For many people, rosemary is one of the absolute "must-haves" in the herb garden, the herb with its characteristic aroma can be used in many different ways in the kitchen. At the same time, however, rosemary is not easy to care for, in particular it does not like too much moisture.
Yellow needles usually indicate too much water
If the rosemary needles turn yellow, this is usually a clear indication of watering errors - in this case the rosemary is too wet. The rosemary, which comes from the Mediterranean region, thrives in its homeland on sunny rocky slopes, where there is naturally little water. Instead, the plant obtains most of its water requirements from the air, since even in the south it primarily “drinks” the morning dew. The very widely branched and deep-reaching roots take care of the rest. As soon as you notice yellow leaves, you should first stop watering for a few days and then only water very moderately - if at all. Planted rosemary, for example, does not actually need any additional watering.
Water the rosemary properly
Rosemary plants should always be watered from above - never pour water into a saucer so that the roots can become soaked. A large part of the water is absorbed through the leaves, while the roots should be as dry as possible. Too much moisture quickly leads to root rot, and fungi quickly colonize wet roots. Always water the rosemary only when the substrate in the pot has already dried off on the surface. Even if the plant dries out for a short time, it does not harm it - after all, it is used to drought. Only on very hot summer days might it be necessary to water the plant more frequently.
tips and tricks
If your rosemary is thirsty, you will notice this by the hanging needles. The plant droops its leaves, indicating that it needs water. However, as soon as it begins to develop yellow needles, the opposite is true - it needs less water. Now you have to act quickly so that the roots don't rot and the rosemary dries up.
IJA