How to take care of rosemary for beginners
Rosemary (Science name: Rosmarinus officinalis) is a favorite plant of many people due to its usage in cooking, decoration, and medicine. It is quite popular among plant lovers with a size from 20 cm – 100 cm.
For many people, planting rosemary is not an easy task because the rosemary died despite great care. For me, I have failed about 5-6 times before I can raise my rosemary properly. In this post, I will provide you some tips on how to take care of rosemary for beginners.
I. Set up an ideal living environment
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6-8 hours of light per day
Rosemary originates from the Mediterranean, so it loves the temperature from 21-32℃ (70-81℉) with as much light as possible.
In case, you live in a tropical area with a temperature of more than 35 ℃ (90℉), make sure you place your rosemary in the area with a high volume of light, but under other plants’ shade to avoid dehydration.
If you are in a cold place, remember to provide your rosemary with its preferable temperature by putting it indoors, and provide it with enough light. You can use a led to supply the light for rosemary in the event that your room is not really bright.
Last but not least, bear in mind that rosemary can’t stand the weather below -1℃ (30℉)
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Easy-drained soil
Rosemary hates moisture, so make sure you plant it in well-drained soil. So, what is well-drained soil? Simply, if you pour water in the pot and you see the water is quickly absorbed and draining through the hole in the pot. In the event that you water the rosemary and you see the water rising and taking a long time to be absorbed, that soil is not easy-drained.
Well-drained soil is made from various elements such as rice husk, perlite stone, and coir.
II. Take care of rosemary
- Watering
You don’t need to water the rosemary too much, just make sure that your water supplies the soil with enough moisture.
Using your hand to touch the oil, if you feel the soil is dry in 1-inch depth, it’s time to water it.
How much is enough? Pour water into the soil, let it drain through the hole at the pot bottom, which is enough for your rosemary.
Watering one time per day in the early morning is perfect. If the weather is way too dry, you can water one more time in the afternoon, but do not make the soil damp to avoid root rot.
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Fertilizing
Rosemary does not require a lot of fertilizer. You can fertilize it one time per 2-3 months with organic compost. When fertilizing, make a thin layer of compost and avoid stump area.
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Pot changing
When you see the rosemary’s crown overwhelms the width of its containers when you see your rosemary grows considerably, or when you see your rosemary does not seem to get enough water, it’s time to re-pot it.
If you want your rosemary to grow bigger and bigger, increase the container’s size to 2-3 times.
If you want your rosemary to remain the same size, trim the root equally and put it back in the same pot.
Remember to sanitize your cutting tools to avoid diseases.
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Trimming
Trimming around the stump to guarantee ventilation and protect the tree from diseases and pests
Hope this information helps you to have a smooth start with your rosemary. If you want any more information, please leave a comment down below and I will reply asap.
Cheers.
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