Rosemary
Pot Up the Romance of Tuscany to Grow on Your Windowsill
Wednesday September 20, 2006
Not many Mediterranean herbs enjoy the crispness of fall, but rosemary comes back to life as the temperature drops. Rosemary is as beautiful to look at as it is delicious to eat and you can literally grow it anywhere, because it’s perfectly happy in a pot. You may never have a grove of olive trees, but you can still bring a touch of the Mediterranean to your garden. (And in your dinner.)
Comments
My rosemary plant is large and woody. Should I prune it back? If so, when?
Hi Steve,
Rosemary will get woody as it matures. In warmer climates, Zones 8 and up, it makes a nice shrub. But even smaller plants grown in containers will get woody.
Pruning rosemary to keep it small or to shape it, is usually done in the early fall. You should be able to do it now, during October. If you’re pruning because it’s too large, don’t take off more than 1/3 of the plant at a time. If you’re pruning it because it’s spindly, don’t cut back further than where the needles are growing. Clipping and using your rosemary regularly, should cause it to continually send out tender new growth, and remain full. But it will still get woody.
Marie–