Growing Rosemary
Rosemary Plants Love the Slight Chill of Spring
Friday March 23, 2007
One of the most vivid pleasures of summer is the abundance of fresh herbs and their fragrance as you pick them. It’s still a little early for basil and dill, but it’s just about time to move the rosemary plants back outdoors, if you live where it freezes. Whether your rosemary is a full or part-time outdoor resident, it will benefit from a light trim and feeding, as the days start to warm. If it’s in a pot, it’s time to freshen the soil. And if you don’t have a rosemary plant, why not. It’s such a luxurious indulgence for so little money or effort. You really should try growing rosemary.
Note: As Barbara mentions below, I've jumped the gun for most of you. Rosemary blooms in the spring outdoors, in most areas. It's a beautiful, blue show, so wait for the blossoms to fade before you trim your plant back.
Comments
Re: Rosemary
Actually, this is not a good time to trim rosemary at all since it is setting buds and will bloom shortly. There is no nicer treat than rosemary blossoms (both in the garden and the kitchen) and it would be a shame to lop them off.
Barbara
Are you growing yours outdoors? Mine bloomed in late January and is finished now. I’ve never grown Rosemary outdoors full time and I probably did miss-speak here. I’m trying to write generally for all types of climates and I should have been more specific. Thanks for catching that. It is very pretty in bloom.
Hi Marie,
You’re right, it depends on where we are. I am in Toronto and I grow my rosemary in a pot. Outdoors all summer and in an unheated porch over the winter (between 0 - 5 degrees)so that it doesn’t go gangly. Mine is in full bud right now and will be bursting into bloom any day. I keep it trimmed by harvesting with the shape of the plant in mind so, generally speaking, it always looks good.
Thanks for your column - it is always full of helpful hints and tricks.
Barbara
Hi. I live in Fresno, CA, located in Central California in the San Joaquin Valley. There is a large Rosemary bush in our front flower bed that survived and has thrived through the frost we had here this winter that did such damage to the valley’s citrus crops. This plant is amazing. It is also one of my most favorites. There is nothing I like better when feeling stressed than to run my fingers through its branches and breathe in the aroma that it emits. Hail Rosemary!!!
I have a question. My rosemary is several years old. I want to cut the big bush out. I would like to start with another little plant since my garden is so small. Can I just cut some off and put it in water to root or do I need rooting hormone.
Rooting hormone helps, but you can root it without. It seems whenever you bring home herbs from the grocery store and stick them in water, they’re the first ones to root.
Rosemary is pretty slow growing, so be patient.
I’ve got two potted rosemary plants that were kept outdoors…both lost their needles, but still both plants seem to be alive. Is there a way to revitalize these guys? Thanks!
That doesn’t sound good. They shouldn’t lose a lot of needles. At this point, you could give them a little food, maybe something high in nitrogen, and wait and see. And keep them warm…
I had a wonderful Rosemary plant in my herb garden that unfortunately was a victim of an overzelous painter and the needles are covered in overspray paint. Does anyone know of a way to “wash” the paint away? I can easily rub it off of a needle but I am not that bored in life to rub paint off of the thousands of needles. Thanks
Hi, I have two large Rosemary plants that should have dark blue blooms. The plants have never bloomed. I live in Las Vegas, and have had the light blooming plants for years but I really like the darker bloom. How can I help my rosemary plants bloom? They are beautiful and well trimmed but not blooming. Thanks
The problem could be that you trimmed them at the wrong time of year. Rosemary blooms on wood that is at least a year old. So if you pruned in late summer, you could diminish the amount of blooms. Most rosemary’s bloom sometime between January and June. If you like to keep them trimmed or shaped, the best time to do it is after they finish blooming.