Reasons for rosemary drying out in a pot
Rosemary is a spicy exotic plant native to the Mediterranean, which is rarely grown indoors. This may be due to the fact that the bush requires attention and constant care.
Sometimes the spice fades, its leaves dry out, and its attractive appearance is lost. If no action is taken, the plant dies. To understand why rosemary dries out in a pot at home, you need to establish the exact reasons for this phenomenon.
Very often the culprits are diseases and pests, and failure to follow the rules of care.
Features of growing a plant
The best option for growing is a winter garden. Rosemary does not fit well in the room. Following simple rules will help the herb adapt to home conditions. These include:
- Lighting. In order for the bush to develop properly and produce a sufficient amount of essential oils, good lighting is necessary. The duration of daylight in summer should be at least 16 hours, in winter - 8. In winter, when daylight hours are short, an electric lamp compensates for the lack of daylight.
- Accommodation. It is better to place a pot of rosemary on the south or south-east window sill. In summer, it is recommended to take the pot out onto the balcony, remembering to protect it from drafts.
- Humidity. Under natural conditions, rosemary grows in places with high air humidity. Therefore, your home flower should be sprayed regularly. In summer, the bush is sprayed several times a day and the room is ventilated several times.
- Temperature conditions. In the autumn-winter period, the plant stops its growth, so the comfortable temperature range will be between 7-15ºС. During the period of active development (spring, summer), a constant temperature level is maintained - 20-25ºС.
- Watering. For rosemary, drying out the soil is not as dangerous as overwatering it. For irrigation, use only well-settled water at room temperature. In winter, water no more than 2 times a week, in summer - 1 time a day.
- Feeding. Feed only during the period of active growth with organic fertilizers for indoor flowers. In winter, fertilizing is not carried out. For active growth, the plant needs calcium.
- Trimming. The procedure is mandatory for the formation of the correct bush. Pruning is carried out every spring. Very long and thick shoots are trimmed. To make the bush grow lush, pinch the top young shoots.
Spice growing in a room releases volatile biologically active substances - phytoncides, which purify the air in the room, suppress the growth of pathogenic microorganisms, and eliminate unpleasant odors.
Only one variety of rosemary is suitable for home cultivation - fragrant, or medicinal.
If the growing rules are followed, the plant is transformed into a tree up to 60 cm long; with a negative influence, the appearance and usefulness of the spice deteriorate.
Why does rosemary dry in a pot at home?
Spice grown at home is very rarely subject to disease and parasite invasion. This is due to the fact that rosemary has a pronounced aroma and antiseptic effect.
Pests, diseases
Sometimes, with proper care, rosemary is still susceptible to insect attack. Possible pests:
- Aphid. Leaf aphids feed on plant sap. She is not interested in old rough leaves; she sucks the juice only from young leaves. The insect is active in the summer.
- Whitefly. This small white butterfly sucks the juice of the spice. The insect appears when there is a combination of high humidity and temperature.
- Spider mite. The sucking insect appears at high temperatures and dry air. You can tell that a parasite has appeared by looking at its webs and through points.
Harmful insects weaken the bush and reduce its immunity. Therefore, pests need to be dealt with immediately after they are detected. In this case it is necessary:
- dilute the soap solution and wash the leaves with it;
- spray the bush with wormwood decoction (take 100 g of dry wormwood per 400 ml of boiling water);
- spray with a strong tincture based on onion peels, garlic or chamomile.
Most often, spices that are taken out into the fresh air in the summer are attacked by insects.
If the infection is severe (the tips of the leaves turn black and dry out, when the rosemary has dried out and is severely crumbling), then they resort to the help of insecticides (Intavir, FAS, Karbofos, Strela, Aktara). You can spray the bush with a solution of copper sulfate or colloidal sulfur. After treatment with chemicals, rosemary leaves are unfit for consumption.
Rosemary diseases
In indoor conditions, the spice is highly resistant to diseases. When high humidity and low temperature are combined, the plant is affected by downy mildew (downy mildew).
The infection is caused by several lower fungi of the peronosporaceae family, which parasitize living plants. The infection is often transmitted by sucking insects (aphids are a common carrier).
Fungal spores can also enter with water when watering.
This fungal disease manifests itself as a powdery white coating on the foliage. Over time, liquid droplets resembling dew are released on the surface of the leaf plates.
