people say that rosemary “smells like the sea.”
Reaches two meters in height. Quite spreading. It blooms with small purple flowers.
What are the benefits of rosemary:
- strengthens the immune system;
- tones the body;
- strengthens the heart and blood vessels;
- improves brain function;
- improves vision;
It is important to know: Rosemary is often recommended for use in the treatment of neuroses and long-term insomnia.
- relieves inflammation;
- relieves headaches;
- lowers blood sugar levels.
How to properly grow shrubs in the Moscow region
Don't forget that rosemary comes from warm places. Therefore, it is better not to rush into planting it in open ground.
It is necessary to wait for warm, stable weather. Rosemary will not survive frost. The end of May is perfect, then your plant will take root well.
Note: When choosing a place, pay attention that there are no drafts!
Choose a place that is as bright as possible. This plant loves the sun. The soil for rosemary needs loose, light, preferably limestone.
If you decide to grow shrubs from seeds, then they should be planted in February. The seeds are immersed literally a couple of millimeters into the soil.
Try to maintain the temperature at 20 0 C. Do not let it drop below 12 0 C. Do not overdo it with watering! The soil should be moist, but not wet!
Advice: the easiest way to plant in open ground is something purchased in advance potted plant. His survival rate is much better.
When the shoots are formed, prepare them for future transplantation and plant them in special pots. You can use ordinary plastic bottles.
Planting in open ground
- We make holes 30-40 cm deep. At a distance of 10-50 cm (depending on the height of the bush you plan to grow).
- It is useful to add a couple of tablespoons of crushed chalk to the hole. This plant loves chalky soil.
- You can add a little neutralized peat to the soil with which you will cover the plant. This will make the soil looser.
- Carefully remove the plant from the pot (without damaging the root system) and plant it in the hole.
- Fill with soil and tamp lightly with your hands.
- Water the plant generously with warm water.
- Cover with plastic wrap for 5 days until complete rooting.
If it’s cold outside, it’s better not to remove the film until it warms up.
Care
Rosemary is an easy-to-care plant. He is not susceptible to disease. Due to its specific smell, pests avoid it.
The shrub does not like waterlogged, flooded soil. Therefore, additional watering is organized only during periods of drought.
Gardener's advice: if possible, try to plant bushes next to an open body of water or in places where groundwater.
The plant needs to loosen the soil in the first years of life. It is necessary to loosen the soil after watering, this will prevent the formation of a soil crust.
When loosening, remove all weeds! It is better to fertilize rosemary with organic fertilizers. Compost and rotted mullein are perfect. Fertilization is carried out in summer period annually.
Rosemary is a perennial plant. To help it overwinter in the Moscow region, it is necessary to dig it up for the winter and plant it in a prepared tub until next spring. This way you will be sure that the roots will not freeze.
Take note: To prepare the plant for the winter, it can not only be dried, but also frozen.
Fresh and dried rosemary sprigs are used for medicinal and culinary purposes. You can collect them at any time. This will not harm the plant, but will only help it grow even better.
Reproduction methods
There are four ways to propagate rosemary:
- Seeds.
- Cuttings.
- Taps.
- Dividing the bush.
How to propagate plants by seeds was described above. Let's take a closer look at the other methods.
In September or October it is necessary to cut cuttings 8-10 cm long with 3-4 internodes. The lower part is cleared of leaves, dipped in a root formation stimulator, and planted in light, well-drained soil. It’s better to put it in a warm place, protected from direct sunlight!
After the leaves appear, the upper leaves need to be pinched for branching. The lowest shoot of the plant is lowered as low as possible to the ground. Fix and lightly drop in drops, leaving the top on the surface.
Water the branch more often than the bush. When you notice that the plant has taken root, you can dig it up and replant it in a pot or other place. Most often used for propagating potted plants.
When replanting, the bush is divided, the cut areas are treated with crushed coal and planted in pots. So don’t be afraid and be sure to land on your personal plot this wonderful shrub!
