How to Take Care of a Rosemary Plant
About Rosemary
The rosemary plant, Salvia Romariunus, is native to the hills of the Mediterranean, the rosemary plant is a wonderful addition to any garden. Rosemary is famous for its pungent wood-like scent and is known to help boost the immune system and improve circulation. This plant is very easy to take care of but difficult to start from seed. Our guide will walk you through all of the tips and tricks for successfully raising a rosemary plant through its entire life cycle.
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Salvia Romariunus
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Lamiaceae
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Intermediate Gardeners
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14-28 days
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April-September
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120-180 days
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Non-toxic to Cats and Dogs
Sunlight Requirements
Generally, it's important for your rosemary plant to get 6-8 hours of full sunlight each day. If you are keeping your rosemary plant indoors, make sure that the plant has access to enough sunlight. If you notice the leaves of your plant beginning to turn yellow, it may be receiving too much light. If your rosemary plant does not get enough light, the stems and leaves may feel fragile and weak.
Soil Requirements
Rosemary plants prefer a well draining soil with an alkaline pH of 6-8. You should allow the soil to dry out before watering. The rosemary plant prefers a potting mix with high levels of calcium carbonate. If you are making a homemade potting mix use, perlite, coarse sand, and pumice. If you are planning on planting your rosemary in the ground, make sure that it isn’t composed mostly of clay or acidic materials.
TOOLS REQUIRED
Rosemary seeds
Multiple small clear containers
Well draining potting soil
Heat/grow lamp
Starting Rosemary From Seed
Starting rosemary from seed can be a very complicated process, it has temperamental requirements and takes around a year to be able to harvest. Good news is that it is a perennial and will continue to grow year after year.
Follow these simple steps for starting your rosemary plants from seed.
Check The Time Of Year: for a more controlled environment, start indoors. Begin the sowing process a few weeks before last frost or in early spring.
Maintain the Temperature: rosemary seeds need to be warm, investing in a grow lamp to regulate temperature will help greatly. Ideally keep the soil temperature between 80-90°F. You can use a thermometer to ensure you are keeping the temperature at the correct levels.
Find A Container: we’ve found that using a small clear container works best for growing rosemary plants from seed. Use one pot per plant in the beginning, do not use a seedling tray.
Mix Some Soil: use a non-acidic potting mix composed of perlite, coard sand, and pumice. The soil should be well draining.
Sow The Seeds: it is very difficult to get rosemary seeds to germinate, so to ensure growth, use more seeds than needed.
Watering: make sure to keep watering to a minimum, but do not allow the soil to completely dry out. To play it safe, check every day to make sure you are keeping up with the temperamental needs of the plant.
Be Patient: don’t give up and be patient. It's very challenging to start rosemary from seed, so if you fail once try again. After a few tries, try experimenting with different levels of watering and temperature, what works for one may not work for another. If you followed these steps you should have rosemary in no time.
Companions of Rosemary Plants
Rosemary has numerous companion plants ranging from alyssum, thyme, sage, lavender, carrots, cabbage, and strawberries. Generally, it’s best to avoid tomatoes, mint, basil, and pumpkins.
Re-potting Rosemary Plants
Transporting your rosemary plant is relatively easy, there are numerous methods on repotting your rosemary plant. The following guide will bring you through all of the steps to repotting your plant.
TOOLS REQUIRED
Growing up container
Fresh potting mix
Hand shovel
Follow these easy steps for transporting your rosemary plants into its new home.
Grab A New Container: generally you want to find a pot a few inches bigger than your current plant to grow into.
Mix some new potting soil: make a mix of perlite, sand, and pumice and mix that with 20% of the oil soil.
Fill the bottom of the container: fill the bottom two inches with the newly mixed soil.
Prepare the plant: make sure to prune off any yellowing or dead leaves before transporting to the new pot. Once you flip the container over and take the plant out of its existing pot, inspect the roots and make sure to loosen any root bound roots.
Place in new container: take your rosemary plant and place it on the 2 inches of soil that you placed earlier. Fill the rest of the gaps with soil and make sure to leave ¼ of a inch free from the rim.
Water the plant: after transportation is complete, water the plant to prevent shock to the roots and plant.
Place back in its original location: do not change the environment of the plant to much as this can be detrimental to the health of the plant.
Pruning
It's the end of summer and you're ready to enjoy the rosemary you’ve grown in your garden. Look for branches that are around 8 inches long and cut with clean shears. This is also a great opportunity to prune and remove any dying parts of the plant.
Harvesting
When pruning a rosemary plant, always use sanitized pruning shears. Once you see your plant begin to flower, trim back right below the flower. If your rosemary plant has not developed flowers but you still see overgrowth, trim around 1-2 inches from each of the branches of the plant.
Turning Rosemary Into Seasoning
The best way to dehydrate rosemary for seasoning is to gather bundles of three or four from your rosemary plant and hang them upside down. Take some string and make a closeline, tie the bundles together with string or rubber bands and hang from the string. If you plan on turning your rosemary into seasoning, keep the hanging rosemary in a dark place that does not get a lot of humidity. After around 2 weeks, you should have wonderfully smelling rosemary that you can store forever. Store the dried rosemary in airtight containers like mason jars or spice jars.
Susceptible Diseases
Rosemary plants are susceptible to many pests and diseases, some of which include the following:
Spittle bug
Blight
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to the ASPCA, rosemary plants are non toxic to all pets. Always be cautious when eating certain foods.
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For many centuries rosemary has been used to improve certain medical conditions, including hair loss, arthritis, kidney damage, fatigue, gum disease, and hypotension.
If you or any other person has a medical concern, you should consult with your health care provider or seek other professional medical treatment immediately. -
Rosemary is used in many different dishes including Italian pasta sauce, vinaigrette, soups, casseroles, salads, and stews. Often it will be mixed as a marinade for various meats, like steak, fish, lamb, and pork.
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Yes, rosemary plants are perennials and come back year after year.