To prevent powdery mildew, make sure the plant's soil isn't too wet, and provide a few feet of space around it for air flow. Also, be on the lookout for aphids and spider mites, especially on indoor plants. Use an insecticidal soap as soon as you spot an infestation to prevent it from spreading. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content.
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Growing From Seed. Pests and Diseases. Is rosemary easy to grow? Rosemary readily grows as long as it has adequate light, warmth, and soil drainage. How long does it take to grow rosemary?
Rosemary will reach its mature size in its second growing season. Does rosemary come back every year? Rosemary is an evergreen perennial and can live for several years.
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Rosemary requires only sunlight, good drainage and ample air circulation to thrive. A sandy, well draining soil and 6 to 8 hours of full sunlight daily will have the plants off and running in no time.
There is little need to fertilize rosemary plants. A basic fertilizer applied in the spring and perhaps a foliar spray mid season will keep the plants healthy and happy. Where winters are somewhat severe and sustained temperatures are well below 30 degrees F. Grown in a sheltered area with a southern exposure, my plants have survived short periods of temperatures in the low teens. If low temps persist, bring a few plants indoors.
Put rosemary plants in terra-cotta pots and water only as needed to prevent drying out. Rosemary doesn't need a lot of water whether indoors or out , but it does need to be put in front of a sunny south facing window. If this is not possible, use artificial light. Heat is not critical. A cool room will do fine. Move the plants back outdoors once the frost-free date has passed. Rosemary grown indoors is susceptible to powdery mildew , a fungus that can develop where the air is humid and good circulation is lacking.
Counter these conditions by keeping indoor plants and air somewhat dry. Snip off sprigs of rosemary all summer and into the fall and winter as needed. Where winter temperatures are severe and bringing plants inside is not an option, rosemary can be easily dried and stored. Simply bundle sprigs and hang them inverted in a warm, airy place. A covered porch works fine. Provide moderate moisture and allow pots to remain in place until the next spring, then plant out into the garden or larger containers.
Read more about rosemary propagation here. Water in well to settle. Provide moderate moisture throughout the growing season, watering only when the top inch of soil is dry. Apply a thick, 4- to 6-inch layer of mulch over the roots in cold regions to prevent freezing. Learn more about protecting rosemary in winter here. With minimal care, this bushy herb will grow with abandon once established — often growing inches in one summer. But in containers, plants can quickly become rootbound and lose their vigor — resulting in slow and stunted growth.
To ensure the most tender, flavorful leaves for your kitchen garden, replace container plants every years with fresh ones. Ensure containers and soil have excellent drainage and water moderately, or when the top inch of soil is dry, but avoid letting soil dry out completely.
If your containers need to come indoors for winter, place them in a cool room with a south facing window — they need a minimum of hours of bright light daily. Ensure plants have flowing air circulation to reduce humidity and prevent powdery mildew. If you need to, use a fan on the lowest setting for a couple hours a day. Read more about growing rosemary in pots and containers here. There are two main varieties, upright and creeping, both of which are highly fragrant.
Uprights are better suited for hedges, topiary, and specimen plants, while the creepers are good for ground covers , spilling over walls, or to add stability to slopes. Dwarf cultivars have a mounded habit and are ideal for borders, containers, or rockeries. For folks who have the patience to grow rosemary from seed, True Leaf Market offers two sizes of seed packets. Remember to plant at least twice as many seeds as the number of plants you want for best results.
Plants are available in 3-packs from Burpee. Plants are available online from Home Depot. Sets of three plants are available from Burpee. Hardy in Zones , it grows up to 5 feet tall in an erect, dense form. Sets of three plants can be purchased from Burpee.
Add coarse sand or grit to the soil to ensure water drains freely. Powdery mildew can attack in crowded or damp conditions and is particularly apt to appear on indoor potted plants.
Remove any infected stems and dispose of them in the garbage. Avoid overwatering and ensure plants are well-spaced with proper air circulation. Aphids and spittle bugs are the most common pests. These insects can be quickly dispatched with a strong blast of water from the garden hose. This garden stalwart also makes an excellent companion plant, as few pests find its intense flavor and fragrance palatable. Beans , carrots , and cruciferous veggies benefit from having rosemary nearby as its intense volatile oils repel cabbage moths loopers , carrot rust flies, and Mexican bean beetles.
Slugs and snails are also deterred from snacking on leafy greens with rosemary growing close by. It attracts pollinators such as bees , butterflies , and hummingbirds , and is resistant to wildlife like deer and rabbits. For the best flavor, pick stems in the morning after the dew dries and before the afternoon heat sets in. Choose tender tips, and with sharp garden pruners , cut stems 6 to 8 inches long. Use fresh from the garden, or store in the refrigerator in a small glass of water for up to 10 days.
To remove leaves from the stems, hold the tip of one firmly with one hand. Grip the stem an inch below the tip with the thumb and forefinger of your free hand, and firmly pull your fingers down the stem, removing the leaves in one swift motion.
To air dry, hang single stems or small bundles in a warm, dry area out of direct sunlight. This can take up to hours, depending on the ambient humidity. Once dry, remove leaves and store in tightly sealed containers in a cool, dark cupboard. They should stay fresh for a year or more. Leaves can also be frozen in ice cube trays half-filled with olive oil or water. Or simply roll up washed and dried stems in freezer bags, squeezing out excess air from the top before sealing, and pop them in the freezer.
Learn more about freezing fresh herbs in this guide. The leaves, or needles, give their best flavor when used fresh, but dried and frozen are good options for cooking as well. Add a chunk of dried wood or fresh green stems to the barbecue for a sweetly savory addition to grilled foods. You can read more about how to use this fascinating and healthful herb on our sister site, Foodal.
For a feast of garden-fresh carrots, this recipe for roasted carrots from Foodal is a must-make! Or maybe you prefer something sweet? Rosemary is well-suited for multiple settings. It works well as a companion in veggie patches, in containers, as ground cover, in kitchen and perennial beds, on stabilizing slopes, and spilling from window boxes.
Use prostrate varieties for creeping, spilling, and sprawling and uprights as stand-alones or specimen plants. The stems, with or without flowers, add long-lasting fragrance and evergreen beauty to cut flower arrangements and winter vases as well as door swags and wreaths. Remember that it requires full sunlight and excellent drainage. Prune it a bit after flowering, and after that, this easy plant practically looks after itself!
Wait to try starting from seeds until you have established plants to take cuttings from. Do you folks have any favorite tips for growing this herb in the garden? Drop us a line in the comments below. And if you enjoyed learning about growing this evergreen herb, you might enjoy these growing guides as well:. See our TOS for more details. Originally published on August 12,
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