Some notes about growing rosemary

Rosemary yields many benefits, from flavor for cooking, to antiseptic properties for cleaning, and a myriad in between. Growing a rosemary plant provides you ongoing access to this magnificent herb.
But how to grow rosemary? asks my brother.
Rosemary heralds from a warm sunny clime, keep that in mind as you select your spot for cultivation.

Some things to know:
1. rosemary seed is difficult to grow - the germination rate is low, and the seedlings are very slow growing. If you are patient and optimistic then, go for it.
2. rosemary propagates most successfully from cuttings

If you have an established rosemary plant, take cuttings and root it up (I will discuss cuttings in a future post, otherwise, try here: https://www.bhg.com/gardening/yard/garden-care/starting-flowers-from-cutting/

If you don't have a plant established yet, then pick up a rosemary plant from a garden center, nursery, or local gardener.

Once you have a healthy rosemary, choose a site suited to its growth.

Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs asserts that rosemary does not thrive in a container because of the needs of the root to expand and remain dry. Since a container is enclosed, there is little space for the roots to reach outward, and if the soil holds water, the conditions are too damp for the roots.  If you must use a container, choose a large container and use especially well draining soil, and watch the soil is not too long between waterings that the plant suffers a lack of water.

Rather, plant rosemary, which is a perennial in zones 8 - 10, in the ground. Choose a sunny location. Rosemary will tolerate full sun, in fact prefers full sun. Rosemary, however, does not like shady spots. Rosemary does not transplant well, again think of those spreading roots, so plant it in its 'forever home' directly from the first.

Rosemary is tolerant of a wide range of soil types; though, not a spot where drainage is especially slow, or water tends to collect. Remember the challenges posed by wet or slow draining soil in a container? Same principle, in the ground.  If the soil is acidic, "apply lime, wood ashes, crushed eggshells, or crushed seashells every two to three years" advises Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs.

Quick reference:

• full sun
• well-drained soil
• infrequent watering unless very dry conditions
• neutral soil pH preferred

Rosemary makes an excellent companion to certain other plants. The article, "Companion Planting with Herbs: Boost Your Garden this Season with the Right Pairings of Plants", published in the Spring 2018 issue of Herb Quarterly magazine explains that many members of the brassica family, cauliflower, broccoli, and cabbage, "get a boost by their proximity to rosemary" since the rosemary aroma confuses the cabbage butterfly (cabbage white) and simultaneously "repels several types of flies and beetles." However, do not "plant rosemary by squash, pumpkins, potatoes, or carrots [because rosemary] will inhibit their growth." Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs states that rosemary will also enhance bean plants.

Works Cited

Kowalchik, Claire, and William H. Hylton. Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs: Editors. Rodale Press, 1987.

Wilson, Rickie. “Companion Planting with Herbs: Boost Your Garden This Season with the Right Pairings of Plants.” Herb Quarterly, 2018, pp. 48–52.

dreaming of a grape arbor

Spring, a time for planting.
In addition to transplanting herb starts from small pots to garden beds, I am also planting fruit and vegetable plants.

Today, I planted two Concord grape plants that I purchased from a department store. When I saw them, I knew I had to buy them. I had a grape arbor in my yard as a child. My dad built the arbor over the sidewalk, so entering and exiting the house meant a walk under the verdant vines. I am intending my. vines to grow up and over the large arbor, creating a living gazebo.

So - yarden work report today:

placed 2 arbor poles
planted 2 concord grapevines
transplanted 4 celery
transplanted 3 zuchinni
transplanted 1 chamomile
transplanted 1 stevia
transplanted 4 basil (genovese)
transplanted 1 fucsia into a hanging basket container

watered in all of the above

Hibiscus sabdariffa, the roselle for my garden

The packet of Hibiscus sabdariffa seeds yielded 25 plants. A few of which I sold at the garden expo or as a direct order, the remainder I have transplanted to either container or garden location.
My yarden is blessed with a variety of habitats, so choosing plants suited to a niche is an important step in planting.
I am protective of the Hibiscus sabdariffa seedlings, perhaps because this is my first season growing them and I am looking forward not only to becoming better acquainted with the plant, but also hopefully harvesting calyces for making tea.
The roselle hibiscus, as Hibiscus sabdariffa is commonly called, is a native of a tropical clime, and so will not survive the harsh midwest winter of Indiana. I am growing some seedlings as annuals in my yarden, while others I planted in containers to bring indoors for the winter. (Here is a video on container gardening where I discuss how to prepare a pot for planting my roselle hibiscus). 

Hibiscus sabdariffa, like Ashwagandha, are tropical; however, the growing conditions each prefer differ greatly. Check out the post about Ashwagandha for more information on its preferences. 

Hibiscus sabdariffa enjoys warm air and soil temperatures. The plant will tolerate 'wet feet', which means it is suited to a location where the soil holds moisture.

I planted a collection of Hibiscus sabdariffa one the south side of my yarden in a low-lieing spot where the water collects, and the soil drains more slowly than many parts of the yarden. The Hibiscus sabdariffa are in two 'rows' (loosely row-like) just at the edge of some trees. The way the sun moves through the sky in summer, the area where I planted the hibiscus are in sun most of the day.

