Only a few garden enthusiasts know that Rosmarinus officinalis is suitable as a bonsai. The herb is better known as a spice. But because of the bark, even young specimens look like ancient and gnarled trees if they are well cared for.
Rosemary is a pretty, low-maintenance bonsai
Expectations
Rosemary grows in a soil mix that consists of 40 percent standard bonsai soil and 40 percent akadama soil. The remaining 20 percent is made up of gravel or grit (€46.95). You are welcome to mix some lime into the substrate. The bonsai is happy about a substrate exchange every two to three years.
location
Rosmarinus officinalis is a heat-loving plant, because it is adapted to the year-round mild weather conditions in the Mediterranean region. Therefore, placement in the garden is carried out only after the last frosts have passed. A sunny spot is recommended outdoors. The shrub spends the winter in a cool and bright room with temperatures between five and ten degrees.
watering and fertilizing
The water requirement is not particularly high. However, you should not let the root ball dry out completely. Check the soil daily during the summer months and water sparingly if necessary. Since the tree is evergreen, you must always keep the root ball slightly moist, even in winter.
nutrient supply:
- Fertilization takes place from April to September
- Mix liquid fertilizer into the irrigation water and administer every two to three weeks
- alternatively place solid fertilizer balls on the substrate every six weeks
design options
Since the species grows extremely slowly, you need a lot of patience when designing a bonsai. Good starting material saves you a lot of time. If you dare to approach this object, bizarre growth forms such as semi-cascades, broom shapes or a windswept shape are available.
To cut
Rosemary requires continuous pruning to develop dense cushions. Shorten the fresh shoots as soon as they have reached a length of five centimetres. You can be generous with the cut and leave about an inch. A pruning back into the old wood is not a problem, because the Mediterranean plant drives out reliably and in this way develops beautiful cushions of branches. To promote flowering, leave the first shoots. Don't prune until the flowers have withered.
wire
The shrub forms a bark that peels off with age and has a dark colour, which can easily be destroyed by wire. Therefore, you should avoid this design option. Since the branches grow tautly upright without being shaped, the position of the branches needs to be corrected. By bracing, the branches can be brought into an almost horizontal shape. Branch clamps are used to form bends. Shoots that are not too thick and slightly woody can be carefully bent with aluminum wire.
tips
To protect the tree, you should wrap the aluminum wire with paper tape. As a result, the material does not cut in as quickly.