Description
I love the clean herbal pine scent of rosemary. Every time when passing it I let my hand glide through its branches then inhale the scent as I continue down the paths. To me its soothing effects surpasses lavender. The plants we have are tough as we don’t protect them from the ravages of winter whether it be hip high dumps of snow or -12C. Its pale blue flowers clothe the branches and are a nectar banquet to many winged creatures. Culinary wise, a few sprigs will bring a savory depth to any roasted dish whether meat or veggie. Deer proof. Drought resistant when established. Fertilizers give weak plants.
- Seed Count: 30-35
- Collection Date: July 2021
- Hardiness Zone: 7-10
- Height and Width: 2m x 2m
- Preferred conditions: full sun; well draining average soils
- Germination test type: hand sort
How to germinate Rosmarinus officinalis seed
Mix a peat moss silica sand blend with 10% being coarse silica sand. One of the challenges in germinating rosemary is not having a well draining medium where water sits on the surface to promote damping-off. I suggest mixing a moist peat-silica sand medium, moisten well (but not wet) fill a 15 cm deep pot so the roots can stretch out. Sow seed 3cm deep. Mist for optimum medium-seed contact. Clear plastic cover keeps in humidity. Give 18-21C to germinate. Should sprout in 7-28 days. Give strong indirect light when seedlings emerge and warm conditions. Regardless if you are using a pot or plug trays, water sparingly and from below to prevent damp. Seedlings start slow. Full strength fertilizer gives weak seedlings. Best use mineral fertilizers (greensand) as they would receive in their native Mediterranean homeland.