A diseased plant's leaves curl and then fall off. At the beginning of the pathology, the affected parts are removed and the spice is transplanted into a disinfected pot with new soil.
It is impossible to save a bush in case of severe damage, when the leaves of rosemary turn black.
Disorder of care
The spice sometimes reacts to improper care and maintenance by drying out the foliage and then falling off. Why does rosemary dry out in a pot?
- irregular watering (usually excessive waterlogging of the soil, which leads to rotting of the root system);
- insufficient air humidity (especially in winter during the heating season);
- high air temperature (above 25ºС);
- poor lighting in spring and summer;
- applying large amounts of fertilizers and not following the feeding regime.
To prevent the development of diseases in the soil, you need to choose a spacious clay pot for rosemary. Root rot is prevented with the help of artificial drainage - expanded clay or small pebbles are poured onto the bottom. For growing, it is better to use slightly alkaline or neutral soil.
Rosemary is a spicy and aromatic plant that can be successfully grown at home, but only if the necessary climatic conditions are created. You need to take special care of the bush in winter, when its defenses are greatly weakened. During this period, the leaves often dry out and fall off.
Source: https://zemeljka.ru/pochemu-soxnet-rozmarin-v-gorshke.html
Plant care requirements
When rosemary falls off, the problem most likely lies in a violation of the agricultural technology of its cultivation. When kept in containers, it requires increased attention. When the growing conditions of a plant do not meet its requirements, the tips of its leaves first turn black, and then dry out and fly off. This condition of the rosemary bush can be caused by the following:
- excessively high dose of fertilizers used;
- attack by harmful insects;
- insufficient air humidity in the room;
- increased air temperature in the room against the background of insufficient lighting;
- insufficient or excessive watering.
Rosemary withers, dries, flies around and turns black also due to temperature fluctuations. Because of this, even if you want to give the shrub more light, it is undesirable to take it out onto the loggia in late autumn, winter and early spring. Such changes negatively affect the condition of the plant’s root system and it begins to experience stress. It is normal for rosemary leaves to dry out after it has been dug out of open ground and moved to a flower container for the winter. This reaction is the plant’s adaptation to changed conditions.
Why do rosemary leaves dry and turn black in a pot at home, diseases and pests and what to do
Why does rosemary in a pot dry at home? This is a question asked by more than one owner of this Mediterranean plant. And there is reason to worry.
Just yesterday, it delighted with its spicy aroma and bright green leaves. And now she throws them off and withers before our eyes.
In its homeland, in the Mediterranean, it grows green in the valleys and on the slopes of mountains, blown by salty winds, under the bright sun. It's warm and humid there even in winter.
Features of growing rosemary on a windowsill
If you don’t create comfortable conditions for the bush, it will soon lose all its attractiveness, and with it its beneficial properties. The best option is for it to grow in a winter garden. But even in an apartment it is quite possible to provide him with the necessary microclimate. Create ideal conditions and you will get a tree from a bush. You will have to take this into account when choosing.
If you do start growing rosemary at home, you should find a suitable place for it. A window sill that faces East or South is quite suitable. Strong, healthy leaves will only form in good light. The same applies to the production of essential oils.
To make the existence of rosemary as comfortable as possible even in a city apartment, you will have to spray it once a day on summer days.
And in winter, place a bowl of water next to it (you can have snow or ice). It is recommended to water the plant when the top layer of soil dries - it should not dry out completely.
Basic care requirements
If the conditions in which the plant is kept do not meet the requirements, its leaves turn black, then dry out and eventually fall off. And this happens when:
- excessive or insufficient watering;
- excessively large dose of applied fertilizers;
- heat combined with insufficient lighting;
- dry air;
- pest invasion.
If rosemary dropped its leaves when moving, it’s not a big deal. He thus adapts to new conditions and will soon recover with proper care.
Pot and soil
Choosing the right container for planting and soil is very important for rosemary, because it directly affects the result.
Its root is very branched, so the best solution would be a spacious pot. Due to the high oxygen demand of the roots, another requirement for the container is that it must be made of a porous material, preferably clay and without any coating. If the plant is young, a pot with a diameter of 20 centimeters is sufficient.
This plant also needs special soil. You can buy crushed lime-based substrate at a flower shop. Or you can prepare the soil yourself: 1 part peat, humus or mature compost and crushed stone, and 1 part turf - the components are mixed and moistened.
