Depending on your climate and the plant’s location, you can water rosemary once or twice a week. During the rainy season, you won’t even have to water it at all!
As a Mediterranian native plant, rosemary is an excellent herb for gardeners who often forget to water their plants because it needs minimal water to thrive.
Let’s dive in and learn about how often to water rosemary plants. I’m about to show you everything I’ve learned over the past three years that I’ve been growing rosemary herbs:
How often to water rosemary?
When gardeners think about watering rosemary herbs, most do not make a distinction if the plant is in the ground or inside a container.
This could be affecting their plants because how you water rosemary plants will differ if the plant is outdoors, indoors, in pots, or n raised beds.
In other words, you’ll know how and when to water rosemary plants if you base yourself on where your herb is growing because their needs tend to differ.
Growing Rosemary outdoors
As a drought-tolerant plant, rosemary can thrive perfectly well when outdoors. This plant’s roots will branch out; thus, they will absorb water from deep inside the soil. This characteristic makes rosemary an excellent plant to grow outdoors.
Growing Rosemary plant seedlings
Rosemary seedlings, however, are the exception to the rule, as they constantly need to be watered so the seed can sprout. The first two weeks of their lives are the most crucial ones because these weeks will determine how well the plant will grow.
However, rosemary seeds usually sprout after 2-3 weeks, and they are one of the most challenging seeds to grow, at least, in my experience.
How often to water rosemary that is planted outside
If your rosemary plant is outdoors, you should do a simple soil test every two days and see whether the plant needs water.
The soil test simply means placing one finger in the soil to see its conditions. You should go at least one inch deep; if the soil feels dry and it’s difficult for you to move your finger, you should water the plant.
On the other hand, if you feel the soil is soggy, wet, or humid, you should skip watering the rosemary plant that day.
Additionally, it is best to perform another soil test if your rosemary herb is in a raised bed. These types of beds are known for having drier soil due to their elevation and because they are closer to the sun.
How often to water rosemary that is planted inside
If the rosemary plant is growing indoors in a container, you must keep your eyes on the plant’s soil. Ideally, you want moist soil but not too soggy.
Yet, because the plant grows inside a container, it won’t develop its strong root system. As a result, the plant indoors will need more water than the outdoor plant because it won’t be able to absorb the soil’s water that comes from deep down.
Ideally, you would check every day your rosemary plant’s soil, and see whether it needs
water. Maintaining moist soil should be your aim!
Watering rosemary seedlings
Water the rosemary seedlings as often as possible, just like you would water rosemary seeds. The best tip is to water more frequently!
Watering an established rosemary plant
If the rosemary plant is fully mature it has adapted itself to the soil and growing conditions.
You can water the mature rosemary plant every seven days or so. It will depend on whether the soil is moist or not.
Things to consider
These are the things you should consider when it comes to watering rosemary plants:
Weather
As a general rule I follow, if it’s hot outside, I’ll be watering rosemary once a week. If it isn’t hot, I usually water twice a month.
Additionally, if it’s cold, I only water rosemary every other week. If the plant is indoors, I water it more often; so, once a week.
Sunlight Exposure
Is the plant directly under the sun or in a slightly shaded area? Knowing this will allow you to know how many times you must water the plant. The more direct sunlight it receives, the drier the soil will be.
Repotting
If you think your rosemary plant in a container needs to be constantly watered and the soil gets rapidly drained, you should consider repotting the plant.
This could indicate that the rosemary roots are growing and need more space to spread and absorb the water that comes in.
Watering time
To avoid fungal diseases, you should water rosemary early in the morning. The plant will have plenty of time to absorb this water and release it back into the atmosphere.
Tips for watering your rosemary plant
Rosemary is an excellent herb for beginner gardeners because they don’t require much water to thrive. In fact, this herb will suffer more if you overwater it than if you underwater it.
Well drained soil
If the soil is constantly wet, the rosemary plant will likely develop fungal diseases in its roots. Hence why the soil must drain well because you need to avoid having water pooled around the plant.
Well drained pots
If the rosemary plant is in a pot (regardless of its location) you should pay close attention to it. Is the soil dry? Do the leaves look yellowish or they do face downwards? These could all be signs that your plant needs water!
Make sure the soil doesn’t dry. But most importantly, ensure the pot has sufficient holes so it can drain without causing your plant serious damage.
Conclusion
Rosemary is a heat-loving plant that can survive droughts. Keep these things in mind when growing rosemary:
- If your plant is outdoors during summer, you should water it once a week.
- If the plant is indoors during summer, you should water it twice a week.
- During Fall and Winter, you should only water when the soil has dried up. However, keep an eye on the soil, and see whether it’s moist.
References
Hi!
I am the guy behind Theyardable.com. I grew up on a homestead and I am here to share the knowledge I have and things I learn while living in the countryside.
