Rosemary Officinal: information on the variety

The Rosemary Officinal , or by its scientific name “Rosmarinus Officinalis”, is characterized by its green foliage and branched branches. Originally from the Mediterranean basin, this plant of the sun perfumes our dishes with Provençal flavors.

It is an aromatic plant very easy to grow and robust. It adapts to the poorest soils and is long-lived. Indeed, it is a perennial plant , a type of plant that survives more than a year and is even resistant to winter cold, provided there is not too much humidity.

4 Reasons to grow this aromatic plant:

• This plant will wonderfully season your vegetables, meat, fish , and will relax you in infusion .
• Rosemary has a rich nutritional contribution: Vitamin C, thiamin and riboflavin .
• It is an excellent plant for beginners in gardening because it requires little maintenance.
• Its colorful flowers ranging from white to pink, passing through blue, will give color to your garden and your interior.

With which aromatic herbs to grow Rosemary Officinal?

Plant your rosemary next to the thyme . Indeed, these two aromatic plants require the same planting conditions, that is to say a fairly dry , poor and stony or even calcareous soil and a lot of sun . In addition, rosemary flowers will go very well with pink thyme flowers in the garden as well as indoors. Harvesting the leaves, for these two varieties, can be done from 4 weeks .

Caring for your Potted Rosemary

It is important to take good care of your rosemary . Even if it is resistant to diseases, it can be attacked by leaf beetles, so it will be necessary to monitor its planting. Maintaining rosemary will also help it develop larger foliage and gain height without thinning.

Watering

Rosemary is an aromatic plant that does not like humidity and needs a lot of sun . This variety can survive the cold if it is not too humid. To keep your rosemary for a long time, it is therefore necessary to drain the soil well to evacuate the water. After sowing, you will need to water your rosemary. Repeat the operation frequently the first year if the soil is dry. After a year, it will be necessary to avoid watering the rosemary , and place it in a place with good exposure to the sun.

Cut the Rosemary Officinal

Trimming Potted Rosemary will give it a nice shape , adjust its height , and help it renew its leaves . For this, take the leaves you need in the kitchen, cutting at the base of the stem. In addition to the harvest, it will also be necessary to cut the dead branches so that new ones can grow back. So that the stems of your Rosemary Officinal can grow back more branched, prune the branches that are still green and not those that are already dry and that would not grow back. Pruning is done during spring flowering or in autumn, when the stems are even more fragrant.

2 cutting techniques

Cuttings, what is it?

This is a multiplication technique . Indeed, there are several: sowing which consists of planting seeds or layering and cuttings for planting without seeds.

Cuttings can be done twice a year : during spring flowering and autumn flowering. Although rosemary needs good lighting, it should first be left out of direct sunlight.

Harvest stems for cuttings

To prepare your cuttings, you must harvest stems. To do this, use pruning shears and take stems of the year . Strip the base of the stem, then cut the head to obtain a stem of at least 10cm. Once this step is completed, you can move on to the cuttings.

Water cuttings

Place your stems in a glass of water and leave them for two weeks . The water will need to be changed daily. When your stems have good roots, you can prepare the soil. To do this, mix potting soil with sand and place it in a pot . Plant the stems then gently water the soil.

Stewed cuttings

Stewed cuttings consist of keeping the humidity in a bottle. For this, prepare the mixture of potting soil and sand and pour it into a pot. Plant the stems of rosemary and water them lightly. Cover the plants with the bottle by closing the cap. This technique will avoid direct exposure to the sun which could weaken your plants. It will be necessary to ventilate from time to time by opening the cap. After 3 weeks, you can leave your plants in the open air.

Rosemary can also be grown in a vegetable garden , in a window box or in your garden. The Pot remains a very good alternative and you can place it directly in your kitchen to use its leaves whenever you want . You can also consult our other URBAN CUISINE maintenance advice on rosemary: 5 ways to preserve your rosemary or on other varieties: Grand Vert Basil , Common Thyme , or Lettuce to Cut .