In the first 5 years, the plant will have to be replanted every spring, choosing a new container 2/3 larger than the old one.
Lighting
Its deficiency can cause the plant to stop growing and developing. Rosemary is light-loving, and light should fall on it 6 hours a day, even in winter. To illuminate the flower, it is good to use phytolamps.
As for the spring-summer period, you will have to add light to the bush for up to 16-18 hours, otherwise it may die. It is even recommended to expose it to the air at this time. This will definitely help restore the health of the plant. At the same time, the bush must be protected from burns - in extreme heat it should be slightly shaded.
Pests and diseases indoors
It is known that rosemary has not been shown to be prone to disease. And yet, too often one hears that its leaves dry out, despite all the efforts of the owner. This means one thing - the bush is sick or damaged by pests.
Mildew
If overwatered, it may develop downy mildew. In case of severe damage, when the leaves have already turned black and fallen off, salvation is impossible. At the very beginning of the disease, sometimes it is enough to normalize the watering regime - and the problem is eliminated.
But more often you have to take a number of measures:
- trim damaged branches;
- spray with copper-containing preparations;
- wash the pot thoroughly and scald with boiling water;
- replace the soil.
As for pests, they most often attack the flower in the summer, when the plant is often taken outside.
Spider mite
This insect sucks juice. Loves dry air and high temperatures. As soon as through dots and cobwebs on the leaves on the back side are noticed on the leaf blades, the rosemary is infected with a mite.
But for the owner, this is a signal that the conditions of the plant have been violated. It is enough to correct the situation and the pest will disappear.
You can, of course, spray with insecticides, but this will have little effect - they will not affect the laid eggs.
Aphid
If this pest has been discovered, you need to prepare a solution of laundry or tar soap and wash the rosemary (its above-ground part) with it. At the same time, you need to take care to protect the soil - place the pot in a plastic bag and tie it tightly.
Whitefly
The larvae of this small butterfly love rosemary juice, heat and humidity. Their presence is easy to detect:
- shake the bush and white-winged butterflies fly out;
- leaves become sticky;
- white scales appear on the plant;
- leaves become covered with black dots.
This means that the conditions of detention are somehow violated, but improving them alone is not enough. You will also have to spray the rosemary with insecticides. You can also place sticky traps around the bush.
Rosemary, which has the ability to beautify the home and purify the air, and which provides a seasoning for your table, should be grown on the windowsill of every home. It is not easy to grow, but it is quite possible.
And in order for the cultivation of rosemary to be crowned with its flowering, you just need to be patient and have some knowledge.
And then all the efforts and efforts will pay off, and the plant from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea will be lush and beautiful.
Source: https://MoeFermerstvo.ru/rozmarin/pochemu-sohnet-v-gorshke-doma
Rosemary: care and conditions of detention - DISCUSSING.
#1 vasilina
Hello! I have rosemary growing. I water it often, and when the top layer dries, I spray it. But the lower branches dried up anyway and only the upper ones remained. What should I do, I'm afraid it will dry out all over. thank you in advance.
Rosemary can dry out if the pot is too small. Rosemaries are fast-growing plants, so you need to make sure that the roots are given enough space. My rosemary plants stand near a hot radiator, I don’t spray them, it’s good if I don’t forget to water (they tolerate drought well), but at the same time I often replant them, about once every six months. In general, rosemary is a fairly unpretentious plant. Maybe you're filling it up?
#2 Natali
Could you tell us in more detail what conditions you keep it in (temperature, lighting)? Were you looking for pests? Although they write in books that it is not affected by them, my first bush died from the whitefly.
I have rosemary near the south window behind the curtain, not far from the radiator, at room temperature about +18. Lighting is solar and electric in the evening. I wasn't looking for pests. It seems to be undamaged by anything, with the exception of dry twigs that are already falling off.
vasilina, the most common pests of indoor plants (mites, whiteflies, scale insects), unlike many garden pests (beetles, slugs, caterpillars), do not leave any noticeable damage on the leaves of plants. But they can very quickly destroy almost any plant. Therefore, any sick plant should always be carefully inspected for pests (and you need to know exactly what you are going to look for and where. Also, the lower branches of rosemary can dry out from rotting roots or from the heat of heating devices falling on the leaves of the plant.
