In June, rosemary on the balcony can begin to give signals of suffering. The leaves dry out, the branches weaken and sometimes one wonders: is it the fault of the heat or is something wrong?
Very little is enough to send everything to the air: an too much of the area too much, a vase taken on the fly during the shopping, or a position that seemed perfect and instead … cooks the plant. The rosemary, as long as everything row smooth, seems immortal. Al evergreen, very fragrant, a small warrior. But as soon as something clashes – a dry branch, a smell that vanishes – is the time to stop and wonder what is going on.
It is a plant that tells the Mediterranean: wind that tastes of salt, stones arrested by the sun, dry soils. It resists, yes. But putting it in a pot on a city balcony is another story. The sun is no longer that of the Ligurian hills, but the one that bounces in railings and glass. The roots no longer sink between stones and sand, but in a punch of compact earth. And when June arrives, with his fiery afternoons, the rosemary begins to fight. Without making too much noise. But if you observe it well, something always says it.
Because rosemary drys out right in June
June is not like the other months. It is the moment when the sun changes tone, as if it wanted to be serious. The days stretch, the air is stopped, and the balconies become furnaces. The rosemary, which seemed in a dazzling form in May, begins to lose blows. The tips dry out, the branches empty. Fault of the water? Paradoxically, yes. Too much water. It is thought that he is thirsty, and instead he drowns. The roots are saturated, they suffocate. No more exchanges, no more nourishment. It is as if the plant stops breathing. And the vase? If it is smooth plastic, without generous holes, it becomes a trap. A small wet oven.
Then there is the time factor: you move away for a weekend, forget to water or water down twice in a row, perhaps at the hottest moment. And the rosemary remains there, confused. Wrong land? Also. If it holds too much, if it does not drain, if it is not airy as it should, you end up suffocating it slowly. In short, it is not enough to put it in the sun and forget it. Or rather, it should be forgotten … but in the right way.
The 5 errors to avoid if you want a happy plant
Rosemary is a balcony legend. “He never dies,” it is said. But that’s not exactly the case. He holds hard, of course, but if he neglects him in the wrong way, he also gives up. And it does so slowly, without dramas. So slowly that when he realizes it, maybe it’s already too late.
He resists for months, then he suddenly turns off. But the truth? The signals were there. Leaves that are discolored, branches that stiffen too early, perfume that no longer feels. All small voices that whisper: “I’m not well”.
Here are five things that is better not to do, if you want rosemary it is fine – not only survives:
- Water it every dayas if it were basil or parsley
- Leave water in the salaryas if he were thirsty forever
- Use any soilmaybe too humid or heavy
- Ignore the old brancheswhich must be cut to make the new breathe
- Leave it under the scorching sun without shelter, as if it were a statue
There are no rigid rules, but eye and listening. Touch the ground, understand if it is really dry. Look at the leaves in the morning, feel if the perfume is still there. They are tiny details, but they say everything.
What is the ideal location for rosemary on the balcony?
It serves light, of course. But not the sun of the two in the afternoon, which also burns the curtains. The morning sun is a cure -all. The afternoon? Better a light shadow area, something that filters. A tent, a protected corner, even just a nearby wall.
The vase must be its ally. There terracottathe rough and porous one, helps to breathe the roots. And below, always the holes. Large, wide. With sassolini or clay to drain. Simple, but functional.
And then, that extra touch: the mulch. It is not just for aesthetics. Cortex, gravel, even a few broken cocci: they retain the right humidity and protect the soil from the direct sun. And the vase, thus, also has a more well -kept air.
Each balcony has its own microclimate. There is the one in the shade all day, what takes wind in the evening, what looks like a sauna. The secret? Observe.
Finding the right place is not a formula, it’s a feeling. When the rosemary is happy, you can see it.
Photo © Stock.adobe
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