Rosemary is one of the most used medicinal and aromatic plants in cooking, health and beauty. For this reason, more and more people want to grow rosemary at home. Those with land, such as orchards or gardens, are more likely to grow this plant because it is easy to grow in the ground. On the contrary, if you live in an apartment or a house that only has a patio, a balcony and/or windows, you will have to use the potted rosemary, and the rosemary care in a pot can be a bit more elaborate.
For this reason, we are going to dedicate this article to telling you everything you need to know about caring for potted rosemary.
Contents
main Features
Among the main constituents of rosemary are essential oils, phenols, flavonoids, fibers, potassium, calcium, zinc, magnesium, copper, vitamin B1 or thiamine and vitamin B3 or niacin. The composition has the following properties of rosemary:
- It is a digestive plant and therefore helps to alleviate problems related to digestion and all those organs like heartburn, flatulence, overdigestion, etc.
- It is used to treat oral problemssuch as the prevention of cavities, the reduction of oral infections and inflammations and the elimination of bad breath.
- Helps take care of the liver and gallbladder, it can therefore help prevent and reduce certain problems with these organs.
- It is a very powerful natural antibiotic.
This plant is also widely used in essential oils, including herbal essentials and concentrates, to enhance health and beauty.
Caring for potted rosemary: light, temperature and humidity
The first thing to know about caring for a rosemary plant is the conditions it needs to live and grow in good condition. Some of the conditions to consider when caring for potted rosemary include the following:
- Full light for rosemary: It must receive direct natural light, as it is a plant that needs a lot of sun and light. However, make sure that in full sun, the plant is not exposed to direct sunlight every hot day, as its leaves burn easily. For this reason, it’s best to find a spot that’s both sunny and shady when it’s hot and sunny, and try to find a spot with lots of natural light when it’s hot or cold.
- The best temperatures: This plant can adapt to both hot and cold temperatures, but in reality, the appropriate temperatures for rosemary are those found in warm and temperate climates. Thus, it does not resist hail, frost and sudden drops in temperature, but it does not resist very sunny areas either.
- Lots of humidityInstructions for use: This plant is native to the entire Mediterranean region, so it is used in the dry and rainy seasons, but never in excess. Therefore, it does not require a lot of moisture, and watering is sufficient.
Where to place rosemary
Knowing the conditions explained above, we can deduce that this type of pot will grow well both indoors and outdoors. Outside, however, it is best planted directly in the ground, where it will grow the most.
According to the climate of our place, it is more recommended outdoors or indoors. For this reason, in cold climates it is best to have a pot of rosemary inside the house, and although it can withstand a bit of cold, it is best to avoid frosts and drops. significant temperatures. Inside the house, it is important to place the plants near the windows, but not near the glass, as it can be too cold, and to avoid the direct impact of radiators and air conditioners, which can dry out the plants.
In exchange, whether we live in a temperate or warm or even hot climateit is best to grow rosemary outdoors where it can get enough hours of natural light, but if the sun is hot enough in our area, it is better to plant it in a direct position in full sun and in the shade, such as under taller plants or trees or where there is an awning.
When to Water Rosemary
Another care of rosemary is irrigation, because as we mentioned before, must be fertilized properly, as this plant is accustomed in dry and wet periods, but never in extreme conditions.
For this reason, although there are different irrigation systems, whether for surface or surface plants and pots, drip irrigation is highly recommended for the maintenance of aromatic plants at home, like potted rosemary. This system gives you great control over setting the watering rate without overdoing it.
But even if you use the most appropriate irrigation, This will be useless without good drainage as the plants will become waterlogged and die. So when you transplant it into a pot you need to make sure you use the right potting soil and put stones at the bottom next to the hole to make sure the water filters well and doesn’t get trapped and drown the plants. roots.
Also, when the plants are still small and the weather is warm, you can expand the watering to once a day, or every other day if the drainage is good. On the other hand, during the slightly cooler months, it is best to water the plants one to three times a week, depending on the temperature.
Rosemary pruning and possible pests
To continue learning how to care for a potted rosemary plant, you also need to think about its size. It is advisable to prune rosemary when you see that its leaves and flowers are dry or yellowish, when you see little growth, or when parts of it are full of pests such as aphid or scale insect. Ideally, wait for the end of flowering, then prune just below the parts to be removed, avoiding cutting perfectly healthy parts. This way you will see that the rosemary will be beautiful and full of fragrance the next time it blooms.
Rosemary pests can be a big problem and can completely destroy the plant if not eliminated or controlled.