#3 Tananda
A little rosemary has settled in my house. And now its leaves are turning black. What could be causing this? It stands on my window in the kitchen (the sun doesn’t get there). I water it after the soil is completely dry, spray it, the pot fits its roots. After buying it, I didn’t replant it, and I don’t see the point. I bought it from a man who grows plants himself and prepares soil and fertilizers for them himself.
Hello. If the leaves dry from the tip to the beginning of the leaf, it means that it is underwatered. If they turn black from the place where the leaf is attached to the stem, then the problem is somewhat more serious. My rosemary, if I water it after it has completely dried (and this moment is quite difficult to determine), the leaves also turn black and shrink, starting from the tips. So, to solve this problem, water a little more often, provided that the plant has a growth period.
Thank you. It turns black from the tip. This means I will water more often.
#4 Felce
I have rosemary growing outside, last year it withstood -15 - it is a strong plant and is not afraid of anything, loves the sun and fresh air. Rosemary is a plant for open ground. Soil with good drainage without overwatering, partial shade. After the transplant he suffers. There are a lot of people on the forum, cat. They understand plants and will advise how to help the plant. The most important thing is that the roots do not rot
and there is no need to spray it on it, it seems to me, but in the spring on its balcony
Why can rosemary dry in a pot at home and what to do
Why rosemary in a pot dries at home is a question for summer residents who grow or keep the plant on the windowsill. Just yesterday the bush delighted me with its cheerful leaves and spicy aroma, but today it has already withered away.
Why this happens is unclear. The care is well organized. The summer resident does not leave the container with the plant: waters it, feeds it. And the bush suddenly dropped its narrow leaves and dried up. The search for reasons begins.
Rosemary is a plant from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. There it densely populates valleys and mountain slopes. Salty, humid winds blow across it. Sometimes you have to endure a short drought. But the winters are warm: the temperature does not drop below 0 degrees. And the sun always shines brightly. If the gardener creates the same atmosphere at home, the problem will solve itself.
Collection and storage of homemade rosemary after cultivation: stages
Storing homemade rosemary after growing
The last enjoyable stage after cultivation is harvesting. Carefully collect the shoots of the plant; the special aroma is stored on its upper parts. Just carefully cut off the tops of the branches 15-20 cm long. Choose the juiciest and greenest branches.
Homemade rosemary herb perfectly complements many dishes, giving an intense sweet and sour flavor. Beneficial properties are retained for a long time even in dried or frozen products.
Sequence of drying and storing rosemary - stages:
- Rinse the stems thoroughly, dry on a towel, dabbing with a dry cloth.
- Place the prepared branches on a sheet, cover its surface with parchment paper in advance.
- Dry in a dark and well-ventilated place for about 20 days, occasionally turning the branches over to dry evenly.
- Then tie the dry twigs into a bundle and hang it in the pantry for storage.
- It should be stored no longer than 1 year. You can put the twigs in a cloth bag.
Dried rosemary
Gardeners and experienced housewives also dry rosemary in the oven:
- Set the temperature to minimum.
- Keep the spread branches on a sheet on the top shelf for 3-4 hours.
- Then tie the branches with rope and put them in the pantry for storage.
You can also dry the herbs in a vegetable and fruit dehydrator.
Dried rosemary sprigs in the oven
It’s also good to do vacuum freezing:
- Wash the branches and place them on parchment paper until completely dry.
- Place them separately in the freezer.
- When the grass is frozen, place it in a separate bag.
In winter, it is convenient to take the right amount of seasoning and use it in cooking.
Homemade rosemary: care features, problems, photos
Rosemary is an evergreen perennial from the Lamiaceae family. Representatives of this shrub are found in Europe, as well as in the Mediterranean. The leaves of the plant are more like needles with which the shoots are dotted. The flower is highly valued for its fragrant aroma, often used for medicinal purposes, and also used as a spice.
Rosemary is usually grown in pots on the windowsill not for decorative purposes. The plant releases phytoncides that disinfect and purify the air, as well as eliminate unpleasant odors. In addition, if you grow this spicy flower at home, you can always have fresh and aromatic spice on hand. It is recommended to cut only those shoots that have grown to 15 cm.
Flower care
In order for rosemary to grow and develop safely, not to be attacked by pests and not to get sick, it is necessary to provide it with the right conditions. The rules of care are not complicated, but some nuances require close attention.
Temperature
In spring and summer, the plant feels great at temperatures within 23-25 degrees Celsius. Rosemary has a pronounced dormant period, when the air in the room should not warm up between +6 and +15. To prevent the flower from overheating, place the pot with it as close as possible to a cold window or place a container with snow or ice next to the flowerpot.
