Rosemary: Tips for Growing Indoors

Rosemary is one of the quintessential herbs of Thanksgiving. People use it on the turkey, in the stuffing, and in the potatoes. It can also serve as a lovely Thanksgiving centerpiece. Rosemary grows into a beautifully shaped plant that is easy to care for indoors. You can use it in tabletop planters or larger floor containers.

It is the perfect aromatic accent for Thanksgiving and can be kept as a small evergreen plant for Christmas festivities. Rosemary is just right for your holiday indoor landscaping needs.

Rosemary by Waferboard

A Hardy Plant

Rosemary is a hardy plant originally native to the Mediterranean. It tolerates a broad range of temperatures and requires little care. Outdoors it can grow into a very large bush. Indoors, the plant is easy to maintain at a desired size. Rosemary can be pruned generously without causing damage to the plant. Keep it cut back to craft a plant in your desired shape and size.

Pruning

Rosemary is a perennial plant that will continue to grow as long as you let it. It should be repotted each spring. If you want to maintain the plant at the same size, remove it and prune back the roots, removing up to ⅓ of the root ball. This will stunt the plant’s growth. Then replace it in the same pot with fresh potting medium. When you want to plant to grow large, repot it in a slightly larger container and leave the roots intact.

Watering

Rosemary is very drought tolerant. It should only be watered when the potting medium dries out. Be sure to have a very well draining pot and porous potting medium. When the plant stays too damp, it can be more susceptible to powdery mildew. The roots can also suffer from rot if the potting medium remains too moist. Making sure there is good air circulation around the plant will also help prevent powdery mildew.

Light

This plant needs plenty of bright light to survive. Place the plant in a bright, south facing window or a window that gets a lot of morning sunlight for rosemary to thrive.

rosemary Cuttings

You can take stem cuttings of larger outdoor rosemary to start smaller indoor plants. Take several inches of a new growth branch. Remove the bottom few leaves. Place it in a small container with potting medium. You can use rooting hormone to speed up the process. Keep the potting medium evenly moist until the plant has become established and is showing new growth. Starting these cuttings in the fall can help you have new plants for outdoor containers and gardens in the spring.

If you intend to use this plant for culinary purposes as well as decoration, do not use any harsh chemicals to treat powdery mildew. You can also use organic fertilizers.

Rosemary Tree 05 by Tom Hilton

Decoration

Rosemary is a fun herb to use for decoration throughout the holiday season. Its attractive shape, pretty silvery green foliage, and strong fragrance make it ideal for your holiday tabletop decoration. It can even be used as an alternative for a small Christmas tree. How will you use rosemary in your decorating this Thanksgiving?