How to Grow Rosemary

Rosemary
Rosemary is one of the most decorative herbs and is well worth growing for its appearance alone. Dependent on the variety, it has small, profuse flowers appearing in late spring which range from dark blue through pale blue right down to white.

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Latin Name
Rosmarinus officinalis

Type
Evergreen, perennial shrub with flowers

Site and Soil
Light soil, full sun

Height
Up to 1.8m (6ft) but commonly 1m (3ft)

Plant to Harvest Time
Nursery plant - 3 months
Cuttings - 1 year
Seed - 15 months

Another great advantage of rosemary is that it is a perennial and will last for twenty years or more with only minimal pruning once a year. Put this together with it's cooking value as a herb and this shrub is a winner - what more do you want from a plant!

Although rosemary is a native plant of the Mediterranean and Asia, it is still reasonably hardy in cooler areas. Rosemary is a good choice if you want shrubs that are able to withstand droughts well. It will survive a severe lack of water for lengthy periods of time.

Rosemary has leaves which look like pine needles. It is these needles which can be finely chopped and used to flavour a variety of dishes, especially stuffing. Many cooks simply cut sprigs of rosemary and place many roasted meats, especially lamb, pork, chicken and turkey with great results.

Where To Grow Rosemary
Rosemary prefers a light soil, a sandy soil will fully satisfy its meagre feeding needs. Having said that, rosemary is tolerant of most soil conditions as long as they are not water-logged. Rosemary prefers a slightly limey soil (the opposite of acid) because this results in smaller plants with more fragrant leaves. True to it's origins, rosemary prefers sunny and sheltered conditions. It will stand severe frosts if conditions are not windy and wet as well.

Planting and Care of Rosemary

The ideal time to plant out rosemary is April. Dig a hole in the soil slightly larger than the size as the pot. Add 1cm (half an inch) of sandy soil or sharp sand to the bottom of the hole. Place the plant in the hole and fill around with a mix of half sharp sand and half from the removed soil.

Rosemary does not like to have its roots disturbed so leave as much of the root ball undisturbed as possible. Water well if the conditions are at all dry.

picture of the herb rosemary

Rosemary requires very little care throughout the year. Water only when the compost is clearly dried out and feed once a month with liquid fertiliser from April to October. Trim the side stems to keep the plant to the size you want, the best time to do this is just after they have flowered.

If you like your rosemary plant to grow large and become a specimen plant like the one in the picture on the left then it may need some help from winter winds.

Put a strong stake in the ground near it and tie string round the plant and stake to support it in winter. Click the picture to enlarge.

Propagation of Rosemary
Seeds are readily available from most major seed merchants, although only for Rosmarinus officinalis - we have not seen any seed for sale for the other varieties. The seeds are cheap (85p from Dobies), but propagation by this method is difficult. Sow the seeds in potting compost around mid-May time and place in a sheltered position in the garden - unfortunately you will only achieve a success rate of about 15%. The seedlings may well take up to 2 months to appear so don't give up hope until maybe 3 months has past.

	The best method of propagating Rosemary is by taking cuttings, mid-May or June being the best time. Select a healthy looking plant with lots of new growth on it. Click the picture on the left to enlarge it and see a young, healthy rosemary plant.
	Use a sharp knife to take 7.5cm (3in) cutting from young shoots either just below a leaf joint or torn off at the stem. The picture on the left is a cutting from a healthy shoot. If tearing off a cutting, trim the "heel" to remove most, but not all of it.
	Strip of the leaves from the lower 4cm (1�in), pulling them off with your fingers. Click the picture on the left to enlarge it.
	Fill a 7.5cm (3in) pot with standard potting compost and insert one or two cuttings in each pot. Water the compost from below and place in a propagator or cover it with a plastic bag. A temperature of 15�C to 20�C (60�F to 70�F) is needed for the cuttings to root.

A windowsill out of direct sunlight is an ideal position. They can be transplanted to their permanent position when they have rooted, this will be in roughly 8 weeks time.

Container Growing Rosemary
The herb Rosemary grows extremely well in large pots or other containers. The pots need to be reasonably deep because rosemary is a deep rooting herb. Fill the pot with a mixture of 20% sharp sand or grit and 80% standard potting compost. Make a hole in the compost and place one rooted cutting in the middle of the pot. Water the plant well to help it settle in and consolidate the soil around the roots.

Container grown plants are more likely to affected by severe frosts, so move the containers close to the house walls in winter.

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