Fertilize rosemary: tips on when and how to proceed

The rosemary is quite frugal and does not need many nutrients. We show you how to gently fertilize your rosemary.

rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is a popular culinary herb and suitable both as a pot plant and for growing in the garden. If you spoil your rosemary with as much sun and heat as possible, you can be sure of a rich harvest. In addition to sufficient light and heat, the supply of nutrients also plays a role in ensuring a good yield. Rosemary is one of the weak-consuming plants and only requires small amounts of nutrients.

If the rosemary only needs a few nutrients, the question naturally arises as to whether the Mediterranean spice needs to be fertilized at all. We will therefore tell you below why and when you should fertilize your rosemary and which fertilizer is best suited for this.

Does rosemary need fertilizer?

Is the rosemary in a suitable location with as much sun, warmth and the right bed neighbors as possible - for example sage (Salvia) – it grows almost by itself and requires little care. Even in the pot, rosemary is undemanding and easy to care for. Does the aromatic plant then need fertilizer at all in order to be able to grow well?

The answer is yes, because the herb cannot do without fertilizer. Rosemary is a perennial plant and can grow in the garden or in a pot for many years. So it gradually uses up all the nutrients in the substrate or in the garden soil - and you can help with the right fertilization.

When is the best time to fertilize rosemary?

If you don't have your own garden or live in areas with too cold winters, it is best to grow your rosemary in pots. Those who are blessed with mild winters can also grow rosemary outdoors all year round. When planting, you should make sure that the soil is enriched with sufficient nutrients. In a site with poor soil, you can use the soil before planting compost, rotted manure or a slow release organic fertilizer like ours Plantura organic universal fertilizer enrich. In this way you create optimal growth conditions for the herb from the outset.

Herbs you just bought in a pot from the supermarket or hardware store look forward to being transferred to the garden or transplanting into a larger pot has sufficient nutrients in the soil or in the substrate. You can therefore work some fertilizer into the soil when planting. It is best to use a fertilizer with an organic long-term effect such as ours Plantura organic universal fertilizer. This not only has a positive and gentle effect on your rosemary, but also on the soil and the animals in your garden. The granules dissolve when water is added when watering and are then decomposed by hard-working microorganisms in the soil. These then make the nutrients available to the plant and release them slowly and gently to the plant. In this way you offer your rosemary ideal starting conditions in the spring after planting. You can fertilize regularly during the growth phase (May to September). But that is not absolutely necessary. The last application of fertilizer takes place at the beginning of August. In the autumn and winter months, do not fertilize the rosemary at all.

When is rosemary best fertilized?

• basic fertilization in spring
• Fertilize in small quantities during the growth phase
• Stop fertilizer application in winter

Fertilize rosemary in the bed

From the end of May you can plant the heat-loving rosemary in the garden bed. Give some granular fertilizer like ours Plantura organic universal fertilizer, into the planting hole and don't forget to water sufficiently afterwards. Because the fertilizer with long-term organic effects releases its nutrients slowly and gently to the plant, you do not need to fertilize your rosemary again in the first year after planting. In the second year after planting, the plant is happy about small doses of fertilizer at regular intervals. The first application of fertilizer can be done in spring, the next two months later. It is important to only fertilize in small amounts to avoid over-fertilization. Finally, the last application of fertilizer should take place at the beginning of August.

When and how is the best way to fertilize rosemary in the bed?

• Provide when planting with organic fertilizer with organic long-term effect
• Pour well so that the granules can dissolve
• Do not fertilize in the first year after planting
• Fertilize about every two months from the second year
• Last fertilizer application in August

Fertilize rosemary in the pot

If you are not already using a pre-fertilized substrate, you can simply use a slow-release fertilizer in granular form - for example ours - when planting your rosemary in a pot Plantura organic universal fertilizer – Work into the substrate. After planting, water the plant well. This has two positive effects: the plant receives enough moisture and the granulate slowly dissolves. The organic material is broken down by the hard work of small microorganisms and the nutrients it contains are slowly but surely made available to the plant.

Tip: If you bought rosemary in a pot from the supermarket and want to continue using it as a potted plant, it is advisable to repot it anyway. In the purchased pot, the plant is usually too narrow and the substrate no longer has any nutrients. Freshly repotted, the rosemary has an optimal start to feel really comfortable with you.

