Scientific name Rosmarinus officinalis, rosemary is a aromatic plant perennial native to the Mediterranean area, which can reach heights of up to 2 meters. It is a plant that, in addition to being highly valued as a culinary ingredient in the Mediterranean diet and having a long list of medicinal properties (for example, rosemary is highly recommended to improve memory and oil is often used a lot for health rosemary), it is also a great option as a decorative element and adds a very pleasant smell to any room or garden. It is especially beneficial to have rosemary in orchards and outdoor spaces, since its aroma attracts beneficial pollinating insects, while acting as a repellent against some of the most common pests that affect orchards and gardens, such as the housefly. the carrot. If you want to learn how to plant rosemary to have it in your home, join us in this Green Ecologist article.
When to plant rosemary
When sowing rosemary, we can do it both in a pot and directly outside. However, this aromatic plant, which has the ability to withstand somewhat low temperatures once adult, is more sensitive to these during its first year, so it is best to sow it at home, and then transplant it outside. Taking this into account, the ideal is planting rosemary seeds or cuttings in fall, and transplant them to their final location already in spring.
If you want to plant more types of aromatic plants in your garden or in pots, you can consult this other article on Types of aromatic and medicinal plants.
How to plant rosemary in a pot step by step
Can plant the rosemary directly by means of seeds in a pot or in a seedbed. The rosemary seeds they have a good chance of germinating, but the process is a bit slow, so the most common way to multiply it is to do it by rosemary cuttings. Still, here we are going to teach you both methods.
Planting potted rosemary from seed
- The first thing to do is prepare a container or seedbed for your seeds. You do not need a very deep one, in fact, with one that offers about 15 cm of depth you will have enough. Here we explain how to make a seedbed.
- Prepare a suitable substrate for the seeds, there are many types of mixes that work very well. We recommend a mixture of two parts of peat with one part of vermicompost. Earthworm humus is an organic and natural fertilizer that provides a huge amount of nutrients and benefits to the soil and that, in addition, you can make it yourself at home if you have some space.
- Let your rosemary seeds soak overnight before planting.
- Plant them the next morning. It is not necessary that you bury them very deep, with about 2 cm is enough.
- Locate the pot or seedbed in a well-lit area (although without direct sunlight).
- Water the seeds regularly, maintaining a certain level of humidity in the substrate. In about 20 days you should see them germinate.
Pasos for planting rosemary cuttings
- Cut the rosemary cutting about 10 or 15 cm, if possible from a semi-woody branch, of which they are a couple of seasons old. Cut it with a tool as sharp as possible and properly disinfected.
- Let the cutting soak in rooting agent overnight. You can prepare your own natural rooting agent yourself with a multitude of products, such as lentils or coffee.
- In the morning, remove the rooting agent and replace it with plain water. If all goes well, in about 15 days the rosemary should have started to produce roots.
- Remove the leaves of 5 or 6 cm from the base and bury the cutting at that depth in a pot, with the mixture of substrate previously described, ensuring that the roots are pointing downwards.
- The first days you can still water with the rooting agent to improve its chances.
How to plant rosemary in soil step by step
If you live in a warm weather, you can sow rosemary directly in the garden or orchard. To do this, follow this step by step to plant rosemary in the ground:
- It is advisable to start moistening the soil a little up to a week before planting and enrich the soil with some organic fertilizer, such as compost or worm castings.
- Leave the seeds to soak overnight and sow them the next day, pouring three seeds per hole and respecting about 15 cm of separation between them.
- Water regularly and in about three weeks they should have germinated.
If you go to transplant the rosemary plant In spring from the pot or seedbed in which you sowed in autumn, you can simply take the rosemary to its final location, being necessary that the soil has a pH of between 6.0 and 7.5 and that it is well loose to offer optimal drainage. Here you can learn more tips on when and how to transplant a plant.
Rosemary plant care
In summary, these are the basic care of rosemary:
- Light: rosemary needs a lot of light daily, between 6 and 8 hours with direct incidence, unless you live in a climate with exceptionally intense sun.
- Earth: This plant does not tolerate excess humidity, so it needs dry soils and containers with drainage holes to avoid flooding, which tends to cause fungal problems, at all costs.
- Irrigation: As we have just said, it does not tolerate excess humidity, so the waterings must be measured and spaced, only when the substrate remains dry.
- Subscriber: rosemary is grateful to be in soils enriched with organic matter. Organic organic fertilizers like compost or worm castings are always a great option.
To expand this information, we offer you this practical guide on How to care for a potted rosemary plant and you can watch the video on this topic below.
If you want to read more articles similar to How to plant rosemary, we recommend that you enter our category of Cultivation and care of plants.
