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DIFFICULTY: HARD
HOW TO PLANT
Pour soil mix into jar. Cover the seeds with a little soil mix, water lightly and place the jar in a warm location or onto a heat mat. Cover the container with plastic wrap until you see the seeds starting to emerge. As soon as you see the tiny rosemary plants starting to grow, it is important to give them a good light source and a warm environment. Do not expect germination of all the seeds as rosemary has a much lower germination rate than some other popular herbs such as basil.
WHERE TO PLACE
Make sure that you place it in the brightest window in your house, which is normally a south facing window. If your rosemary plant is not getting at least six to eight hours of light a day, place a lamp with a fluorescent light bulb as close as possible to the plant to supplement the sunlight.
Avoid drafty windows or places where temperatures drop considerably at night. As the plants grow, rotate the pots to keep them from leaning in one direction, toward the light. If you are using grow lights, set a timer so that they are on for 14 hours a day. Place the lights a few inches above the seedlings, raising the lights as the plants grow.
WHEN TO WATER
Only water the soil when the top of the soil is dry to the touch. But, that being said, never let the soil dry out completely.
HARVESTING
Allow the rosemary to grow inside or in a sheltered area outside, until they are about 3 inches high and sturdy enough to handle. If the weather is warm outside, the seedlings can be put into the garden where they will continue to grow. Alternately, pot the seedlings into larger pots so that you do not have to disturb them if you want to bring them indoors for next winter. Use pots with several small rosemary plants to make rosemary topiaries. The small plants can easily be trained onto a hoop or other shape.
In warmer areas, zone 7 and above, your rosemary plants will be large enough to survive outside and give you pretty blue flowers early next year. Rosemary that is brought indoors will also flower in late winter to give you some winter interest when you really need it
TIP – POWDERY MILDEW
Indoors or outdoors, rosemary plants are very susceptible to powdery mildew. Most homes don’t have the same air circulation as the outside world does, which makes this an even worse problem for the plant inside. The best way to drive away powdery mildew on rosemary plants is to increase the air circulation around it. Letting a fan blow on it for a few hours a day or taking it out of more high humidity rooms like the bathroom or kitchen, will help improve the air circulation.
