Rosemary is a Mediterranean plant and therefore needs little water. However, this rule only applies to planted specimens. In the pot you should pay attention to a regular water supply. How to water rosemary properly.
In a nutshell
- Rosemary comes from the warm Mediterranean region
- Copes well with drought
- Absolutely avoid waterlogging
- Water plants that have been planted out regularly for the first few weeks
rosemary
Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus, formerly Rosmarinus officinalis) originally comes from the Mediterranean region. In its homeland, it prefers dry, calcareous and sunny locations. It belongs to the typical bush cover of the Mediterranean sclerophyllous vegetation zone with rainy winters and dry and hot summers.
In Central Europe, the evergreen subshrub is kept in pots or planted out, with only hardy varieties such as "Arp" or "Rex" being suitable for the latter. You can get these rosemary in specialist shops. It is better not to plant plants that you have bought from the herb shelves in the supermarket, as they are usually not hardy.
The hardy rosemary variety 'Arp' is not affected by temperatures down to -20°C.
Tip: Plant out the herb in spring. This allows it to take root well into summer or winter.
pour
How much water a rosemary bush needs depends on whether it is cultivated in a pot or planted out in the garden. Due to its origin, however, the rule of thumb is “less is more”.
In the open air
Rosemary bushes that are well rooted in the ground will develop deep and branching roots over time, allowing them to draw water from a few meters of soil depth. Therefore, such specimens usually do without additional watering. However, if the summer is very hot and dry, you should water Salvia rosmarinus thoroughly.
Notice: If the needles turn yellow, your rosemary is very thirsty and needs urgent help.
If possible, you should not water rosemary in the blazing midday sun. Unsightly burns can result.
With freshly planted rosemary, the question of watering is different. Since their roots have not yet grown deep into the ground, they need a regular water supply, especially in the first few weeks after planting. Therefore, if there is no rain, you should reach for the watering can. Be sure to plant
- once a week
- with three to five liters (highly permeable soils)
water. If you are unsure about the permeability of the soil, reduce the amount of water a little, because Salvia rosmarinus does not tolerate waterlogging at all.
In the bucket
In pot and tub culture, waterlogging and drought are rosemary's greatest enemies, with the latter being better tolerated than the former. To prevent waterlogging,
- use a planter with at least one drainage hole
- lay a drainage layer of gravel or potsherds at the bottom of the pot
- mix the substrate with sand;
When watering, make sure that no irrigation water remains in the saucer so that the moisture does not penetrate the roots from below. If it rains continuously, you should place the shrub in a sheltered place and remove excess rainwater from the drip tray.
The risk of drought in the tub culture is that the plant cannot root as deeply as in the field. If the substrate has dried out, it has no way of providing itself with water and has to die of thirst. Therefore, you should water them as soon as the substrate has dried on the surface.
Tip: For smaller specimens, it is best to place the pot in a bucket of water to allow the rosemary to fully soak.
frequently asked Questions
Does rosemary tolerate calcareous irrigation water?Lime does not harm rosemary bushes. Therefore you can water the plants with normal tap water.
Do I also have to water rosemary bushes that have been planted out in winter?If it is dry and cold for a long time in winter, it can happen that rosemary bushes suffer from a lack of water. In this case, a small portion of lukewarm tap water will help.
What do I do if I watered my rosemary too much?Carefully lift the plant out of the pot and free the roots from the wet soil. Then remove all rotten root parts and place the subshrub in dry substrate. With a bit of luck, he will survive the water damage.