Rosemary is a delicious, healthy, easy to grow and versatile herb. It's a spicy bush and it originates from the Mediterranean Area. It has thick wood-like stems with little greyish-green needle-like leaves and it flowers with little light blue till pink flowers. The flowers of Rosemary are beloved by bees, butterflies and other benificial insects. Cut your Rosemary bush back in spring time to enhance the growth and the form. This is one of the most popular fresh herbs in the kitchen. It is also a much used herb in the Mediterranean kitchen.
Rosemary is very healthy and versatile. Rosemary contains a.o.: vitamin A, B2, B3, B6, B12 and C. And the minerals calcium, phosphor, iron, potassium, copper, magnesium, manganese, sodium, selenium and zinc. Rosemary also contains phenol acid rosmarinic acid and some essential oils such as: cineol, borneol, bornyl acetate , camphene and Alpha-pinene. Rosemary is delicious with: eggs, potatoes, beef, lamb, pork, chicken, with game, pasta, cheese, shellfish, fish and in herb butter. Rosemary is also delicious with different vegetables like: courgette, aubergine, tomatoes and mushrooms. Rosemary can also be added to soups, sauces, pasta dishes, oven dishes, stews, stir-fry dishes, stock, in marinades, salads, potato dishes, egg dishes (omelette) and in herb butter. It's also an integral part of Provencal herbs and a Bouquet Garni. You can cook Rosemary in your dishes. Rosemary is used fresh and dried. Dried Rosemary is a bit stronger in flavour. You use the leaves of Rosemary or you use the whole sprigs of Rosemary. You can also use the sprigs of Rosemary as a spicy herbal skewer. Rosemary is also used to make tea. This tea is used as a stimulant, against fatigue and against digestive problems. Rosemary can also be added to a foot bath or in a herbal bath. Rosemary is than stimulating, exciting and against fatigue. Rosemary is a low growing, Evergreen, deliciously aromatic and deliciously flavoured bush. It can turn wood-like from the second season after sowing. Semi hardy perennial. Height: 180 cm.
Indoor sowing: beginning of April - end of May
Outdoor sowing: end of May - end of June
Germination: 14 - 21 days
Germinationtemp.: 15 - 21 °C
Sowing depth: ½ - 1 cm
Plant distance: 60 - 90 cm
Plant position: full sun and sheltered against the wind
Harvestperiod: June - October
Sow indoors from the beginning of April till the end of May in trays filled with moist potting soil. Sow sparingly and cover the seeds with a layer of soil. Cover the trays with a lid to retain the moisture. Rosemary is a darkgerminator and it may help the germination to put the trays in a warm and dark room. Keep the temperature about 15 - 21 °C. Keep the temperature as even as possible and don't let the temperature drop during the night. A constant temperature helps with germination. After 14 till 21 days the seedlings emerge. The seeds of Rosemary are known for a highly irregular germination and it can take about 3 months before the seeds germinate with outdoor sowings. Transplant the seedlings, when they're large enough to handle, to seperate pots. Harden the young plants of by putting them outdoors during the day for about 14 days, from the beginning of May. After this period, you can plant the young plants, when they're about 20 cm in size, to their permanent plot outdoors, when there's no longer any danger of frost. Keep the plants about 60 - 90 cm apart. Rosemary needs a sheltered plot with full sun and limey and freedraining soil.
Sow outdoors from the end of May till the end of June, when there's no longer any danger of frost. Sow sparingly and cover the seeds with a layer of soil. Sow on a sunny plot with shelter against the wind in limey and freedraining soil. Thin the young plants to 60 -90 cm apart, when they're large enough to handle. You can replant your thinned plants. Protect Rosemary in the winter against frost or put your plant indoors in large pots. You need to cut the branches regurlarly to get wood-like branches. You got to harvest regurlarly to make sure that your plants stay productive.