Humidity
Rosemary loves high humidity. In summer, if the flower is taken out into the garden, there is no need to take any additional measures to humidify the air.
If the plant is left on a closed balcony or room, use humidifiers, place the pot on a tray with water and expanded clay, and place a container with liquid next to it.
This is especially important during the winter, when heating devices dry out the air greatly.
Watering
The flower does not tolerate either drought or stagnation of moisture in the soil. It is recommended to water rosemary grown on a windowsill when the top layer of soil dries out. Use water that has been left standing for at least 24 hours at room temperature. In extreme heat in the morning or evening, the green mass is sprayed once a day.
Priming
Rosemary is planted in flowerpots made of porous, air-permeable material with a diameter of approximately 20-25 cm. It is best to choose clay pots without any covering. The flower is also demanding of the substrate.
You can use crushed store-bought lime-based soil mixtures, but experienced gardeners recommend preparing the soil yourself.
It is obtained by combining leaf and turf soils, taken in two parts, to which 1 part of humus, peat, and coarse river sand is added.
Circumcision
To ensure that the plant maintains its compact shape, the apical shoots are pinched. The plant does not need pruning.
Top dressing
Rosemary in a pot is fertilized from the beginning of the growing season until November.
Feed the flower once a month with complexes for indoor plants, which are diluted at half the concentration as prescribed in the instructions.
It is useful to fertilize the crop twice a season with a solution of bird droppings diluted with water in a ratio of 1:30. In winter, rosemary is fed only when it is deficient in nutrients.
Transfer
Active growth of rosemary occurs in the first four years, when it is replanted annually. The event is held in April. The new container is taken 5 or 7 cm wider than the old one. Five-year-old specimens are replanted no more than once every 3 years, but the container is already taken 10-12 cm larger than the previous one.
Reproduction
The easiest way to propagate rosemary is from cuttings. For this purpose, the apical whites are cut off with a sharp knife or scissors at an acute angle. They should be 7-8 cm long.
The cuttings are moistened and sprinkled with Kornevin powder. Cuttings are rooted in moist peat. Plantings are covered. The greenhouses are periodically ventilated, and the peat is moistened as it dries.
The cover is removed when roots appear. This happens after 3-4 weeks.
Diseases and pests of rosemary
The spicy plant is rarely attacked by pests, and gets sick even less often. But, like any plant grown in a pot, disturbing the conditions can make rosemary vulnerable.
Diseases
The only disease to which this flower is susceptible is downy mildew. It appears as small white dots, giving the impression that the plant has been sprinkled with flour.
The cause of the disease is stagnant air and excessively high humidity. If, after removing the damaged leaves and normalizing the conditions, the problem does not disappear, treat with a fungicide.
Rosemary that has been treated with a chemical, unfortunately, can no longer be used as a seasoning.
Pests
Among the harmful insects that often attack the plant are:
Pests mainly appear on rosemary if the flower is taken outside, or from other plants. If there are few scale insects and mites, it is enough to wash the bush with a solution of laundry soap. In severe cases, insecticides are used.
Rosemary varieties for home cultivation
Only medicinal or fragrant rosemary can be grown in pots on the windowsill. It is better to purchase it in a specialized store, where it is already growing in a flowerpot. A cutting taken from a specimen growing in open ground in a garden plot will not take root at home.
Fragrant rosemary can grow up to one meter. If you pinch it regularly, the bush will be neat and compact. A characteristic feature of the plant is that the narrow leaves are green only on the upper part, and in the lower part it changes from light green to almost white.
Blue-violet sessile inflorescences are collected in multi-flowered racemes.
Questions and answers
- Are rosemary leaves green but falling off? The reason for this is excessive watering. If the leaves turn yellow, this indicates insufficient soil moisture.
- Are your rosemary leaves starting to dry out? The reason for this is that the pot is too tight. It is better to remove damaged green mass, replant and carefully monitor watering.
- Has the green mass started to turn black? It is necessary to carefully analyze the conditions of maintenance, since darkening of rosemary leaves can be caused by heat and stuffiness in the room, lack of lighting in the winter, or depletion of the soil when insufficient fertilizing is applied. Often the plant turns black due to sudden changes in night and day temperatures.