How to propagate and grow rosemary, watch expert advice in the following video:
Rosemary is evergreen, better known as spice. However, rosemary is used not only in cooking; it has some medicinal properties and essential oils used by perfumers and cosmetologists.
Rosemary: plant description
So what is rosemary? This perennial shrub with leaves-needles, similar to pine needles. IN natural environment Rosemary is common in the Mediterranean. IN natural conditions the bush grows up to two meters. The plant is heat-loving, does not tolerate frost, temperatures below 11 degrees are detrimental to it. During the flowering period, rosemary sprigs are covered with flowers of blue, white, purple or purple. Rosemary has an interesting aroma: it is difficult to single out just one scent from it. Here you can catch the aromas of eucalyptus, camphor, lemon and the smell of fresh pine needles.
In official medicine, rosemary is used in the preparation of drugs that stimulate the immune system, essential oil helps cope with inflammatory processes, normalizes cardiac activity and blood pressure. In folk medicine, it is used to treat memory problems, since The aroma of rosemary activates brain cells responsible for human memory.
Did you know? Greek students wore wreaths made from rosemary sprigs during exam periods, believing that the aroma of the plant would enhance concentration and stimulate mental activity. The Greeks believed that rosemary helped memorize words, numbers, and even complex formulas.
In cooking, it is a spicy seasoning used in marinades, pickles, first and second courses, when baking meat products, in salads, sauces, desserts and for decorating dishes. Rosemary – interesting plant, humanity has shown attention to it since the beginning of our civilization. The ancient Egyptians used it in making incense, and the Chinese used it in aromatherapy. The first rosemary-scented perfume appeared in 2800 BC. e., and this aroma is still successfully used in perfumery.
How to choose a place to plant a Mediterranean plant
When planning to grow rosemary, keep in mind that a lack of light will affect the saturation of essential oils. With a low concentration of oils, its taste and smell will also be inexpressive. When planting, consider the location of groundwater, excess moisture will damage the plant.
Important! For home use, fragrant rosemary is more suitable; it is less capricious and does not require careful care and special attention.
Lighting and Temperature for Rosemary
Since rosemary does not like changes in temperature and cold, choose a place open to the sun, protected from drafts, to plant it. The most suitable areas for rosemary will be areas on the south or east side of the garden. In winter, you can move the plant to the balcony, but it will need good lighting and a temperature of 5 to 15 degrees. 
Choosing soil for a plant
The best option soil for rosemary is light sandy, non-acidic and well-drained. Such soils allow water to pass through well without retaining it. They are loose, which provides oxygen saturation to the roots of the plant. If you have acidic soil on your site, it needs to be limed. To avoid excess moisture, place drainage (large pebbles, broken bricks) at the bottom of the planting hole.
How to plant rosemary cuttings
Rosemary cuttings are carried out in September-October. At this time, annual shoots are stronger. Cuttings are cut up to 10 cm long, and they must have at least three internodes; process the cut wood ash. In warmer regions, they are rooted in greenhouses; in temperate climates, containers are used. When grown at home, you can put it in a container with water, after dipping it in Kornevin. When white roots appear, replant into the ground.
Attention! If you place the cutting in water, it is advisable that the container be made of dark glass. To disinfect water, dissolve three tablets of activated carbon in it.
How to plant rosemary in open ground: The planting hole should be half a meter deep and the same width. If the natural composition is not suitable, prepare the soil yourself. To do this, take the following components: leaf soil, peat and coarse sand (2: 1: 2). Per 1 kg ready mixture add powdered chalk - 25 g. Planting in open ground is carried out in early May in consistently warm weather.
Growing rosemary from seeds
In early spring, they begin sowing rosemary seeds for seedlings. You can buy soil at the store or prepare it yourself. For substrate self-made you will need peat, sand, garden soil and humus. The soil is moistened and seeds are placed at a depth of about four millimeters. The box or container is covered with film. For three weeks, the seedlings are transferred to a room with a temperature no higher than 5-7°C. Then - to a warmer place with a temperature of 10-12°C. The grown seedlings are transplanted into pots, watered moderately and the room is ventilated. Before planting in open ground (in May), the plant is hardened off by leaving it in the air under a film.
