Rosemary is the aromatic, woody herb that is the perfect addition to your perennial herb garden. With its beautiful blue flowers and uniquely needle-like leaves, your garden is sure to level up with the addition of fresh rosemary. Also known as rosmarinus officinalis, a member of the mint family, this plant is a versatile herb that loves to grow nice and easily. You can use rosemary for homemade remedies, cooking, baking, and for craft cocktails. What’s not to love?
This week, we are bringing you a complete guide to growing and harvesting fresh rosemary. Whether you are growing rosemary indoors or in your outdoor vegetable garden, keep reading to learn everything that you need to know in order to have a fun and bountiful harvest.
The best time to plant rosemary is to wait until the point in the spring season when all chances of frost have passed. If you are growing rosemary in Texas, you should aim to plant in the spring; this way, the plants will have a full growing season to mature before the winter arrives. Remember, if you do plant in the fall, be prepared to cover your garden once the weather begins to cool down significantly.
You can start your rosemary garden from a seed indoors up to 10 weeks before the last frost date in your zone. If you are container gardening, you won’t need to worry all too much about what zone you are planting in. That said, the more information you have, the better care of your gardens you are able to take.
Rosemary, a mediterranean native plant, will thrive in hardiness zones 7-11, with a strong preference for moderately warm and dry climates. If you live in zones 6-10, planting your rosemary in a container is the best option because it allows you to bring the garden inside for the cold weather months of the year.
If you are growing rosemary from seeds or transplanting, it can take anywhere from 6-12 months for a plant to fully mature. This is why growing during the spring season is highly recommended; as rosemary is a perennial plant, you can expect your garden to flourish after the 12 month mark has been passed.
Your rosemary will grow slowly at first, but during the second year its growth will gain speed. If you plant in the spring of this year, you should expect to have a garden that is positively bursting with rosemary stems next year.
Rosemary thrives when planted from cuttings, when grown from seed, and when transplanted. You can keep rosemary indoors, as an aromatic addition to your houseplant collection, or plant it in your raised garden bed. In zones that have a generally warmer climate, you can also use rosemary as a hedge plant, as it can grow up to 5 feet tall! Keep reading to learn more about the various methods for growing rosemary.
You can take rosemary cuttings from a mother plant, and use them to grow new plants; this is a process referred to as propagation, in the gardening world. As rosemary is a generally slow growing plant, choosing to grow from cuttings is a great way to expedite the growing process; a plant taken from a cutting will grow more quickly than one grown from seed.
Rosemary seeds tend to have exceptionally low germination rates and take a long time to sprout and grow. That said, if you’re looking for an eventual but robust addition to your garden, or perhaps a natural hedge, growing rosemary from seed is a great option for you.
Planting rosemary from transplants, or seedlings, is your best option if you’re looking for a slightly shorter growing period. Even though you can begin to harvest rosemary during the growing process, there is nothing that quite measures up to the satisfaction of a fully matured plant in your garden. Here are the quick and easy steps to transplanting your rosemary:
Time needed: 14 days
How To Grow Rosemary
Prepare your garden or container with a sandy soil
Before taking your transplant out of its current home, be sure to moisten the soil that it is in.
If you are transplanting plants from your raised bed to a container, be sure to clear the ground of any mulch or debris so that you don’t bring unwanted visitors in with your transplants. If you are transplanting from a Gardenuity Garden Kit, you will not need to worry about pests.
Don’t let your plant’s roots get exposed when transferring it to its new home. In this step, it is best to keep the soil around the roots as intact as possible.
Plant your rosemary.
Until the weather reaches temperatures lower than 55 degrees Fahrenheit during the day, you can acclimate the transplanted rosemary by taking it outside during the day, and bringing it in at night. Once it is colder than 55 degrees Fahrenheit, you should bring the garden inside for the cold winter season.
If you intend to keep your rosemary plants growing for many years to come, the chances are that you will need to either keep them in containers, or transplant them to containers at some point in their lifecycle. As these herbs are sensitive to colder temperatures, the advantage to container gardening with rosemary is that you can always protect them from the cold.
When growing rosemary in a container, you will need to look out for a quality, well drained soil, as well as a pot that has plenty of drainage. Rosemary plants are partial to a more dry environment; allowing the roots to get soggy is detrimental to the health of the plant.
When choosing a container to grow your rosemary in, good drainage is the name of the game. A well draining pot, as well as a well draining soil, are what will keep your plant healthy, and avoid the onset of root rot. You should also look for a container that is at least 12 inches in diameter, and at least 6-8 inches deep.
If you are growing your garden in a Gardenuity Grow Bag, you don’t need to worry about fretting over these details, as the Grow Bag is designed to provide the perfect environment for your plants.
Similar to other Mediterranean herbs, rosemary prefers dry and warm growing conditions. The key to growing healthy and thriving rosemary plants is to keep the plants in a bright, sunny location, keep them watered but not soggy, and to routinely prune the plants to guide their growth.
The best soil for growing rosemary is a sandy, loamy and loose soil mix that drains well. Mix equal parts all-purpose potting soil and sharp sand, or you can even choose cactus potting mix. The best soil pH for these herbs is 6-7. You will not need to fertilize your rosemary plants after their initial planting. That said, if you want to give them a little bit of a boost, you can use a 5-10-5 fertilizer in the spring.
