rosemary
Rosemary is a perennial evergreen subshrub of Labiatae. Its leaves are long and narrow, like pine needles, with curled edges, grayish green leather, needle like after drying, and its flower colors are blue, pink and white. Rosemary originated in the Mediterranean coast and is most cultivated in southern Europe in the world. Put the dried rosemary stems and leaves indoors to fill the air with fragrance. Its stems and leaves can be bathed in bath water to promote blood circulation. Putting them in the wardrobe can drive away clothes fish.
Rosemary has been cultivated in China for a long time. According to the compendium of Materia Medica, it was introduced from the western regions, removed its branches and leaves, and put it in bags. It has a strong aroma. Rosemary is not only used for cooking in western countries, but also uses its bactericidal and antioxidant ability to preserve food. The use and processing of aromatic essential oils are more common. Its essential oils can produce Cologne, and shampoo can also remove dandruff. The dosage should not be too high, otherwise there is a risk of epilepsy or spasm.
Habit: there are many varieties of rosemary, roughly divided into erect species and creeping species. Most of the economic cultivation is mainly erect species, because it needs less space for growth and is more convenient to harvest. Rosemary likes warm climate. The temperature without cold current in winter is more suitable for its growth. Its leaves are leathery and can withstand drought. The fertile sandy loam with loose soil and good drainage is the best cultivation soil.
Pruning: Rosemary grows slowly and its regeneration ability is not strong. Special care must be taken when pruning and harvesting, especially the lignification of old branches is very fast. Excessive strong pruning often leads to the failure of plants to germinate again. It is safer to keep 2 / 3 of the length of the branches when pruning each time. In order to prevent the whole plant from becoming disordered due to horizontal branches or getting sick due to poor ventilation, regular pruning is very important. Erect varieties are easy to grow very high in field cultivation. In order to facilitate management and increase harvest, the top should be cut off when they begin to grow after planting, and the lateral buds should be cut 2-3 times after germination, so that the plants will be low and neat.
Propagation: rosemary can be propagated by sowing or cutting. Seeds germinate slowly during reproduction, and the germination rate is poor. Therefore, in addition to introducing new varieties, cutting method is usually adopted for propagation. Take the top bud and cut it in the culture soil. If you want to speed up the rooting, dip the base with some rooting powder before cutting. Before cutting, insert a small hole with bamboo chopsticks before cutting, so as to avoid the rooting powder being wiped off by the culture soil. It can be transplanted after about 1 month in a cool place. Creeping species can use the lying branches to cut and then shallow bury at the place contacting the soil, and cut off the mother plant after about 1 month.
Harvesting: Rosemary is mainly used by branches and leaves, which can be cut with scissors. If you fold it directly by hand, you must wear gloves and long sleeved overalls. Because the juice from its wound will soon turn into glue, which is difficult to remove. It will also be allergic to people with some allergic constitution. It is worth mentioning that rosemary should be used immediately after harvest, otherwise it should be dried quickly to avoid the loss of aroma.