Versatile, fragrant and attractively covered with small purple, blue, pink or white flowers, rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) not only grows into a thick, hardy ground cover with small leaves that add a distinctive flavor to foods -- you can also train it into a delicate, beautiful bonsai. Hardy outdoors in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 8 to 11, rosemary survives colder climates if grown in a container and moved into a protected location for the winter. Trained into a bonsai, rosemary does well outdoors during warm weather, and thrives indoors if kept in a well-lighted location.
Choose a small, healthy rosemary plant with an upright central stem. The plant should have firm, greenish-gray leaves, no insect pests, and no drooping stems, dried or yellowed leaves or signs of disease.
Trim away any broken branches. Look over the remaining branches, and decide on the shape you want to achieve. Remove all the branches that conflict with your design, making the cuts flush with the remaining stems. Clip off small lower branches and branches growing downward from the main stem.
Tip the plant out of its pot. Gently dust away excess soil from the roots. Completely remove dead or broken roots, then trim the entire root mass by a third.
Pot your rosemary in a shallow bonsai pot. The soil should be a quick-draining blend of organic potting soil, decomposed fir, or pine bark and perlite, gravel or dolomite. Gently press the soil around the roots, removing air pockets. Cover the roots of the plant, but don't let soil mound up around the central stem.
Water the bonsai until drainage runs out of the container's holes. Add soil if pockets develop, then water again. Let the rosemary dry out between waterings, as the roots will rot if they stay wet.
Set your bonsai in a sunny window, or outside if the weather is warm. Rosemary needs full sun.
Things You Will Need
- Pruning scissors
- Bonsai pot
- Potting soil
- Be patient. It can take a year or two for a bonsai to really look its best.
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