Piyush Bakshi

How to Bonsai a Rosemary and Care for it Rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalis, has spread over the years from its native Mediterranean region and is a popular garden herb all over the world. It is a hardy and perennial shrub that lends itself nicely to the art of bonsai. In fact, you can have a rosemary bonsai ready in one year without any special effort. Popular rosemary cultivars for bonsai include Girardus, Gorizia, Hill Hardy, Blue Lady, and Beneden Blue. Once ready, a rosemary bonsai plant can live for 30 years. Once it has been trained into a bonsai, the shrub will thrive, take a little care during the colder months. The small purple, pink, white, blue flowers are pretty to look at; the leaves add a very distinctive flavor to food. Choose a healthy plant to train. It should not be afflicted by pests. The main stem should be upright, and the leaves should appear firm. Give the plant the desired shape by removing broken branches and trimming the other branches. Branches that have sprouted downward from the central stem should be removed. Gently tilt the plant out of the pot. Tap away extra soil clinging to the roots. Trim the roots till two thirds remain. The best time to bonsai rosemary is during early spring. The roots are easier to prune during this time of the year. Place the plant in a shallow bonsai pot filled with organic potting soil that includes screened fir or pine bark. The inorganic components include pumice and perlite. Use organic and inorganic components in a 1:1 ratio. Limestone lets you maintain the pH of the soil mix. The soil should be gently pressed around the roots to eliminate gaps and pockets of air. Once a month, you should fertilize the plant with general-purpose fertilizer. Regular styling gives the best results when done during midsummer. You can promote growth in the lower branches and get the plant to spread by cutting off the top foliage. Water the plant till the excess runs off from the holes in the shallow pot. Rewater after the soil becomes dry. You can use a stick to test the soil for dryness. If it comes up dry, then it’s time to water the plant again. Rosemary can tolerate dry soil but will rapidly rot away if the roots stay wet. Water the plant only in the morning to ensure that the roots do not remain wet overnight. Except during winter, ensure at least six hours of full sunlight for your potted rosemary bonsai. During the colder months, bring the pot inside before the seasonal frost appears or night temperatures dip to below 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Expose it to the morning sun by keeping it on the windowsill. You may have to supplement natural sunlight by keeping the plant under a lamp for a couple of hours daily. During the colder months, indoor heating may accelerate evaporation and you may have to ensure sufficient humidity and moisture for the plant by placing the pot in a pot filled with gravel and water.