In the first year after planting in the pot, the rosemary no longer needs to be fertilized again, as the long-term effect of the fertilizer lasts for a long time. Next year you can start fertilizing again from spring. To do this, add an organic fertilizer to the rosemary in very small amounts every six to eight weeks. Alternatively, you can also use a mineral liquid fertilizer every three to four weeks. The same applies to plants in pots: no more fertilizer in winter. From the end of August you can stop fertilizing and start again next spring, from mid-March.

When and how is the best time to fertilize rosemary in pots?

• Work in some slow-release fertilizer when planting
• Keep the substrate moist so that the granules can dissolve
• Do not fertilize in the first year after planting
• In the following years, fertilize every 6 - 8 weeks with fertilizer with an organic long-term effect
• Alternatively, fertilize every 3 - 4 weeks with mineral liquid fertilizer
• Don't fertilize in winter

Rosemary: with what and how much to fertilize?

Every hobby gardener should decide for themselves which fertilizer is the right one. After all, there are many different ways to provide nutrients to your rosemary. As a decision-making aid, we will give you an overview below of which fertilizers are suitable for the nutrient supply of rosemary and how best to proceed with fertilization.

Fertilize rosemary primarily organically

Although rosemary needs fertilizer from time to time, too much fertilizer does more harm than good. That is why balanced fertilization is particularly important for rosemary. Fertilizers with an organic long-term effect are particularly advantageous here, as the granules can be easily dosed and the risk of over-fertilization is minimized. In addition to this great advantage, fertilizers with an organic long-term effect have many other advantages.

What are the advantages of long-term organic fertilizers?

• Long-term nutrient supply for your rosemary through slow decomposition of the fertilizer via microorganisms from the soil
• Promotion of soil life and sustainable improvement of the soil structure
• Particularly gentle on people, animals and the environment by not using chemical-synthetic production processes

Our Plantura organic universal fertilizer with organic long-term effect fully meets these criteria. It mainly consists of organic, plant-based raw materials. These come largely from residues from the food, luxury food and animal feed industries and are therefore particularly resource-saving and sustainable. The composition of the fertilizer is also ideal for your rosemary: the high nitrogen content has a positive effect on the growth of the plant. Phosphorus and potassium in turn ensure good root development and resistance of the aromatic herb. To ensure that you provide your rosemary with the right amount of nutrients, we have prepared detailed fertilizer instructions for you below.

What is the best way to fertilize rosemary?

1. Before planting: 15-35 g/m² (1-3 tablespoons) of ours Plantura organic universal fertilizer Work into the top soil layers or mix about 1 g/l (a quarter of a teaspoon) into the substrate for a pot culture
2. Water the base well after inserting it so that the granules can loosen
3. Next year you should add another 10 - 30 g/m² (1 to 2 heaped tablespoons) or Fertilize about 1 g/l for a pot culture
4. Repeat this application of fertilizer in the garden bed after 2 months and in the pot after 6 - 8 weeks

Fertilize rosemary with minerals

Mineral fertilizers offer the advantage that the nutrients are available in pure form and can thus be absorbed directly by the plant. However, due to the high concentration of nutrients in the mineral fertilizers, there is an increased risk of over-fertilization. Too many nutrients are harmful to the plant, especially with rosemary, which is a weak eater. Too much fertilizer cannot be absorbed by the plant at all - it is then flushed out and thus ensures eutrophication of water bodies. In addition, mineral fertilizers are produced in a chemical-synthetic way - at the expense of nature and the environment.

Fertilizers with an organic long-term effect, on the other hand, are natural and release the nutrients gently and slowly to the plant. Since the nutrients must first be released by microorganisms, the risk of leaching is much lower. This is much gentler on plants, animals and people.

Fertilize rosemary with home remedies: coffee grounds and co.

If you want to fertilize your rosemary naturally with home remedies, you protect nature and your wallet. However, not all home remedies are well suited for rosemary. On a Fertilization with coffee grounds For example, you should better do without, since the Mediterranean herb prefers alkaline soils. However, the coffee grounds lower the pH of the soil and make it too acidic for the rosemary. More suitable are small doses of compost or well-rotted dung.

In addition to fertilizing, the right watering, cutting and overwintering are of course also important for rosemary. In our special article you will learn everything about the right one Care of rosemary.