The Rosemary Thread

[ABCarve]

Hello all
I've threatens to do this and I'm now following thru. There doesn't seem to be a lot of horticultural info here on growing rosemary as bonsai. I'd like to change that with this thread. I don't pretend to know much about their horticulture but I've kept a few for over twenty years. Most people think their touchy......maybe...I've only noticed that with major root reduction. You may have seen this one on other threads but here we go.
1. - full flower this fall mid-october.
2. - today...flowers going to seed.
3. - after pruning today removing seed heads and cutting back. The plant is allowed to grow out until next November as you see in pic 1. The only pruning done while growing is the occasional pinch for cooking.

This plant was never wired (although I have wired another extensively), only clip and grow, approx 21 years old. Started from a cutting and only slip potted into bigger pots. It has been repotted twice in its current container every 3 years. Repotting consisted of teasing out root mass, reducing feeder roots 1"(pot is 9"dia.), replacing soil, large roots are not reduced. I'm not really satisfied with it current pot.

I hope other growers will chime in with their experience and/or questions. I'll keep posting my other rosemary as we go.

 

[Poink88]

Very nice! Love the twisty gnarly trunk.

Not sure if you know this but be aware that if you use DEET spray...DO NOT touch your rosemary w/o washing. I lost couple of big rosemary before I learned this.

 

[ABCarve]

Very nice! Love the twisty gnarly trunk.

Not sure if you know this but be aware that if you use DEET spray...DO NOT touch your rosemary w/o washing. I lost couple of big rosemary before I learned this.

How did you know it was the deet?

 

[Poink88]

How did you know it was the deet?

Someone in IBC told me if I recall correctly then it was confirmed by an online article I read. I will try to find it for you.

 

[Anthony]

Bennett,

they are fairly popular over in Italy. Often they were seen in a pine style. I like yours, can you give some sizes, trunk, width, height, soil mix?

How do you handle the no back budding or were you able to get back budding?

I have two growing for Bonsai, and one much older but that has been used just of cooking.
The two for Bonsai are nothing as of yet, but the one I got a few months ago, was in flower.

In Italy, they had really old ones with trunks at 4 to 5 inches and roughly 6' tall, out in the open with snow on them. On Elba, at Porto Ferreira, at the seaside the prostrate variety covered the beach.
The prostrate variety has a great deal of personality.
Good Day
Anthony

http://www.evergreengardenworks.com/rosemary.htm

http://www.saruyama.co.uk/Rosemary

 

[ABCarve]

Bennett,

they are fairly popular over in Italy. Often they were seen in a pine style. I like yours, can you give some sizes, trunk, width, height, soil mix?

How do you handle the no back budding or were you able to get back budding?

I have two growing for Bonsai, and one much older but that has been used just of cooking.
The two for Bonsai are nothing as of yet, but the one I got a few months ago, was in flower.

In Italy, they had really old ones with trunks at 4 to 5 inches and roughly 6' tall, out in the open with snow on them. On Elba, at Porto Ferreira, at the seaside the prostrate variety covered the beach.
The prostrate variety has a great deal of personality.
Good Day
Anthony

http://www.evergreengardenworks.com/rosemary.htm

http://www.saruyama.co.uk/Rosemary

Trunk =1.5"
width =20"
height = 16" above soil
soil is Hollow Creek Pro premix. Pro mix is 30% akadama. Not sure about the rest of the mix. There is organics in it.....milled pine bark... doesn't seem like a lot though. This plant has been in many different mixes over its lifespan, from very organic (half topsoil, half bonsai mix) to present mix.
All of the plants I've worked on are prostrate. I like their natural growth habit. The uprights seem to take too much wiring on a plant that doesn't like extreme bending.
The California coast here is covered with them....almost like a weed. I haven't heard of many people having success collecting them.
My big plant started out a ornamental mostly for cooking and flowers. I slowly realized it could make a nice bonsai. I'll post it later when I have more photos.

Thank you for the links. Any info is greatly appreciated.

Dave

 

[Cadillactaste]

So you prune it back hard in the fall after its bloomed and started to go to seed. I am smitten with this tree. The fact it looks to weep on its own...has me pausing and really enjoying the entire overall look of it.

