HOW TO GROW AND HARVEST ROSEMARY – Rosemary is used in a multitude of cookery dishes and a lot more besides. In this guide we show you how to grow and harvest your own Rosemary at home.
Growing Rosemary
Step 1
Pick a nice spot in your Herb Garden. If you do not have a Herb Garden then make one. All you essentially need is soil that has good drainage. Herbs like gritty soil where PH Levels are between 6 and 7.
Step 2
Rosemary likes to grow in full sunlight so make sure the spot you choose, gets good sunlight throughout the day.
Step 3
Take a trip to the Garden Nursery and buy your plants or seeds.
Step 4
If you are buying seeds it is best to plant them in a seedling tray and wait until they are mature enough to transplant into the garden. To do this, get a seed tray and fill 1/4 full with grit. Now fill the tray with a good quality compost and pat level. Take your finger and drill holes at a depth of approximately 1/2″ and 3″ apart. Place one seed in each of the holes, cover with potting soil and water lightly. Once your Rosemary reaches a height of about 6″ you can transplant them to your garden.
Step 5
Dig over the area you are planting and add 2 Parts Manure, 1 Part Compost and 1 Part Course Sand or Grit to aid with soil drainage.
Step 6
Plant Rosemary about 12″ from each other and then water the ground lightly. Add a light covering of manure or an herb fertilizer.
Harvesting Rosemary
Step 1
Pick a nice dry and sunny day to harvest your rosemary.
Step 2
Take a pair of Secateurs and cut rosemary at the stem, but not too close to the ground.
Step 3
Take some garden string and tie up bundles of rosemary in bunches of 5-10 sprigs.
Step 4
Find a nice dark and cool place, a pantry is ideal, and hang the rosemary to dry for about 2 weeks.
Step 5
Once your Rosemary has dried out you can use it in your cooking. You can also use fresh Rosemary, simply give it a good wash and then chop up and use.
Acknowledgements: Video – eHow.com