Rosemary can be planted directly in open ground when grown from seeds in the country. This is done at the end of April, after sowing they are covered with a film stretched over the supports. The emerging shoots are thinned out, leaving a distance of 25 cm between them. The film is removed when there is no threat of night frosts.
Rules for watering and rooting rosemary
The main rule of watering is moderation; the water should be warm and settled. You should not get carried away with fertilizing; fertilizers are needed only as stimulants of growth and development, and the plant obtains its nutrition from the soil.
How to water a plant correctly
The soil around the plant should be moist, but there should not be stagnation of water. Water the bush as the soil dries out. In winter, watering is regular and moderate. In spring, as temperatures rise, it can be increased. In hot weather with strong sun and lack of rain, watering should be increased more often.
Features of feeding rosemary
You need to feed rosemary no more than once a month. It needs nitrogen during growth in the spring. Can be purchased mineral fertilizers or pour mullein infusion (proportion 1:5). Nitrogen fertilizers stimulate root formation in the plant. In the fall, it is better to feed with phosphorus; it will strengthen the bush, and the plant will grow longer in your area.
Loosening and weeding, how to care for the soil
After planting, rosemary, like any plant, needs care. In order for a plant to be strong and healthy, it is necessary to take care of the soil in which it grows. The supply of oxygen to the rosemary root system ensures loosening of the soil. With proper loosening, the layers of soil are not turned over, but the crust on it is broken. At the same time they remove weeds, taking away nutrition from rosemary. Even such corrosive weeds as wheat grass or thistle can be easily removed from the ground by loosening and weeding. The first procedure is carried out after the snow melts, when the soil begins to warm up. The loosening procedure is important, since loose, light soil absorbs rainfall better and provides greater air access. Loosening of the soil is carried out until winter period to a depth of 12 cm.
When the plant is pruned, the formation of rosemary bushes
Rosemary is not afraid of pruning. You can trim the branches for food throughout the entire period of its development. To shape the plant, remove branches that interfere with the growth of others, weak or damaged shoots growing inside the crown. You can give it any shape. The procedure is carried out in late March - early April. At the same time, bushes that have grown in all directions, old and dry branches, as well as those growing too high, knocking out of the general form. If you have been growing rosemary for a long time, you can do radical rejuvenating pruning - down to soil level. In this way, bushes are rejuvenated during production cultivation.
Shelter rosemary for the winter
If your region has cold winters with temperatures below -12 °C, the plant should be dug up and kept at home. You can immediately plant them in large pots and dig them into the soil in the garden, and take them to a cool, well-lit room for the winter. In this case, you can use fresh rosemary in winter. In the spring, when the threat of night frosts has passed, take it out into the garden again. The room in which the plant is located must be regularly ventilated, and if you grow rosemary at home, it should be turned towards the light from time to time. correct formation crowns For home grown it is recommended to use pots made of natural materials: clay, ceramics.
By planting rosemary in a pot or in the yard, you will enjoy the freshness of the sea breeze and get a fragrant seasoning for various dishes. How to plant and care for rosemary.
Rosemary (Rosmarinus) is an evergreen perennial shrub of the Lamiaceae family with narrow, fragrant leaves, green above and white below, similar to pine needles, blooming with small blue-violet flowers.
Rosemary officinalis is a very valuable plant. It is used in medicine, cooking, and cosmetology. Rosemary leaves contain essential oil that has bactericidal and wound-healing properties.
Rosemary has the ability to remove toxic substances from the liver. It is also used as a diuretic plant and normalizes the functioning of the cardiovascular system. Tea and infusion of rosemary herbs are used for headaches and for gargling.
It is difficult to imagine Mediterranean cuisine without rosemary. It has a pleasant spicy-hot taste with a pleasant bitterness. Fresh herbs are added to soups and hot meat dishes. Dried shoots and leaves can be added to various spicy compositions.
