Rosemary is an evergreen shrub with a distinct sweetish aroma. The greenery grows wild on the Mediterranean coast and is often artificially planted in garden plots and cottages. Growing rosemary in open ground in central Russia has become widespread due to its decorative properties and versatility of use.
Specifics of growing rosemary in central Russia
There are several types of rosemary that are grown for ornamental purposes or for use as a spice. Common rosemary varieties are suitable for planting in central Russia. This variety is easy to care for and has dense vegetation.
The main feature when planting a plant in central Russia is that it is impossible to carry out comprehensive care for rosemary without following the basic rules for protection from frost.. To protect the bushes in winter, it is best to dig them up and transplant them into a separate container during frosts. The shrub should be stored in winter in a lighted and warm room with a temperature of more than 15 degrees.
If it is not possible to overexpose the plant, then you should cut off the vegetation and insulate the roots with mulch from sawdust or dry leaves. On top you can additionally build a dome of pine branches, which will maintain the temperature of the earth.
Rosemary: growing methods
Rosemary bushes can be grown in several ways - cuttings, division, layering or seeds. Propagation by cuttings is common among many gardeners due to the high chances of germination of the bush. Dividing bushes is a more complex technique and is used for plants grown at home.
Growing by layering and seeds is only suitable for planting in open ground. Provided proper sowing and proper care, the first shoots appear within 1.5–2 months.
Sowing seeds
Propagation by seeds is the most practical and convenient way. Before you start sowing, you need to prepare the seeds by soaking them in warm water for several hours. The soaked seeds are embedded in a separate container to a depth of 3–4 mm.For proper growth, the soil should be pre-moistened.
The seed container should be in a warm place with an average temperature of about 25 degrees. It is recommended to spray the soil surface periodically to prevent drying out. The first shoots germinate after 40–60 days. Rosemary can be planted in a permanent place after the bushes reach a height of more than 6 cm.
Rooting cuttings
Cuttings of the plant are carried out in the autumn. The most suitable time is considered to be the end of September - beginning of October. For planting, small branches are cut and cut into cuttings. The length of each cutting should be about 10 cm and have 3-4 internodes.
Before planting, you need to remove all the leaves from the cuttings, treat them with a root formation stimulator and plant them in a container with nutritious soil.
After rooting the cuttings, you need to regularly monitor the humidity, spray the seedlings and prevent direct exposure to sunlight. The first roots on the shoots can be seen after a month. After new leaves appear on the cuttings, they should be planted in separate containers. The diameter of each container should not exceed 10 cm. 7–10 days after transplantation, pinching the tops is required to stimulate the branching process.
Landing dates
Rosemary should be planted after the soil has warmed up. As a rule, the optimal time for planting is at the end of May. During the season, standard care is carried out for the plant. If you need to transplant bushes onto a plant, you should dig up the plant in early September.
Planting rosemary
If you want to grow large ornamental rosemary bushes, it is important to leave a distance of at least 0.5 m between plants. In other cases, it is enough to maintain a minimum distance of 10 cm. Regardless of the method rosemary planting, after placing in the ground, the surface of the earth should be watered generously. When planting a perennial, it is important to consider the following points:
- The shrub is a heat-loving plant and does not tolerate frost well. As a landing site, it is better to choose a lighted place on the south side.
- Proper and accelerated growth is facilitated by loosened soil, which contains a high content of limestone.
- To maintain the attractive appearance of the plant, it is worth providing protection from strong winds.
- Rosemary does not tolerate excess moisture and strong acidity of the soil.
In one place, a plant can germinate for several years. If you need to replace a shrub with a vegetable crop, you should carefully uproot the plant and place it in a container. Rosemary serves as a suitable precursor for garlic, onions and carrots.
Features of crop care
Growing rosemary does not require specific care requirements, and for proper growth it is enough to follow a number of standard rules. Watering the bushes should be done regularly, but in moderation. If the plant lacks moisture, the leaves will turn yellowish. If there is excess moisture, the foliage will begin to fall.
As a fertilizer, you can use a mixture of mullein and water in a ratio of 1:5. Complex organic and mineral fertilizers are also suitable to accelerate growth. It is recommended to fertilize rosemary no more than once a month. As an additional measure to strengthen the roots, the bushes are treated with nitrogen fertilizers in the spring, and phosphorus fertilizers in the fall.
When growing ornamentally, the plant is pruned to ground level every 6–7 years. Rejuvenating bushes promotes the appearance of new shoots.Formative pruning of foliage is carried out in mid-spring.
If the plant becomes sick with powdery mildew or is infected with whitefly, additional control measures will need to be applied. Damaged leaves should be removed from the bushes to prevent the spread of the disease. As a preventive measure, it is recommended to treat rosemary with soapy water, and in case of advanced infection, use insecticidal fertilizers.
Collection and storage
It is best to collect rosemary leaves during the period of active flowering, when the bush accumulates the largest amount of essential oils. It is the perennial leaves that are valuable, as they are used in various fields, including cooking. Even dried and finely chopped leaves have a bright aroma that lasts for several years.
You can store collected rosemary in bunches by connecting and hanging several branches with the foliage down. To ensure a long shelf life, you can place the chopped greens in hermetically sealed glass containers. The plant must first be thoroughly dried by leaving it on paper or using an electric dryer.
