To thrive and produce the potent essential oils you love, I require an immense amount of bright, direct sunlight. A minimum of six to eight hours of direct sun daily is non-negotiable for me. Please place me in your sunniest window, ideally a south-facing one. Without sufficient light, I will become leggy, with weak, sparse growth as I desperately stretch toward any available light source. In the darker winter months, you might need to supplement my diet with a full-spectrum grow light placed just a few inches above my foliage to keep me happy and bushy.
My Mediterranean heritage means I despise wet feet. Excellent drainage is the most critical factor for my survival indoors. You must plant me in a pot with ample drainage holes. Terracotta pots are ideal because they are porous and allow the soil to dry out more evenly. My preferred soil mix is sharply draining; a cactus or succulent potting mix is perfect. You can also make a blend by mixing a standard potting soil with 30% perlite or coarse sand. This ensures my roots are never sitting in soggy soil, which would quickly lead to fatal root rot.
My watering needs are simple: I like to drink deeply but infrequently. The goal is to mimic the drought-and-downpour cycle of my native habitat. Please water me only when the top inch of my soil feels completely dry to the touch. Then, water me thoroughly until you see water escaping from the drainage holes, ensuring my entire root ball is moistened. Always empty the saucer underneath my pot after watering. I am far more tolerant of underwatering than overwatering. If my leaves turn brown and crispy, I'm thirsty. If they turn yellow and droopy, you are loving me a little too much with water.
I prefer conditions that mirror a mild Mediterranean climate. Daytime temperatures between 65-70°F (18-21°C) and slightly cooler nights are perfect. While I can tolerate the dry air of a typical US home, I greatly appreciate a boost in humidity, especially during winter when heating systems make the air very dry. Please avoid placing me directly next to a hot radiator or a cold, drafty window. You can increase humidity by placing my pot on a pebble tray filled with water (ensure the pot is not sitting in the water) or by occasionally misting my foliage.
I am not a heavy feeder. Fertilizing me once a month during the active growing season (spring and summer) with a balanced, liquid fertilizer diluted to half-strength is more than sufficient. Please do not feed me at all during the fall and winter when my growth naturally slows. To encourage a bushy, compact shape, regularly harvest sprigs by snipping them off with clean shears. This pruning stimulates new growth from the nodes below the cut. Focus your harvesting on the newer, tender growth rather than cutting into the old, woody stems.