Rosemary in landscape design
IN southern countries Rosemary is often used as a green hedge. Decorating fences and walls on the south side with rosemary too good option design. There are varieties of rosemary with creeping shoots. They are well suited for landscaping and steps. They are used for landscaping and strengthening slopes.
Creating a garden in Mediterranean style It is impossible to do without roses, lavender and rosemary. But if among the huge number of varieties you can always choose those that are winter-hardy enough for almost any plant, then rosemary can be planted in a container. Classic garden vases will fit well into the design and emphasize the features of the style.
Rosemary is a fairly hardy plant and does not require special care. Like lavender, rosemary is a light-loving drought-resistant plant. However, it is worth remembering that it cannot withstand frost.
In northern regions with frosty winters The best way Grow rosemary in open ground in summer and in a pot in winter. In open ground it grows faster and looks much better and healthier. In autumn, the growth of new shoots stops, the plant is cut off and transplanted with a lump of earth into a spacious pot. Watering is minimal, keep in a cool room up to 10 degrees Celsius all winter.
Lighting and landing. When grown in open ground, rosemary should be planted in sunny (southern) places. Grows well on a southern slope. If you overwintered in a pot, then take it out open air when the threat of frost has passed. Planted in open ground after a short acclimatization period.
Watering. Rosemary tolerates drought well, but requires good watering. Water regularly in spring and summer. If the bush grows in a container, then be sure to ensure that it does not overflow; rosemary does not like wet soils.
The soil. The soil for rosemary needs loose, nutritious, with good aeration. In nature it grows on dry sandy and gravelly soils. The root system is powerful, highly developed, and penetrates the soil quite deeply. Does not tolerate excessive moisture and acidic soils.
Trimming. Rosemary bushes need to be shaped if you want them to be beautiful. This is usually done in March-April before active growth begins. Once every 7-8 years, the bushes are pruned to soil level for rejuvenation.
In addition, in summer, young shoots are cut and used as a seasoning. Harvesting of greenery is also done in the fall, when it is time to bring the plants into the house or greenhouse. When transplanting into a pot, the shoots and roots of rosemary are cut off quite tightly.
Reproduction and planting. Rosemary can be propagated in 4 ways: seeds, layering, cuttings or dividing the bush.
It is not difficult to propagate by cuttings; after pruning the bush in spring or summer, the cuttings are rooted in loose soil under a film. The length of the cuttings should be 8-10 cm. The lower ends are deepened into the ground at an angle. There should be a distance of at least 10 cm between the cuttings. They take root quite quickly.
Seeds can be bought in the store; seeds can be sown as early as February-March. Right time for sowing - 6-12 weeks before the onset warm weather. Seeds germinate at temperatures from +12 to +22 °C.
Convenient to sow in transparent plastic containers with a lid for food products. Be sure to ventilate or close it loosely. Germination time is quite long, seedlings appear unevenly. When most of the seeds have sprouted, the lid is removed. After a month, the seedlings can be transplanted into separate pots.
After the end of frost, young plants are planted in the ground. The distance between the bushes is about 50 cm. If you grow it as a cut spice, then a distance of 10 cm will be enough.
Fertilizer. Fertilizers are usually used only for plants overwintering in the ground. Suitable complex mineral and organic fertilizers containing phosphorus and nitrogen. Once a month is enough.
When overwintering and subsequent transplanting into open ground, it is not necessary to fertilize if landing hole bring in fertile soil.
Growing in a container requires regular feeding with complex fertilizer.
Shelter for the winter. In mild climates (Crimea, the Black Sea region, the Caucasus), rosemary overwinters successfully. If there are frosts down to -10 degrees, it is necessary to cover. Minus 5 is a detrimental temperature for rosemary.
Harvesting. What is collected and used as a seasoning? Naturally, greens. It is advisable to do this in sunny weather. During the flowering period, young shoots, densely covered with leaves and flowers, are cut from rosemary, dried in the shade and crushed. The aromatic seasoning for the meat is ready.
Gardeners from various regions plant and care for rosemary in open ground. No one has considered this plant exotic for a long time: it grows in garden beds, in greenhouses and on the window sills of city apartments.
