How To Grow Rosemary

Rosemary is a great herb for growing at home. Rosemary has been used in many places around the world for everything from healing pain to attracting money. This herbaceous bush is easy to grow and can provide you with a large amount of food and medicine for the work and space required. This is not a common herb you can forage so growing it is your best option.

How to grow rosemary

Rosemary like many other bushes are best grown from a propagated cutting rather than from a seed. Propagating rosemary can be an easy take though getting a hold of a cutting may be a challenge, Asking around in your local garden clubs is a great way to get ahold of plant cuttings. If all else fails some grocery stores carry fresh rosemary cuttings in the produce section. Kroger is a great place to find organic rosemary.

To root a rosemary cutting choose a cutting at least 2 inches long. Remove the leaves from the bottom 2 thirds of the cutting. Place in a glass with a shallow mixture of peat moss and fertilizer and water lightly. To speed up the process of rooting and give your plant a head start to cover the glass with a sheet of plastic film and place in a sunny window.

Where to plant rosemary

Rosemary needs a lot of sun, well-draining soil, and plenty of airflow. When planting rosemary be sure to give them some space from other plants to allow air to flow around your rosemary plant and allow them to grow.

Rosemary can grow indoors year-round if you have a sunny window or opt for using artificial light. When growing rosemary in a pot you will need to repot it into a larger pot once a year to prevent the roots from becoming root-bound.

When to plant rosemary

Rosemary can be started indoors any time of year provided enough light is available. When moving propagated cuttings outdoors opt to wait until the last frost has passed. warm the soil by placing black plastic or row covers over the soil to warm it before placing your plant into the ground.

How to build the soil for rosemary

Before planting your rosemary into the ground you want to build up the soil. Adding quality compost is the best way to help your plants thrive. Rosemary needs well-draining soil and can benefit from mixing in organic matter like small twigs and leaves from the previous fall.

After planting your rosemary plants you need to keep the soil in the optimal condition for your plant to thrive. Using a lot of mulch will help trap moisture at the base and roots of your plants giving them the protection they need to survive the long hot summer.

How to fertilize rosemary

Rosemary like many other herbs should not be over-fertilized as this can lead to the plant growing too fast watering down the overall flavor of your herbs. At the beginning of the season mix compost directly into the soil when you plant your rosemary. Established plants should get a fresh layer of compost or compost tea in the spring when the plant begins to come to life.

How to care for a rosemary plant

Rosemary plants need to be kept in full sun as much as possible. To help your rosemary thrive opt to prunt your plant often. This will help it grow large and fluffy preventing too much of the plant from becoming woody branches.

How to preserve rosemary.

As your rosemary plant grows you will find that you have a LOT of leftover rosemary to preserve. This plant has many great uses and is easy to preserve for future use. Drying is the most economical option for preserving large amounts of rosemary. This is the best way to store for many cooking applications as well as for making rosemary tea for memory support.

For cooking with rosemary making herb-infused butter and oil are the best way to put excess rosemary to use.

Ways to use rosemary

These great ways to use rosemary will help you get plenty of use from this amazing plant.

1. Native Americans would use rosemary to make an herbal hair rinse to help their hair grow beautiful and strong.

2. Infuse rosemary in a quality carrier oil to use for homemade skincare products.

3. Infuse in olive oil for cooking

4. Use rosemary for its Anti-inflammatory properties

5. Epsom salt and rosemary soak after a long hard day

6. Folk properties for rosemary include protection and attracting money