How to Grow Rosemary Indoors – Tips & Tricks

Rosemary or Salvia Rosmarinus is an evergreen perennial that is popular for being a kitchen garden plant. It is an herbaceous plant that keeps on giving with its spicy-sweet flavor and pungent, aromatic needle-like leaves.

This shrub is from the mint family, Lamiaceae. Being a kitchen garden plant does not make it a plant that grows without proper care, thankfully, there are ways of keeping your rosemary plant happy and healthy if you follow this guide. 

Steps to grow rosemary indoors 

Check out the step by step process to grow rosemary indoor:

Getting Started 

Pick a container that is six to eight inches wide and deep or larger, to start with. Depending on the cultivar, Rosemary can grow up to two to four feet tall and can spread up to one to four feet. However, it is a slow-growing plant that makes it easy to keep more compact by trimming. The pot or container could be of any material you like. Although, make sure the pot has drainage holes because rosemary does not do well in soggy, poorly drained soil. Also, keep a draining saucer or dish because you don’t want water all over the place. A detachable drain that comes with the pot will do well. 

Next, fill your pot with well-drained potting soil. Rosemary thrives in light humidity, which can be a bit difficult to get in a household, so consider placing the pot on a dish filled with pebbles to provide humidity. Fill the tray with water to keep the air moist as it evaporates around the air near the plant. You should also lightly mist the leaves once a day with water as rosemary grows best with 45 to 55 percent humidity. 

Next, find a rosemary plant to grow at home. Usually, propagating through cuttings is the easiest way to grow rosemary. You can also buy a rooted plant from a nursery. Out of all growing methods, growing this herb from seed takes the longest time. 

Planting 

Once you have prepared all the material needed, start the planting process by transplanting your seedling, rooted cutting, or potted nursery plant to the pot you prepared. Carefully remove the root ball out of the container and move it to the waiting pot.  

Make sure you leave at least an inch of space between the sides of the pot and the root ball. If the root ball does not have enough space, you might need to get a new pot. 

Now add a bit more potting mix to cover the root ball and make sure the steam isn’t covered as well. Let the plant soak and drain out the water into the saucer below before dumping the excess. Then set the plant in a bright, sunny spot. 

Plant care 

Rosemary needs at least 6-8 hours of sunlight through the window or it will start dropping leaves and turn brown-ish.  If this happens, put the plant under a grow light for 12 to 14 hours a day instead. Water the plant deeply, a few times a day during the hotter times of the year and once or twice a week in winters. Check how long it takes for the top half-inch of soil to dry out to decide how many times you should water the plant. You can do so using your finger or a moisture meter. 

Rosemary likes an indoor temperature between 55 to 80 degrees F, so make sure your kitchen doesn’t get too hot. Fertilize the plant every year in the spring season with a balanced 10-10-10 (NPK) fertilizer for best results. 

Every two to three years, you might have to repot your rosemary plant into a larger container to prevent it from becoming root-bound and to keep it small and tidy. Rosemary starts dying if the roots don’t efficiently take up the moisture and nutrients from the soil. 

You will also have to trim away the broken branches every two to three years. To trim the roots, gently remove the root ball from the pot and clip off the bottom third of it using scissors or shears. Then make two vertical cuts, an inch deep from the sides of the root ball. This helps in maintaining the plant’s shape and encourages bushier growth. 

Growth tips 

To grow a healthy rosemary plant, ensure that:

• The pot or container is at least 6 to 8 inches in diameter.

• The plant is put in well-drained potting soil or succulent mix.

• The plant is watered deeply once or twice every week and mist it every day.

• It is fertilized with a balanced 10-10-10 NPK fertilizer once a year in the springtime.

• Trim the roots or repot to a larger container every two to three years.