Growing rosemary indoors

Click here for more information

Growing rosemary indoors is not as straightforward as growing Basil or other herbs indoors.

Rosemary is a very fragrant herb and has been used for centuries in many different parts of the world. 
Many people used to think it held medicinal qualities and it has been used as an incense at religious ceremonies. 
This herb is mostly cultivated for its needle shaped leaves which have a variety of uses in the kitchen.

Information to get started growing rosemary indoors in your home:

• Choosing & Planting the seeds- What you need to know about which seeds you should pick for the best crop.

Rosemary can be difficult to grow indoors due to its size. When mature it can easily reach heights of 3ft or even 5ft and looks like a small Christmas tree. For this reason it is advised to choose a more compact variety for growing indoors unless you are thinking of keeping the plant outdoors for a period of the year. 
Two good varieties to use are 'Blue boy' rosemary or 'Golden rain' which are both more compact varieties and provide a good healthy crop of leaves. 
 It is advised that you grow a rosemary plant from either a cutting from a larger plant or from a young plant grown in a nursery. 
The soil for rosemary is an important aspect and must be very light and dry as these plants are Mediterranean and cannot stand to much moisture. 
This soil must also be very alkaline.

• Light & Temperature - How to provide the correct environment for your plants to ensure growth.

On average you will not find trouble in providing light for a young rosemary plant as they are more than happy with around 12 hours of average lighting, such as that from a window ledge. 
 If you have chosen a more compact variety then you shouldn't have a problem with a more mature plant either, except that you may find you need to provide more light of a higher strength. With a rosemary plant, the more light you provide, the better off the plant is. 
 Rosemary will do fine at an average temperature of between 10 degrees Celsius and 26 degrees Celsius. 
In hotter climates, you will need to provide more air circulation so that the plant does not over heat.

• Watering – Watering techniques specifically for rosemary.

Rosemary plants are very susceptible to over watering which is more likely to kill the plant than under watering. 
This is due to the natural Mediterranean climate that they are used to. 
 Rosemary plants can easily develop root rot if they are stood in too much water so always ensure that the plant has excellent drainage. 

Note - Use a terracotta pot to allow moisture to evaporate more easily from the soil between waterings but do not let the soil dry completely and always keep it a little moist.

• Feeding & Nutrition – How to make sure that your plants get all the nutrients that they need in order to survive!

As with any other plant, it is necessary to use fertilizer in order to help the plants grow, especially indoors where watering can wash away certain nutrients from small container plants.
Ideally you should only feed your rosemary plants 1-2 times a month at most. Be sure not to overfeed.

Note - For more fragrant and better tasting herbs you should focus more on providing the correct light as opposed to more food as this generally produces bad-tasting leaves.  

   

• Pollination – How to ensure that your plants are productive in their indoor environment.

With rosemary, flowers do not usually set until after a year or two of growth. 
This will depend on the variety that you choose of course so make sure to do your research before choosing a variety. 
Usually though will not need to worry about pollination as rosemary are usually grown for their leaves

• Harvesting – How to harvest leaves and how to maximise crop growth for the future.

Rosemary leaves can be harvested anytime after the plant has had a healthy growth period. Do this by clipping a stem off at the base as and when needed.

For more information on growing rosemary indoors as well as a huge range of other vegetables, fruits and herbs sign up to our mailing list!

http://howtogrowvegetablesindoors.com/growing-rosemary-indoors/