Rosemary BonsaiA Little More About Dew of the Sea
The leaves of Rosemary have a good fragrance and are pointed in shape. It is a hardy tree. It can tolerate drought conditions to certain degree hence it becomes a good bet for the bonsai beginner. Another positive fact about Rosemary is that it is resistant to pests. It is a very useful plant and finds use in Mediterranean cuisines and also has medicinal values. Apart from being used for bonsai, rosemary trees are also used for landscaping, especially for the art of topiary.
Rosemary Bonsai CareRosemary when grown indoors should always be placed at a position which gets proper exposure to sunlight, like window sills. Avoid placing it closer to heat sources like stoves or burning place. Too much heat might be detrimental to the plant. During the winter season don’t place it in the frosty weather conditions.The bonsai must be watered every 2 to 3 days. You should usually keep monitoring the soil; once it starts looking dry and the surface feels dry to the touch you should water the bonsai plant. When grown outside rosemary can grow to a considerable size. Hence to ensure that it stays as a miniature plant you need to prune the leaves and branches. Remove all the dried out branches and trim down the excessive growth of leaves. If you want the rosemary to look beautiful and healthy proper pruning has to be done. Root pruning exercise should be carried out every spring. Pruning of roots is a very delicate exercise and should be done with a lot of care so as to ensure that the bonsai is not stressed. Remove the soil from the pot and clean up the soil around the roots of the rosemary plant. Prune one fourth of the roots and then place it back in the bonsai pot with fresh porous soil put into the container. Fertilization should be carried out during spring and mid summer. In order to prevent the attack of pests, you should spray sulphur based fungicide on the plants. This exercise may be carried out once every month or as and when required. This bonsai should be continuously monitored for any fungal attack or damage. Rosemary is most suited for upright and prostate bonsai style and is worst suited for the root over rock style. The various cultivable varieties of rosemary suited for rosemary bonsai are Rosemary Blue Lady, Rosemary Blue Spires, Rosemary Golden Rain, Rosemary Miss Jessup and Rosemary Severn Sea.
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