Growing rosemary indoors is not difficult at all provided that you give your plant what it needs! While rosemary tends to be a little trickier to grow indoors, there are things you can to prevent your rosemary plant from dying.
Today we'll show you how to successfully grow rosemary indoors! Rosemary is an extremely aromatic herb that adds an amazing depth of flavor to many dishes, especially meats, stews, and grilled foods. Having rosemary right in your kitchen at your fingertips will make your dishes sparkle and your guests coming back for more! Let's take a look at how to grow rosemary indoors!
How to Grow Rosemary Indoors
Why Your Rosemary Plant Might be Dying:
More often than not, there are 4 major things which could cause your rosemary plant to wither and dye:
Lack of sunlight – a potted rosemary plant needs plenty of sunshine in order to thrive. Make sure you place your plant in a south facing window. If that's not possible, place the plant under any bright light, grow lights, or fluorescent light.
Poor watering – only water the plant when the top soil is dry to the touch. Often times, a rosemary plant will dye if it's watered too much or not enough. Make sure there is no excess water by planting your rosemary in a pot with drainage holes and use well drained soil. Too much water, and the plant will develop root rot. In the winter, the plant will need much less water than usual, so be sure to adjust the water amount during that time.
Powdery mildew – unfortunately, rosemary plants are easily susceptible to powdery mildew. A potted rosemary plant will not get the same air circulation indoors as it would outdoors. To prevent powdery mildew from taking place, have a small fan blow onto the plant a few hours a day to get the air moving.
Pests – small insects such as aphids could overtake your rosemary plant. Prevent this by keep your plant strong (making sure you don't over water, under water, or keep it away from sunlight). If your plant does become infested, spray it with a natural insecticide.
Planting:
- For your rosemary herb to grow healthy, you'll need a big enough pot that has good drainage.
- Make sure the soil is an organic, rich potting soil.
- You can either plant rosemary from seed, or purchase a rosemary seedling from your local nursery. Purchasing an already grown rosemary plant is always best though, as rosemary can be a little tricky to grow directly from seed!
- Once planted, spray the rosemary plant with some water, and make sure the soil is moist enough.
Caring for Your Rosemary Plant:
- Set your rosemary plant on a windowsill which gets direct sunlight.
- Rosemary plants love the sun, so make sure it receives at least 6-8 hours of sunlight.
- Allow the top 2 inches of soil to dry out before you water the plant again.
- Use a liquid fertilizer once or twice a month.
- Use a fan to prevent mildew forming on your plant. Place a fan right in front of your rosemary plant for a few hours each day. This will get the air circulating and prevent any mildew that the rosemary plant is prone to.
Harvesting Rosemary:
- You can harvest rosemary by snipping directly above a stem joint.
- This will allow for new growth to continue!
- Be sure to never remove more than 1/3 of plant at one time.
Happy Planting!