The Mediterranean native attracts summer residents with its aroma, original appearance. Rosemary is used in cooking, aromatherapy, cosmetology, and perfumery. ethnoscience offers enough recipes based on the spicy aromatic plant. It's nice to always have a fresh, healthy product on hand.
It is possible to grow a shrub in the country if the requirements of the plant are met. It will decorate any flowerbed or alpine slide. The phytoncides it releases will improve the health of the air. And as a reward, the gardener will receive the freshest spice for meat or fish: the country menu will become more varied.
Rosemary: plant description
It is difficult to confuse a Mediterranean resident 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 shades. But when grown artificially, the bush pleases with its beauty only with proper care.
- The aroma of the plant is multicomponent: it simultaneously resembles the smell of eucalyptus, camphor, pine, lavender, and citrus. The released phytoncides refresh and improve the health of the air. How large area occupy the plantings, the healthier the atmosphere at the dacha. But rosemary fully reveals all its notes if the growing rules are followed.
- Features of rosemary - vitamin content (40% of daily norm C, A) and folic acid. This makes the plant not only tasty, but also healthy.
The key to the success of growing rosemary in the country is competent agricultural technology. If followed, rosemary will delight you with its unusual aroma and pleasant appearance.
What kind of rosemary is available on sale?
Specialized 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-tinged flowers);
- Albiflorus (decorated with white flowers).
Foreign varieties are particularly decorative.
Choosing the best place to land
Rosemary is a native of the Mediterranean. To grow it in other regions, you should create conditions as close as possible to its native ones. You need to take care of planting in advance: only in this case the gardener will get the desired result.
House placement
“City gardeners” also successfully grow rosemary. It’s possible to create at home suitable conditions:
- place rosemary on a southern, southwestern or southeastern window sill (if there are none, a western or eastern one will do);
- the bush requires additional lighting(an agricultural lamp will do);
- to ensure the required air humidity, it is recommended to pour a 2-3 cm thick layer of expanded clay on top of the soil of the pot (when it is moistened, the water evaporates and the air around the rosemary becomes comfortable);
- The roots of the plant need access to air: rosemary should be planted in a clay container;
- the bush should be replanted once a year (the pot should be 2/3 larger than the previous one);
- a guest from the Mediterranean is afraid of drafts: when ventilating, it is necessary to protect him with a plastic screen.
If all the rules are followed, the plant will delight the gardener with its aroma and original flowers. But the British claim that only good owners grow rosemary at home.
Landing at the dacha
Before planting on the site, the gardener should carry out preparatory work. In my homeland rosemary - unpretentious plant. But in regions with different climatic conditions, careful preparation is required. The shrub feels great in the place:
- the sunniest and warmest;
- protected from cold northern winds;
- with deep groundwater;
- with alkaline, light soils.
Placement on the south side of the house is ideal. The wall will protect 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 shade. When there is insufficient light, it withers and sheds its leaves.
In flooded areas, drainage should be poured into the planting hole. Crushed stone, broken red brick, gravel, and expanded clay are suitable. Layer thickness - 5-10 cm.
Rosemary placed in the garden does not tolerate weeds in the neighborhood: the soil around it must be clean. In dry summers, mulching the soil with a layer of 5-7 cm is allowed.
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 place the plant in a greenhouse. In regions with harsh climates, gardeners are trying to grow rosemary in heated greenhouses. Subject to the rules of cultivation, summer residents have spicy herbs on the farm all year round. Some sell cut shoots: the demand for the exotic spice is great.
What does the plant need:
- light calcareous soils mixed with crushed stone;
- absence of neighboring weeds or cultivated plants;
- moist warm air;
- absence of drafts;
- temperature in summer is 25-26 degrees Celsius, in winter 5-15;
- daylight hours 16-18 hours.
Summer residents often plant rosemary in an unheated room. In this case, the plant is ready for cutting 2-3 months earlier than it was planted outside. The 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 to death.