While rosemary plants are sensitive to temperatures below 40-50 degrees Fahrenheit, these plants thrive in varying temperatures and high humidity levels otherwise. Since this plant originated in Mediterranean countries, it is partial to temperatures of 65-85°F. If you want to keep your rosemary coming back for many years, be sure to maintain soil temperatures above 65°F.
Rosemary will need about 6-8 hours of full sun each day. If you are growing your plants indoors, be sure to place your container in a sunny, south-facing window for maximum sunlight exposure.
In general, it is best to air on the side of caution when it comes to watering rosemary. This is not said as a means to frighten you out of watering your plants, however, be weary of overwatering your rosemary. Since rosemary is partial to a dry environment, overwatering can cause significant damage to your plant.
You’ll want to keep young plants watered; once the top 1 inch of soil is dry, give the plants a nice good watering. For mature plants, water rosemary with a good soak once every two weeks. When your plants are indoors or potted in a container, you’ll want to emphasize the drainage that the plants have in their container. Additionally, never soak your potted rosemary – quite the contrary, rosemary will prefer to keep its soil dry indoors.
Indoor rosemary plants are common hosts to red spider mites, aphids, spittlebugs, and whiteflies. These pests can cause your rosemary to wilt and dry up by sucking the nutrients out of the plants. Be sure to inspect your plants frequently to ensure that these pests haven’t settled in. You can control the onset of pests with organic insecticidal soap.
Diseases such as root rot, powdery mildew, and mold are all indicators of too much moisture and poor air circulation in your environment. You can resolve circulation issues by running a fan in the rooms that your plants are growing in.
When it comes to companion planting, rosemary is a great choice in terms of protecting the other plants in your garden. Because of its strong aroma, rosemary cases away many pests. Additionally, this herb attracts helpful pollinators like bees, hummingbirds and butterflies.
Some great companion plants for rosemary are beans, broccoli, hot peppers, cabbage and sage. You should avoid planting your rosemary near other herbs, with the exception of sage.
If you feel like your rosemary plants are taking a long time to take off, never fear – this is common and normal. In fact, rosemary is a generally slow growing herb within the first year of its growth. After the first 12 months of growing, prepare for tall and luscious plants that will give you harvests for years to come.
When you are growing your rosemary from transplants, it is important to keep the plants well watered, but not soggy. Changing your plant’s environment can be shocking, so allow about a week of transition time to tend to their needs extra closely.
As your rosemary begins to grow, your stalks will grow straight up into the air. Keep your plant healthy by allowing it to bask in at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight each day.
You can harvest your rosemary after new growth is generated, or about 6 weeks after planting. When harvesting, be sure to avoid any parts that look woody, as this will damage the plant. Harvesting rosemary is extraordinarily beneficial to the continued growth of the plant; a practice of weekly harvesting will keep your rosemary thriving for years. You’ll want to harvest young rosemary stems for the freshest taste.
If you do wait too long to harvest your rosemary, the plants will bloom into flowers.
You’ll be able to safely harvest your rosemary after at least 6 weeks of growing. For best results, harvest the uppermost portion of the stems, and do so in the spring and summer seasons, when the plant is actively growing.
There are many ways to store and enjoy your fresh rosemary harvest. From refrigerating, freezing to drying, you’ll be able to enjoy your rosemary for weeks to come, once you’ve completed a harvest.
Rosemary naturally preserves its flavor on its own; you can dry your rosemary to save it for a later date. After washing, bundle the stems together, tie them at their bases, and hang them in an area that is well ventilated. The best part about this method is that, while the rosemary is drying, you also gain a lovely decoration.
You can also dry your rosemary in the oven. To oven dry, preheat the oven to about 200 degrees Fahrenheit, and place the rosemary stems onto baking paper lined baking trays. Bake for about 1 hour, or until the rosemary leaves are dry and brittle. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
Rosemary is wonderful to have on hand, as it can be used for a wonderfully large variety of dishes and purposes in your home. Once the needles are removed and minced, or left as whole sprigs, rosemary is great for infusing flavor into a larger dish, such as a stew or roast. To remove the rosemary leaves from their stem, pull the needles in the opposite direction from which they grow and they will easily snap off the stalk. This herb goes especially well with grains, mushrooms, onions, peas, potatoes, and spinach. Here is a list of some of our very favorite rosemary based recipes:
Yes, rosemary is a perennial plant, meaning it grows back every year.
Yes, rosemary’s strong aroma is great for warding away pests from your other plants.
Yes, you can easily grow rosemary from a cutting! All you need is a clean glass of water and some sunshine.
Yes, you can grow rosemary from store bought stems. It is a little more difficult when they are not fresh from the plant.
If you are overwatering your rosemary plants, they will not survive. Be sure to give them 6-8 hours of full sun, and only water when necessary.
Using clean scissors, snip about 5-6 inches off of the top of a stem. Be sure to leave ¾ of the plant to continue growing.
Rosemary will grow well with other herbs that prefer a loose and well drained soil. In general, it’s best to only pair rosemary with herbs such as sage or thyme.
If your rosemary is wilting, you are likely overwatering it. Let your rosemary plants completely dry out before the next watering, and they should perk back up.
No, rosemary is not hard to grow! All you need is a little patience and the right information, and you’ll be set for success.
Congratulations, you are now ready to get out into your garden and grow a beautiful plot of rosemary. Whether you are keeping your container garden indoors or outdoors, you are sure to have a glorious harvest for years to come. Take a look at our available container gardening kits to get started on your very own fresh rosemary today.
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