Image Credit:
Andrei Metelev
Botanical Name
Salvia rosmarinus (aka Rosmarinus officinalis)
Grown as
Toxicity
Sun Exposure
Water Needs
Height
Spread
Bloom Time
Resilience
Plant Type
Planting
Plant in full sun in fast-draining soil; rosemary won’t tolerate being constantly wet. Ideally, the soil should be relatively fertile (mix in compost prior to planting to increase nutrient levels).
When to Plant Rosemary
- Plant rosemary in spring well after the frosts have passed, once the soil is starting to warm up (around 70ºF or 21°C). In warmer climates, plant in spring or fall.
- Most gardeners start rosemary from young plants bought at a nursery. This plant does not germinate easily from seed and seedlings are slow to grow.
- However, if you have access to an established rosemary plant, rosemary is very easily started from cuttings.
- If you wish to grow from seed indoors, just be aware it will take several years to grow the plant large enough to start harvesting.
- Start seeds or cuttings indoors 8 to 10 weeks before the last spring frost. (See your local frost dates.)
How to Plant Rosemary
- Rosemary grows well in the ground or in containers. However, it does not like wet roots, so if your soil is heavy or wet, plant it in a pot or a raised bed. Also, rosemary does not transplant well from ground to container, so start in a pot if you plan to bring it inside (especially in colder climates).
- Before planting in the ground, mix in several inches of organic matter, such as compost, to create nutritious, fertile soil.
- In a pot, use a container mix, as rosemary needs a lighter-weight soil mix.
- Space starter plants 2 to 3 feet apart; rosemary does not like being crowded.
- If starting seeds or cuttings indoors, keep the soil moist while seeds germinate and roots develop. Seeds can take a long time to germinate (2 to 3 weeks), so don’t give up right away! Plant outside once the plant is 4 inches tall.
Growing
- Keep the soil uniformly moist, allowing it to dry out between waterings. Be consistent; be careful not to overwater.
- Rosemary shrubs growing in the ground do not need fertilizer, but a potted plant will run out of nutrition more quickly, so feed with an all-purpose balanced fertilizer after flowering.
- Mulch the shrubs to keep plants insulated in winter, but keep mulch away from the crown of the plant to avoid rotting.
- Prune annually before new growth begins in the spring, and prune out dead wood. Don’t prune the rosemary too heavily.
- If you leave rosemary unpruned, it can get very woody, leggy, and straggly. After about 5 years, it’s best to replace it.
- Be sure to get cuttings or divide the plant for next season if it won’t survive winter in your area.
- During the winter, bring potted rosemary plants inside. Learn how to overwinter rosemary indoors.
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Comments
I received a very nice hardy nice smelling rosemary tree for Christmas. I have never had one and had to look up how to care for it. I am in WI so it will not be outside..inside plant. It is starting to dry up :-( I have it in an East window and it gets all the morning sun. I don't have a West or north (suggested) window. I try to water it once a week. It feels pretty dry between. And I mist it every day or every few days as suggested. Is there any saving it?? I wouldn't use it for cooking but for looks and the smell! Thanks! I am wondering about re-potting it into a bigger pot but unsure at type of soil to use or if I can even find soil anywhere here in January!
Hi Paula,
Make sure to keep the plant in a cool room and not close to heating vents or radiators. Try watering the rosemary from the bottom. Fill a saucer with water and set the pot in the saucer. We also recommend that you mist the plant daily or place it next to a humidifier. If you decide to repot use soil that drains well or mix sand into regular potting soil. A soilless potting mix also works well.
Thank you. I have it in the kitchen but not near a vent or heat. I set it in front of a window which is cool. It is in a plastic pot and that is in a steel bucket (for decorative purposes. Maybe I should take it out of the bucket and put it in a saucer and put water in the saucer (or pie tin)? I hope its not too late to save as its beautiful and smells great! If it is okay where it is I won't repot...I have no reason to. Just curious if that would help it live! I do mist it daily to keep it humid and it is with other plants and I heard that also will help the humidity factor.
Thank you!
I did put in a pie tin and watered it from the bottom up and it drank it all up. Now most of it is all dried up:-( I am not sure its salvageable at this point. I put it in the window, mist it every day. I live in WI which is cold anyhow so maybe it isn't going to make it.
Can you tell me if there is any salvaging this tree?I wonder if I cut off all the dried parts (which wouldn't leave much) if fresh "leaves" would come in?
There is no harm in pruning the dry branches. You may be lucky and get some new growth.
I too have a "Christmas Tree" rosemary plant that is loosing many dried leaves. Can I use those for cooking, while trying to save the plant?
I am not sure how to prune this "tree". I think it is mostly dead. I broke off a branch and it wasn't green inside so I believe it is pretty dead.
Cut off all the dead branches and wait a couple of weeks to see if any new growth will appear. If not you need to put it in the compost and start over again.
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Older rosemary leaves (needles) can be coarse and tough. You can still use them in cooking but remove the rosemary before eating. New leaves are soft and tender and can be used in all recipes.