Planting in open ground
Southerners need to be planted in beds after the return frosts have passed. When the temperature drops to 5 degrees, rosemary stops growing. If the thermometer shows 0, he will die.
The soil should warm up well. To speed things up, it is recommended to cover the intended location with film for 5-7 days. With this method of preparation, the earth will become warm, and moisture will be completely retained.
Plantings 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 material, it is recommended to use any light-colored fabric and perforated film.
When warm weather sets in (15-20 degrees), the shelter should be removed. It is possible to grow rosemary in open ground if you create comfortable conditions for the plant.
How to prepare the ground
A Mediterranean resident prefers lightweight, moisture-permeable, alkaline soil. Crushed stone is a must. The planting area should be prepared in advance:
- carry out an acidity test using litmus paper: acidic soil needs to be limed;
- heavy soil should be sanded (a bucket per 1 square m);
- dig well, remove weeds;
- add crushed stone (1 kg per square m);
- add phosphorus-potassium fertilizers;
- Rosemary should be planted after the soil has warmed up.
Properly prepared soil will provide the gardener with healthy plants with fragrant shoots.
How to plant a plant correctly
Gardeners 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 on permanent place young bushes are placed. For planting in open ground, you should sow the seeds 2-3 months before the expected filling of the ridge.
After pecking, 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 cuttings. For this purpose, one- to two-year-old shoots 10-15 cm long are used.
They should be cut in the 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 formation stimulator. Stick the shoots into wet soil or put it in water. Organize a greenhouse on top. The plants should not be exposed to direct sunlight.
With this method, the cuttings take root within a week.
Conditions required for good growth in open ground
Successfully growing rosemary requires the gardener to create a comfortable environment.
Lighting and temperature
The shrub prefers good lighting. A long sunny day is what he needs. Comfortable temperature- 18-25 degrees Celsius. But even at lower (positive) or high levels it develops sufficiently. The shrub will be happy with a warm climate with moderate amount precipitation.
How to water
The shrub is able to withstand a short period of drought. But the quality of cut shoots decreases. The gardener should not allow extreme situations. Rosemary needs to be watered as the soil underneath dries out. It is important to avoid stagnation of water and waterlogging of the soil.
Loosening, weeding and fertilizing
Rosemary loves free air access 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.
How to trim
But there is another type - formative pruning. It is produced annually in the spring. In this way, gardeners give the plant the required shape.
How to cover
Cover rosemary in regions with warm winters not required. But where there are minor negative temperatures, the plant should be covered with non-woven material white.
Plant propagation
The shrub is easy to propagate. Gardeners use the following methods:
- cuttings;
- layering;
- planting seeds;
- dividing the bush.
Gardeners often want to plant rosemary. The search begins planting material. What to do if there are no seeds on sale? The solution is simple: buy the spice in the green section of the supermarket. It can be used for cuttings. It is important to ensure that the branches look fresh.
How to divide a bush correctly
The bush should be divided after 7-8 years of its life in the garden. An adult bush is dug up and cut into pieces with a shovel. The upper (ground) parts are cut off and transplanted to a new location. For better survival, surgery should be performed in early spring(as soon as weather permits). This is how you can plant rosemary that is constantly growing in open ground. The advantage of the method: a guest from the Mediterranean is perfectly rejuvenated with this separation.
How to take cuttings
The plant is easily propagated by cuttings. Shoots of the first or second year should be rooted. The operation can be performed in early spring (at home) or in June (at the dacha). The chopped shoots from below are cleared of leaves. The lower cut is dipped in a root growth stimulator, the upper cut 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 liquid and a plastic bag with perforations is tied on top. The vessel is placed in a bright place, but protected from direct sun rays. 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 garden bed. How to proceed:
- choose the warmest place in the garden;
- loosen the soil;
- stick the branches at an angle of 45 degrees at a distance of 5-6 cm from each other;
- install arcs;
- pull non-woven material white high density(20 g/square m and above);
- press the shelter to the ground and secure it.
Next, it remains to monitor the soil moisture: as soon as it dries, carefully moisten it. When young leaves begin to appear, the cuttings are ready to be planted on the beds. The method allows the branches to take root in 3-4 weeks.
