Question by Sarah L.
Hi Sarah,
Thank you for your advice on taking care of my over-pruned rosemary plant. Now,what sort of fertiliser should I use for my rosemary? I’ve heard that lime is good. Also, how often should I fertilise it?
As for the watering, I’m watering once a week. I’ve heard if you water rosemary too often it can cause root rot. Any tips?
Sarah's answer
Hi Sarah,
Generally rosemary doesn't need much food and water as they can manage on their own, however continuing to ensure the soil stays moist deep down (a deep watering once a week is better than shallow waterings daily) and a light feed with a general purpose fertiliser will make sure the plant doesn't have to work too hard to find what it needs.
Having said that we are looking for a slow and steady regrowth, not a fast and leafy one as this can make it more vulnerable to pests and disease, and if you get frosts, it is the wrong time of year to be encouraging masses of new growth, so don't overdo it. Normally, in less than perfect soil the recommendation is to only fertilise a couple of times a year.
Also a seaweed tonic can be beneficial to a plant under stress. It is a natural source of plant growth regulators, such as auxins, cytokinins, gibberellins and betaines, as well as alginates and minerals and when applied at low rates stimulates plant and root growth.
Cheers Sarah