I look forward to watching them grow, and noting how the site serves the plant.

Selecting a yarden home for Ashwagandha

The Withania somnifera, commonly known as Ashwagandha, seedlings grew healthy and strong from the seed packet gifted me upon completion of the Herbal Immersion program of Chestnut School of Holistic Medicine.  Since Ashwagandha is a tropical plant preferring warm soil for optimal growth, I awaited the consistent daily warm weather of mid-May before transplanting the protected seedlings from the grow room to the yarden.

In order to support the plants transition and eventual growth,  I carefully considered the various niches of my garden before I selected the spaces to grow the Withania somnifera. I researched seed catalogs, garden websites, and books from my garden and herb library to remind myself of the plants preferences regarding light, water, soil, and pH.
Ashwagandha thrive in conditions where the soil is alkaline and very well-draining, receive full-sun exposure, and experience warm soil and air temperatures consistently.  Thus informed, I chose the garden bed with gravelly soil that receives sun consistently all day.  As one end of the garden bed is much more gravelly in soil texture than the other, I will watch and note how the plants perform over the course of the season. I hope to gather seed from the plants in the garden bed to propagate a new bed of Ashwagandha next year. I will also gather the root and process for use in tea, tincture, or other herbal concoctions.

In its native habitat, Withania somnifera is a perennial. I would like to establish a longer than a few month relationship with the plant, so I potted 4 seedlings into a large container. I hope to transition the potted Withania somnifera plants into a sunny location in the house for the winter.   also put a few in a pot with soil designed to drain especially well. I hope to over-winter the potted Ashwagandha indoors overwinter.
While I introduced Ashwagandha tonic, tea, and other concoctions into my routine months ago, to great enjoyment and support of wellness, these seedlings are my first interaction with the living plant.

BeWell Bohemia Herbs and Things video

Container Gardening - Preparing the Pot for Planting

Choosing pot and plant combos

Maybe you want to grow some herbs or flowers (or vegetables) in pots, but you are not confident about what will do well, what kind of soil to use, how to choose pot size, type....
A friend of mine posed some of the above questions to me, and I know she is not alone in her query.

So, lets talk potted plants. View the video "Container Gardening, first let's talk pots". I begin the discussion about container gardening about essentials in a pot (which is basically, does it have a hole in the bottom for water drainage? Yes is the essential answer, especially if you are a beginner. There are ways to work with containers that don't have holes, but that is not what we are talking about here).

I show some examples of containers from small (5inch diameter) to large (14 inch diameter), round to rectangular, and plastic to terra cotta. The option for container is really limited by availability, creativity, and affordability.

Small pot = limited room for root growth, need to water attentively, need to feed occasionally
Larger pot = more room for root growth, more soil to hold moisture, more soil to hold nutrients

Containers will dry out faster than in the ground plants, so be sure to check the pot daily to determine if the plants need to be watered. Do not overwater, though. If you are not sure, press a finger firmly into soil, if soil adheres to finger and feels moist, do not water. If soil feels dry and does not adhere to finger, water plant. Watering the soil is preferable to watering the leaves. Wet leaves can create an environment where fungal disease grow. To minimize concern, water the soil rather than the leaves. Watering in morning in summer is ideal, the plant can absorb moisture before it evaporates in heat of midday, and leaves can dry before cool moist nights. However, if your schedule dictates watering another time of day, that is completely ok. Do not add undue pressure or stress on yourself to water in the mornings. As long as you avoid allowing the container to dry out or the plant to wilt to you are doing excellently.

In addition to attentively watering, periodically feed the plant. The plant is using nutrients in the soil to grow, and since the container is, well, contained, there is no system to replenish those nutrients.

I drink a lot of herbal tea, and my husband drink daily coffee, so when there is leftover of either, I use the liquid to water plants. The plant constituents in the tea or coffee make great 'fertilizer', mild yes, yet supportive to plant. I also sometimes put the used looseleaf tea as a sort of mulch on the soil in the container: I cover the soil surface with the leaves. Then each time I water, it pours through the tea. As the leaves slowing degrade, they add nutrients to the soil.

Another way I support healthy soil in a container garden is by combining additives when I make the soil blend. You can buy ready made potting soil at your local garden center or hardware (or often department) store. Choose 'potting soil' for container gardening, because it is of a good consistency to promote healthy draining of water, and water absorbing simultaneously. I make a blend that is part potting soil, part peat mulch, part compost from my compost pile. The compost adds nutrients. I also add epsom salt, powdered kelp, and sometimes organic fertilizer. I want to be sure there are additives that will slowly break-down and provide nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, and other trace minerals to the plant.

When choosing pot size, choose as large as is feasible to space and affordability. Choose your pot size based not on the size of the starter plant, but on the size of the mature plant. In some ways, the size of the pot will determine the size of your plant, in that plant growth may be limited by pot size.

In the next couple of days I will post a second discussion about container gardening. I want to talk about plants that succeed in containers.