Source: https://florino.net/komnatnye/rozmarin
Rosemary propagation
The plant propagates by cuttings, seeds, layering and dividing the bush. The easiest way to get new specimens is by rooting small cuttings of the stem. A longer and more painstaking process is growing young seedlings from seeds.
Rooting cuttings
Can be carried out throughout spring and summer. Young, non-lignified shoots are suitable for cuttings. They are cut into pieces up to 10 cm long, the lower leaves are torn off and placed in a glass of warm water. You can root the cuttings by burying them in the soil substrate at an angle of 60°C at a distance of about 10 cm from each other. It must be loose and allow water and air to pass through well. To prepare the soil mixture, you can use leaf soil and sand in a 1:1 ratio.
The pot with cuttings is watered and covered with a plastic bag or a transparent plastic container. It should be in a bright place at a temperature of 22–24°C. It is necessary to periodically moisten the soil with a spray bottle and ventilate the plantings. When the side branches begin to grow, the bag is removed, gradually accustoming the plants to fresh air. First, remove the coating for 30 minutes, increasing the hardening time of the bushes by 10 minutes every day.
Well-developed seedlings are transplanted into separate pots and cared for like adult plants.
Germination of seeds
Planting of seeds begins in early March. Before planting in the soil mixture, they should be placed for 15 minutes in a solution of potassium permanganate to destroy pathogens. Then the seeds are wrapped in a cotton napkin and soaked in a solution of wood ash. To prepare it, mix a glass of ash with 500 ml of warm boiled water. After sprouts emerge from the seed coats, they are laid out on the surface of the nutrient substrate in special boxes or containers with drainage holes.
For old seeds (collected 6 years ago or later) with poor germination, a bubbling procedure can be carried out. To do this, pour water into a container, place the aquarium processor and turn it on for 12 hours so that the planting material absorbs the maximum amount of oxygen and moisture.
To prepare the substrate, mix turf soil with sand in equal proportions. Then it is moistened with warm water. The seeds are buried in holes up to 5 mm deep, located in rows 10 cm apart from each other on all sides. Sprinkle with a small layer of substrate and cover on top with film, glass or a transparent lid from a plastic container. The plantings are placed in a well-lit place; additional illumination can be arranged with a phytolamp, placing it at a distance of 90 cm from the surface of the earth.
Why did the rosemary in the pot dry out?
Rosemary is a plant native to the Mediterranean. The subtropical climate is characterized by warm and mild winters and hot summers. If you create an environment for the plant that is as close to natural as possible, there will be no difficulties when growing perennials at home. If rosemary dries in a pot at home, then the probable reasons are improper care, the presence of diseases and pests.
Nuances of cultivation
It is difficult for perennials to adapt to the conditions of city apartments - the temperature and humidity in the home are different. Features of growing a perennial tree indoors:
- The air humidity is higher outside. To prevent the plant from drying out, it must be sprayed periodically.
- Growing conditions: 23-25ºС in summer, 6ºС in winter. During the dormant period, rosemary is fenced off from the hot air of the room using a transparent shelter.
- Watering the plants occurs when the top layer of soil dries out. Rosemary suffers from both deficiency and excess moisture. If watering is insufficient, the leaves dry out and turn yellow; if there is excessive watering, the leaves fall off.
The lighting on the windowsill is worse than on the street. It is necessary to provide sufficient lighting - place the pot with the plant on the sunny side, slightly shade it.
Every day the perennial needs to be turned towards the light. With a lack of sunlight, the rosemary tree becomes longer and develops more slowly.
To provide the shrub with the necessary level of humidity, in winter containers with water are placed next to the pot.
A variety developed by breeders for growing at home - fragrant rosemary. Prostrate varieties of rosemary are not suitable for growing at home.
Care requirements
It is necessary to ensure timely watering and sufficient lighting. Rosemary is sensitive to frost - if the loggia is not heated, the shrub is moved indoors during the winter season. In order for the plant to develop well, complex mineral fertilizers are added to the soil in spring and summer. To give the crown the correct cup shape, the rosemary tree is pruned at the end of February.
Selection of soil, choice of pot for planting
The shrub prefers slightly alkaline soil with the addition of crushed stone. Soil for planting can be purchased at the store or prepared yourself. To prepare the soil mixture you will need peat, turf soil, humus and crushed stone (1:2:1:1).