If I would wish to later...add this variety...is it a specific rosemary? (I love using rosemary in cooking as well. To have fresh an added bonus!)

Thanks for sharing!

 

[ABCarve]

How do you handle the no back budding or were you able to get back budding?

This is a plant I'm rehabilitating for a friend. Rescued house plant that was in potting soil. Most of its roots were rotted off. I think it will make good literati. We're just waiting to see if both top and side lives.
I've have not ever seen back budding on old wood but never say never. The last pic show this phenom on what was a very unhealthy plant.

Thanks for reminding me about the snow. Most people don't think of them that way. I leave mine out until Nov 1. They couldn't take the rest of our winters here. They seem to enjoy the chill down. The rest of the winter is spent in a greenhouse at 50-60 deg. F.

 

[ABCarve]

So you prune it back hard in the fall after its bloomed and started to go to seed. I am smitten with this tree. The fact it looks to weep on its own...has me pausing and really enjoying the entire overall look of it.

If I would wish to later...add this variety...is it a specific rosemary? (I love using rosemary in cooking as well. To have fresh an added bonus!)

Thanks for sharing!

rosmarinus-officinalis-prostratus

 

[ABCarve]

Anthony,

just got done with the Italian story.... great info.
http://www.saruyama.co.uk/Rosemary

I may try the sun lamp idea. I live in Erie or as some people call it "Dreary Erie." It's pretty gray here all winter.

 

[Joedes3]

Great thread. I just saw some 18 inch trees at Home Depot. What are the indoor light requirements? When is a good time to wire ie root prune?
Thanks
Joedes

 

[ABCarve]

Great thread. I just saw some 18 inch trees at Home Depot. What are the indoor light requirements? When is a good time to wire ie root prune?
Thanks
Joedes

Your question about "indoor" light requirements could be an issue if its too warm and dry. The rescued house plant was saved by the cool (50-60 F.)greenhouse. They like a lot of light. I have root pruned in early Nov. and early March. Don't take a lot of root at once. Safe is 20%, anymore and you're daring it to live or you may lose branching.

 

[Anthony]

http://bonsainut.com/forums/showthread.php?6614-Rosemary-as-Bonsai

Good Day
Anthony

 

[ABCarve]

http://bonsainut.com/forums/showthread.php?6614-Rosemary-as-Bonsai

Good Day
Anthony

Yeh I saw that. I actually posted there, but wasn't a lot of horticultural info. That's why I started this one.

 

[jkd2572]

Great time of year to go get material at box stores. Around here there are rosemary styled as christmas trees for the holiday. The first pic of this thread has me very interested. Nice little tree.

 

[Joedes3]

I was thinking the same thing. This plant does smell great and the price was right.
Joedes

 

[ABCarve]

OK...This one was posted already but I'm doin' it again here for continuity and to correct some misinformation on the other post.
This plant was started in 1989 as a cutting...... this is what my mother tells me and I don't argue with my mother. That puts it a 24 years old. The plant in the first post is a clone of this one but 2 years younger and 1.25" smaller in caliper. That's what growing in smaller pot will do. This plant was grown as an ornamental for flowers and for the herb, so most of its life it grew wild in a large pot..... inside dim. 13" X 13" X 11".
I realized a few years ago it could be a nice bonsai and started reducing and styling the foilage. This photo is from 2012.

 

[ABCarve]

In early Nov. 2012 I styled and repotted it into a smaller pot (11" X 11" X 9.5"). The smaller pot and its tapering height required quite a bit of root reduction which I kinda worried about. All winter it never skipped a beat. It looked great but did not grow at all. My thinking was let it recoup all winter and when its time to really grow it'll be ready.

 

[ABCarve]

As spring came it didn't grow much but it was pushing. Most of the tree recuperated as the season went on, but some branching was clearly struggling. I'm going to attribute this to some large roots that were reduced back in November. I don't know that for sure, so if anyone has a theory....

 

[ABCarve]

And now we come to the fall 2013 haircut. The yellowing foliage has mostly fallen off in places, some smaller branches dead. Some small branching may continue to decline this winter. I may try the sunlamp as mentioned in another article. All in all I think it's OK and in relatively good health.