Rosemary at home: growing and grooming. How to grow rosemary at home?

On the coast of Mediterranean countries such as France, Italy, Portugal and Spain, you can often see wild rosemary, but its garden variety has grown fond of the florists and gardeners of many European and not only countries. Its name, sea dew or Rosmarinum, this plant got because, according to ancient Romans and Greeks, its light blue flowers look like splashes of sea foam, reaching the bushes growing on the coast. Now a lot of people are passionate about Mediterranean cooking. Buy this herb in the form of powder or in the composition of seasonings, but nothing can compare with the fragrance and taste of freshly ripped leaf of greenery! Today, each of us, the inhabitants of modern apartments, can well grow rosemary at home. How to do it and what is required, we will tell in more detail.

What it is

Rosmarinus (Rosmarinus), as well as sage, monad, lavender and koleus, belongs to the family of Lydiaceae (Lamiaceae). In a warm climate, this is an evergreen shrub growing in a garden or on the street, whose height can reach two meters. The bark is brownish-gray, and the tetrahedral branches are covered like needles, wrapped around the edges, glistening on top and soft, fluffy below the leaves. This plant is a good honey plant, blossoming from March to May with small pale blue flowers, which are collected in the upper part of the branches. The root system is well developed and can go to the depth of 3-4 meters, which should be taken into account when transplanting.

A bit of history

Even in ancient times, the ancient Greeks and Romans knew about the beneficial properties of rosemary and used it and oil from it in cooking and perfumery. In the XIII century, this plant was used as an element of medicines, for example, "Waters of the Hungarian Queen" - The Queen of Hungary Water. According to the surviving evidence, Queen Elizabeth of Hungary, who took this remedy, was able to captivate the Polish king at the age of 72, who offered her a hand and heart. The inhabitants of medieval Europe knew how to grow rosemary, and planted it on pastures and meadows, and cultivated it in their homes and associated with it a variety of different customs and habits. The branches of this plant were woven into the bouquets and hairstyles of brides, they were used in magical charming rituals and to protect the dwellings from nightmares. Rosemary branches were thrown into the grave to the deceased in memory of him. Documentary evidence has been preserved that the branches of this plant were fumigated at home during the plague epidemic of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.

As a spice, rosemary began to be used in the 16th century and was added not only when cooking dishes from meat and game, but also in wine.

Where it is used

Today, rosemary is widely used in cooking, medicine and in the production of cosmetics and perfumes. Many European housewives not only know how to grow rosemary at home, but also keep the pots with it in their kitchen. This spice is widely used in English, French, Italian, Indian and Chinese cuisines. As an independent seasoning, rosemary is used quite rarely, as a rule, it is a part of various flavored salts and spices, spicy mixtures. Those who grow rosemary at home, add it in the preparation of various vegetable and meat soups, salads, season them with fish, meat, poultry and game when frying or baking. In the food industry, Rosmarinum is used in the production of semi-finished products from fish or meat, pasta, in a variety of preservatives and marinades. In addition, this spice is used for the aromatization of alcoholic beverages and beer.

Rosemary has long been used in folk medicine for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular and urinary systems, rheumatic joints. Studies of modern scientists have confirmed most of the useful properties attributed to this plant. Today, rosemary is a part of medicines aimed at normalizing the work of the digestive organs, means for increasing blood pressure and improving blood microcirculation.

How to grow rosemary

This plant, which came to us from warm Mediterranean countries, is difficult to tolerate the conditions of our unpredictable winters. If you plant it in the garden and do not hide it before it freezes, it will die. Experienced gardeners recommend the cultivation of rosemary at home in winter, in the summer, if possible, transplant it for a warm period in the garden or garden, and with the onset of cold weather, return to a warm room.

This spicy plant is rather unpretentious and usually complexities are associated with germinating it from seeds. For normal growth and development of the rosemary bush, moisture-permeable poor soil and sun are needed. This plant suffers a drought tolerantly.

In order to grow rosemary at home, you can use one of the following ways:

• Rooted young seedlings in specialized garden centers or shops;
• Be reserved for seeds and patience;
• In the cold season from a young plant to take an aerial for rooting;
• Take a few cuttings from a strong plant.

We try to grow from seeds

Seeds of rosemary are recommended to sow in late February - early March, just spread them on the surface of well-moistened soil and slightly pressing the palm into the ground. After that it is necessary to cover the landing tanks with glass or a dense film and for two or three weeks put in the refrigerator or any room with a constant temperature of +5 ⁰ C +7 ⁰ C, and then transferred to a warm room. After about two to three weeks, shoots should appear, if in a month this did not happen, then it is better to repeat the sowing. It is important not to overmoist the soil and try to keep the temperature in the room around +10 ⁰ С +12 ⁰ С.

We propagate by cuttings

Someone tries to grow rosemary at home from the seeds, but the most common way is the reproduction of this plant with the help of cuttings. To do this, late autumn cut off young shoots about 7-10 cm long from the old rosemary bush. The lower leaves are removed, and the cuttings are dipped into any powder or root stimulation solution, and then they can be placed in a container of dark glass filled with water and wait until the young roots are formed. After this, the seedlings are planted in separate pots and grown on a warm sunny window. Some gardeners miss the stage with the formation of roots and immediately root the freshly cut cuttings into a peat-sand mixture. After 10-14 days, under the condition of fairly frequent spraying of rooted layers from the atomizer, they are transplanted into large pots with loose soil.

Home Content Features

In order for you to enjoy the rosemary you have grown, home care is as follows:

1. Since the plant is thermophilic, it needs a warm and well-lit place in your home. In summer, this spice with pleasure will "live" on the southern window, but in winter it is better to put it on a cool sill where the temperature will be in the range of +10 ⁰ C + 15 ⁰ С.

2. In order for the plant not to lose leaves in the autumn-winter period, it is necessary for it to prolong the artificial day to 7-8 hours by using additional lighting.

3. Water this plant should be moderate in summer, and in winter only as the soil dries.

4. If you grow rosemary at home, in the warm season, twice a month, you can spend its fertilizing with complex fertilizers. In winter, you can fertilize the plant once every two months.