Alchimia Grow Shop presents Rocalba Rosemary seeds, a plant with great aromatic properties to be enjoyed both in pots and in your garden.
Rocalba rosemary, a Mediterranean plant with an intense aroma
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is a shrub and perennial plant belonging to the Lamiaceae family. It is native to the Mediterranean area although it can also be found in the Canary Islands, the Azores, Madeira, Bulgaria, Crimea and Ukraine.
It is a shrubby plant that develops many woody stems that can reach over 1m. The leaves are small and very abundant, green and whitish with a hairy touch. It produces flowers in pink, white or violet bouquets.
The small seeds are germinated during spring, spreading a few in a seedbed and covering them with a thin layer of soil and worm humus of about 1-2mm. Then they are placed in a warm and light place and in about 15-25 days the plants will start to emerge.
Rocalba rosemary, a very rough plant that endures frost and drought
Rosemary plants are big enough to be transplanted into the final pot or open ground in about 10-12 weeks after sowing. One should use a 90 x 50cm planting frame, placing them in a very sunny, warm and moderately dry place.
It benefits from a temperature of between 20-30ºC. When the substrate temperature exceeds 18ºC the development and post-harvest regeneration is accelerated. This plant is very robust and resistant to cold, frost and drought. In spite of this it requires frequent irrigation when younger in order to develop a good root mass. As it develops only the necessary water should be supplied to prevent waterlogging and root rot.
An excess of humidity can also cause the appearance of leaf fungus as the Alternaria. These fungal infections can be treated with copper-based fungicides to ensure a clean harvest. The leaves and flowers are harvested throughout the year and can be used in infusions and condiments for our culinary recipes. It is also widely used in cosmetics.
Rocalba Rosemary info:
- Sachet: 0.2g seeds
- Good results in both open ground and pots
- Germination: spring in seedbed
- Planting frame: 90cm x 50cm
- Up to 1m
- Requires a warm and rather dry climate
- Withstands frost and drought (-20ºC to 45ºC)
- Requires a lot of light, with 6-8h of direct sunlight
- Adapts well to all sort of substrates although it prefers chalky and light soils
- Harvest: leaves and flowers all year round for use in infusions or cooking