How to make layering
Propagating rosemary by layering does not cause difficulties even for inexperienced gardeners. In May-June, the shoot of the 2nd year is slightly cut across and slightly moved 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. The top of the branch is cut off. This is necessary so that the plant grows better root system. The cuttings are regularly moistened for 3 months. Next spring the rooted shoot is ready.
How to get cuttings without pruning
Gardeners are familiar with an ingenious way to obtain rooted cuttings without pruning:
- choose a 1st or 2nd year shoot 15-20 cm long;
- cut off the top (for intensive root formation);
- clear it of leaves 5-7 cm in the middle;
- Make a bag from a film with holes and tie it to the bottom of the peeled stem;
- fill the film with damp sphagnum or neutral peat;
- tie the bag loosely on top of the peeled stem.
How to propagate by seeds
This method is suitable for obtaining rare varieties of material. The method is quite labor-intensive. 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 soil surface;
- moisten a little and sprinkle sand on top;
- cover the top with a film with holes;
- put in a warm place (22-25 degrees Celsius).
The seeds will germinate only in 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 cover should be removed. It’s time to place the container on the brightest windowsill or take it out into a heated greenhouse.
How to prepare rosemary for winter
In areas with warm climates, it is recommended to trim rosemary in the fall, feed it and cover it with non-woven material.
Pests and diseases
Spices are threatened spider mite. This occurs during dry periods or improper watering.
Fragrant plants are readily eaten by scale insects. To protect against these pests, it is recommended to maintain high humidity air around the plantings.
If there is excess moisture, the plant becomes covered with mold. Violation of growing conditions leads to a deterioration in the consumer qualities of cuttings.
Where is rosemary used?
The aroma of spice and its chemical composition explain the use in various fields. In the culinary world of Italy, Spain, and France, it is impossible to prepare lamb dishes without twigs. The spice goes well with fish and seafood.
The medicinal effect is used in the treatment of bacterial and viral diseases. Gargling helps get rid of sore throat. Cold inhalations of the plant infusion are useful for a runny nose. Planted in a flowerbed, it improves the health of the air.
This culture grows on the Mediterranean coast and absorbs its aromas. We are talking about rosemary - a plant that simultaneously smells of eucalyptus, pine and lemon, as well as a subtle breeze. But even if your dacha is not on the seashore, but, for example, in the Moscow region, grow the most popular varieties exotic bush in open ground it is also possible, although troublesome. Of course, after planting, the plant will need some care, the rules of which you will learn from the article.
Description: varieties and varieties of rosemary
The evergreen perennial rosemary is a relative of basil, mint, lemon balm, lavender and motherwort. A few of its varieties can reach a height of 0.5 to 2 m. The leaves of this crop are needle-shaped and resemble pine needles in appearance. The flowers are small, bluish-violet, white, pink. If you admire them from afar or look at them in a photo, you can mistake them for a carpet.
In total, there are no more than 5 types of rosemary in nature. The most popular of them is medicinal. It is divided into several varieties. Among the domestic ones, the most famous are:
- Dewdrop;
- Tenderness;
- Veshnyakovsky Semko.
Foreign selection offers the following varieties:
- Severn Sea;
- Prostratus;
- Roseus;
- Albiflorus et al.
Planting a plant in open ground
Choose a place for planting that is bright and protected from drafts. The soil is loose, light, preferably calcareous. It should be warm enough outside - then the rosemary will be well accepted and will not cause any trouble with care. Usually this is the second half of May. If you want to grow large bushes, plant rosemary 0.5 m apart. Otherwise, even a minimum distance of 10 cm is sufficient. After planting, watering is required.
Advice. A shrub can grow in one place for many years. If you want to uproot it and occupy this area with vegetable crops, plant carrots, onions, and garlic after the rosemary.