The components must be mixed thoroughly. To prevent moisture from stagnating, when replanting a plant, it is necessary to provide good drainage - pour expanded clay or polystyrene foam into the bottom of the pot. Before planting rosemary, water the soil with honey water (1 tsp.
honey per 500 ml of liquid).
The rosemary tree does not grow well in acidic soils.
Rosemary has a developed root system; during the first 5 years of its life, the plant needs to be replanted. Work is carried out in the spring. The volume of the new pot should be 2/3 larger than the previous one.
It is recommended to purchase containers made of clay or ceramics - in them the soil dries out evenly. The width and depth of the pot should be approximately the same. To protect against pests, the bush is planted in the same container with parsley, basil, and thyme.
Wooden or plastic boxes are used to grow seedlings.
Need for lighting
With a lack of lighting, the plant withers and does not produce buds in the spring. In the summer season, the duration of daylight hours should be 16-18 hours.
To ensure optimal light levels, the container with the perennial is placed on the windows on the south or east side of the house. In summer, the rosemary tree should be taken out onto the loggia.
In winter and in the off-season it is necessary to use a phytolamp; the duration of illumination is at least 8 hours.
Plant diseases and pests
Diseases and pests rarely appear if rosemary grows in its natural environment. The cause of pathologies is increased humidity, lack of ventilation in the room, and violation of the watering regime.
Maintenance errors will be indicated by the appearance of the perennial. If the foliage turns yellow, the soil is not moist enough, the rosemary crumbles - the reason is excessive watering and rot of the root system.
Leaf spotting occurs due to copper deficiency - spraying with copper-containing preparations is required.
Features of container growing
When rosemary dries out in a pot, this is evidence that the plant’s care needs are not being met. If you do not create comfortable conditions for the shrub, it quickly loses its decorative properties and useful qualities. The best place to grow this fragrant plant is a greenhouse or winter garden, but it is also possible to provide a rosemary bush with suitable conditions and microclimate in an apartment.
The main thing is the correct location of the bush; it must receive enough light and therefore it is placed on the windowsill of a window facing south or east. Fleshy, juicy foliage and strong shoots will form only with sufficient light levels.
Other features of container growing, without which rosemary leaves dry out, are as follows:
- Even in the southern regions, the plant on the windowsill does not receive enough light and must be illuminated with a phyto-lamp. In summer, rosemary needs 16-18 hours of daylight, and in winter – about 6.
- Sometimes the bush dries out due to insufficient air humidity, so it needs to be sprayed with a spray bottle once a day and a container of water placed next to it.
- In order for the substrate to better retain moisture, pour expanded clay into the tray of a flower pot or directly onto the surface of the soil.
- It is necessary to water after the top layer of the substrate has dried, do not wait until the soil in the pot dries completely.
- Rosemary should be kept at a temperature of about +6˚ C in winter so that the plant has a dormant period.
- The plant is turned toward the light twice a day - this will prevent the bush from becoming one-sided, since the crown develops slowly in the shade.
Attention!
If the reason for the deterioration in the appearance of the rosemary bush is due to care errors, then it is enough to provide the plant with the necessary amount of light and heat for it to recover.
Information about the disease
Powdery mildew or ashtray is a fast-moving infection of flowers by pathogenic fungal spores.
It appears due to the fault of erysifaceae spore-forming marsupial fungi, of which there are more than 700 in the world. These life forms parasitize on the leaves, releasing white spores - they are intended for reproduction. On a note! Despite the fact that there are many mushrooms in this group, the symptoms caused by them look the same. This is the same flour-like coating that gave the disease its name.
It can be removed mechanically without difficulty, or even confused with room dust, but it quickly forms again, since the fungus continuously releases its spores. Dew can attack more than just leaves and stems—the flowers themselves can also be affected. With time:
- the flower falls off;
- If new leaves grow, they will be weak and diseased and will begin to curl.
Interestingly, there are many types of pathogens, but they are specific in their host choice. For example, yellowish ash mainly affects currants and gooseberries, but does not attack rosemary. The infection usually begins with mature leaves, gradually moving to young parts, shoots, buds, newly opened flowers and leaves.
With the naked eye, only white dots can be seen; with the help of a microscope, fungal threads are clearly visible - mycelium, whose spores are easily separated from the general organism and are released in the form of a white powder.
Pathogens are stored and overwinter on plant debris, tree bark, dry leaves below, and the surfaces of glass structures.