Rosemary Bonsai Care Guide | Gardening On

Would you like to know how to care for a rosemary bonsai? The truth is that, of all the Mediterranean plants that exist, this is one of the most appropriate to work as a tree, since it has relatively small leaves, flexible branches and a growth rate that is neither very fast nor very slow.

As if that were not enough, it tolerates pruning quite well, so that its development can be controlled easily. But so that there is no doubt, below I am going to tell you how it is cared for when it is kept as bonsai.

What are the characteristics of rosemary?

Before going into the subject, it is important to know the characteristics of rosemary since this way we will know what we can expect from it when it is worked as bonsai. Well, it is an evergreen shrub native to the Mediterranean region whose scientific name is Rosemary officinalis.

It can reach a height of up to 2 meters (Although the normal thing is that it stays in the 50-60cm). The leaves are sessile, lanceolate, greenish on the upper surface and whitish on the underside. The light bluish flowers bloom in spring-summer.

How do you care for rosemary bonsai?

To have it in perfect condition, you can follow our recommendations:

• Location: it must be outside, in full sun.
• Substratum: advisable to mix 70% of akadama with 30% kiryuzuna.
• Irrigation: about 4 times a week in summer, a little less the rest of the year. It resists drought, but you have to check the humidity of the substrate since the one we recommend dries quickly during the warmest season of the year.
• Subscriber: with a specific liquid fertilizer for bonsai, following the instructions specified on the package, in spring and summer.
• Pruning: at the end of winter remove the dry, diseased and weak branches. Also cut back those that are growing too much.
• Style: waterfall, semi-waterfall, windswept,… Any informal style.
• Pests: it is very resistant, but if conditions are not suitable it can be affected by mealybugs o aphids.
• Transplant: every two years, at the end of winter.
• Rusticity: resists weak frosts down to -4ºC.

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