Cultivation care
Rosemary is a drought-resistant crop, but it will not live long without watering. Maintain moderation: with abundant moisture, the plant will begin to get rid of leaves, and with a lack of moisture, it will turn yellow. After watering, loosen the soil and remove weeds. In March-April, start forming a bush. If your rosemary is about 7-8 years old, rejuvenate the bush by cutting it back to soil level.
The varieties of this ornamental crop do not like the cold, so winter in the Moscow region can be disastrous for them. If you live in middle lane Russia, remember: proper care of exotic rosemary is impossible without protecting it from frost. Most the right way– dig up the plant, transplant it into a container for the winter and bring it into a bright room, the temperature in which does not drop below +16 oC. If this is not possible, cut the rosemary to ground level and cover it with sawdust or leaves. Build a small dome of pine branches on top.
Fertilizer and fertilizing of rosemary
During the active growing season (from spring to autumn), the plant needs regular fertilization. Complex mineral preparations are suitable. The frequency of their application is twice a month. Rosemary will also be needed in spring nitrogen fertilizers, in autumn - phosphorus. Some summer residents use cow manure: the organic matter is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:5.
Advice. In winter, rosemary can do without fertilizing. If you think that the plant needs fertilizers, apply them no more than once every 1-1.5 months.
Plant propagation by cuttings and other methods
Nature has provided 4 ways to propagate ornamental shrubs:
- dividing the bush;
- cuttings;
- layering;
- using seeds.
Cuttings are the most reliable method and proven by many gardeners. It's easy to master:
- In autumn, cut 8-10 cm long segments from annual shoots. Each should have 3-4 internodes.
- Remove lower leaves. Treat the lower sections with a preparation that stimulates root formation.
- Place the cuttings in water, river sand or loose, fertile soil.
- Provide suitable conditions and care:
- lack of direct rays of the sun;
- warm;
- daily spraying.
The cuttings will take root in about a month. After this, plant them in separate containers, the diameter of which does not exceed 10 cm. After a week, pinch the tops to activate branching.
Propagation by dividing the bush is used mainly for indoor rosemary. The other two methods can be used in open ground. If you have seeds, place them in water for several hours and let them swell. Then sow in damp sand to a depth of 0.3-0.4 mm and cover with film. Spray future seedlings regularly and keep them warm (about +22...+25 C).
With this care, the sprouts will hatch in 1.5-2 months. After this, remove the film and place the containers closer to the light. Do not forget about watering with settled water. Rosemary will be ready for planting outside when it reaches a height of 7-8 cm.
Reproduction by layering looks like this:
- A shoot that grows close to the ground is tilted and secured in this position.
- The layering is dug in, leaving only the top free.
- The shoot is watered along with the entire bush.
- When the top begins to grow, the cuttings are separated and planted in a garden bed or container.
Diseases and pests of crops
Surprisingly, but true: in open ground conditions, the plant is extremely resistant to most ailments and insects. Some gardeners believe that good “immunity” is associated with the strong aroma that the shrub exudes. After all, the smell of this crop even repels some pests: slugs, snails, aphids. Be that as it may, this undeniable advantage greatly simplifies caring for rosemary.
Attention! If you are growing crops not in open ground, but on a windowsill, be prepared to protect it from whiteflies and white powdery mildew.
Rosemary: combination with other plants and uses
To grow this fragrant perennial, you can choose a plot next to which climbing beans and other legumes, different varieties of cabbage, carrots, onions, hot peppers. Options successful combinations a lot. Rosemary improves taste vegetable crops and has a beneficial effect on their growth. It's worth avoiding joint landing with cucumbers, which in principle do not like the proximity of fragrant herbs.
Rosemary is not just exotic ornamental plant, which can be grown and propagated in open ground or on a windowsill. It is useful for many diseases, and is also widely used by cosmetologists to create skin and hair care products. This fragrant culture is added to a variety of dishes. Their recipes with photos can always be found in cookbooks or on thematic websites. Its combination with cheese is considered especially harmonious, but the combination with red vegetables is unsuccessful. A large number of advantages is a good incentive for planting and propagating different varieties of rosemary in your summer cottage.
Planting rosemary: video
Growing rosemary: photo
