How to Create a Rosemary Christmas Tree
Have you ever thought of using the herb Rosemary as an alternative Christmas Tree? A Rosemary topiary would be a lovely addition to this years Christmas decorations.
Rosemary can be trimmed as a small tree and has a wonderful piney aroma that would scent your homes throughout the season.
As we have mentioned in previous posts if you have limited space Rosemary makes an excellent container plant.
It could then provide not only a wonderful table centre piece but can be close at hand when the cook needs a sprig for that special Christmas dish! Keep you eyes to the blog for Rosemary Recipes coming soon.
Rosemary is an attractive perennial evergreen shrub with needle-like leaves.
The scientific name for rosemary plant is Rosmarinus officinalis, which translates to "mist of the sea," its gray green foliage is thought to bear a resemblance to the mist against the sea cliffs of the Mediterranean, from where the plant originates.
Rosemary can grow to six feet in height and width.
Pruning's are necessary to maintain its shape and the health of the plant.
Remember; don't trim more than 1/3 off the growth as over pruning can stress the plant.
The balance is keeping the topiary well trimmed, so the branches do not obscure the outline of your design.
Propagation of Rosemary is easy, so you can share a sprig or two with your friends.
Rosemary enjoys light and needs good drainage for its roots; remember the leaves of the Rosemary do not wilt; careful consideration must be given regarding its watering needs.
The trick is to give it a larger container with more soil so the plant can go longer between watering.
Tips for Pruning your Rosemary into a Christmas Tree.
1.
First consider your design, the style you wish to create reflects your cutting strategy.
Considering a taller, sleeker tree, trim the branches shorter all the way up to the top.
Or for a stouter tree, keep the bottom branches of the Rosemary longer and bushier as you work your way up cutting.
2.
Use light pruning shears to trim your Rosemary into your desired Christmas tree shape.
The branches of the Rosemary are flexible enough to enable you to cut through them easily.
3.
Prune your Rosemary into a conical shape by trimming up and down along each side of the plant evenly.
Stepping back from the plant every so often to view with enable balanced cutting.
4.
The removed sprigs can be either used in cooking or dried for alternate uses i.
e.
crafts.
5.
After Christmas you can transplant your Rosemary tree into a larger pot using a good potting soil mix.
It should be planted so the top of the root ball is at the same level as it was in the original container in which it was planted.
Consider watering your Rosemary no more than once every 1-2 weeks.
Use a saucer beneath the pot to catch the drained water so that root rot is not allowed to occur.
Rosemary also enjoys plenty of light so consider this when you are positioning.
Next Christmas, the process could be repeated using your Rosemary again, perhaps with a different cut design to wow your friends.
Rosemary can be trimmed as a small tree and has a wonderful piney aroma that would scent your homes throughout the season.
As we have mentioned in previous posts if you have limited space Rosemary makes an excellent container plant.
It could then provide not only a wonderful table centre piece but can be close at hand when the cook needs a sprig for that special Christmas dish! Keep you eyes to the blog for Rosemary Recipes coming soon.
Rosemary is an attractive perennial evergreen shrub with needle-like leaves.
The scientific name for rosemary plant is Rosmarinus officinalis, which translates to "mist of the sea," its gray green foliage is thought to bear a resemblance to the mist against the sea cliffs of the Mediterranean, from where the plant originates.
Rosemary can grow to six feet in height and width.
Pruning's are necessary to maintain its shape and the health of the plant.
Remember; don't trim more than 1/3 off the growth as over pruning can stress the plant.
The balance is keeping the topiary well trimmed, so the branches do not obscure the outline of your design.
Propagation of Rosemary is easy, so you can share a sprig or two with your friends.
Rosemary enjoys light and needs good drainage for its roots; remember the leaves of the Rosemary do not wilt; careful consideration must be given regarding its watering needs.
The trick is to give it a larger container with more soil so the plant can go longer between watering.
Tips for Pruning your Rosemary into a Christmas Tree.
1.
First consider your design, the style you wish to create reflects your cutting strategy.
Considering a taller, sleeker tree, trim the branches shorter all the way up to the top.
Or for a stouter tree, keep the bottom branches of the Rosemary longer and bushier as you work your way up cutting.
2.
Use light pruning shears to trim your Rosemary into your desired Christmas tree shape.
The branches of the Rosemary are flexible enough to enable you to cut through them easily.
3.
Prune your Rosemary into a conical shape by trimming up and down along each side of the plant evenly.
Stepping back from the plant every so often to view with enable balanced cutting.
4.
The removed sprigs can be either used in cooking or dried for alternate uses i.
e.
crafts.
5.
After Christmas you can transplant your Rosemary tree into a larger pot using a good potting soil mix.
It should be planted so the top of the root ball is at the same level as it was in the original container in which it was planted.
Consider watering your Rosemary no more than once every 1-2 weeks.
Use a saucer beneath the pot to catch the drained water so that root rot is not allowed to occur.
Rosemary also enjoys plenty of light so consider this when you are positioning.
Next Christmas, the process could be repeated using your Rosemary again, perhaps with a different cut design to wow your friends.
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