Growing Rosemary

Rosmarinus officinalis : Lamiaceae / the mint family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
      S                
        T              

(Best months for growing Rosemary in USA - Zone 5a regions)

  • S = Plant undercover in seed trays
  • T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings
  • Easy to grow. Plant cuttings . Best planted at soil temperatures between 15°C and 20°C. (Show °F/in)
  • Space plants: 100 - 150 cm apart
  • Harvest in approximately 1 years. In warmer areas, harvest time might be shorter.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Beans, Carrots, Cabbages, Sage
  • Avoid growing close to: Potatoes
  • Prostrate Rosemary

Rosemary will grow from seeds but this is not recommended as the success rate is very low. Small cuttings are easy to grow. Put in light, sandy soil where you want your plant to grow or start in small pots and plant out when established.

Rosemary comes from warm Mediterranean areas but adapts well to colder climates. In areas of heavy frost, a cutting potted up and kept in a sheltered spot will insure against total loss of your plant over winter.

Dryness suits rosemary, so well-drained soil and sunshine will be best.

Once established rosemary can be harvested all year round.

Rosemary grows well in patio pots or tubs.

Culinary hints - cooking and eating Rosemary

Leaves sprinkled on roast potatoes, meat and barbeque food make them extra tasty.

Rosemary can also be used to add flavour to vinegars and oils.

Your comments and tips

26 Nov 10, Urp (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
I placed rosemary cuttings into a glass vase of water and they shot roots in a few weeks. Then I planted in pots in soil.
03 Aug 11, georgi (Australia - tropical climate)
growing in pot to control conditions.mix of 3/4potting mix and 1/4 river sand. putting under well lit patio in wet season as it doesn't like wet feet
10 Sep 12, Mithila (Australia - tropical climate)
Hi, I have a rosemary plant which is few months old. I prune it quite often but it looks very dry and unhealthy. What should I do to get it back to look healthy? Thank you. Mithila
05 Mar 13, maddss (Australia - temperate climate)
Does rosemary grow in Autmn
15 Mar 13, Sue griffith (Australia - temperate climate)
My rosemary bush is 15 years old. I use it for cooking. It ihas very woody stems. It is quite large. Can I prune it and will it shoot from cut stem?
01 May 14, Travis Edwards (Australia - temperate climate)
rosemary will handle very harsh treatment and still grow strong I prune mine off regularly with a chainsaw to 1/3rd of their size or less every couple of years and trim them up in between with the same method. I chopped one down to virtually nothing 3 years ago it is now about 4 ft around in every direction, and it was not much more than a stump. pruning them hard gets rid of the dead wood and makes them more bushy so you get more of the tender shoots that are good for cooking.
18 Mar 13, Frank (South Africa - Humid sub-tropical climate)
WHAT IS THE BEST FERTILIZER FOR ROSEMARY?
15 Jun 13, john hanson (Australia - temperate climate)
I want to plant rosemary or another fast growing plant in a plater box approx 700mm long by 300mm x 300mm is this sufficient
25 Aug 13, Andrew (Australia - temperate climate)
I need some advice re treatment of mildew (white film) on my rosemary leaves I planted them in pots on a north facing balcony, they are probably 3 months old, so far they have been doing great but up until 1 week ago I noticed this whitish film/ or cotton-like covering some leaves, can anyone suggest any treatment?? I've read so many different things on different forums I just want to get a better plan of action Thanks Andrew
01 May 14, Travis Edwards (Australia - temperate climate)
Sounds like mites, spray with pyrethrum or white oil and water them less if it is mildew. Rosemary likes a semi arid environment. white oil should help with insects and mildew somewhat or even try olive oil sprayed on it lightly
Showing 1 - 10 of 47 comments

Tip: Rosemary doesn't play well with many other herbs. I've consistently seen it's stems grow almost at right angles away from nearby parsley, for instance. To avoid this you'll need approximately a 1.5 metre radius/distance away from parsley. Oregano and thyme tend not to affect the rosemary much, but these will begin to grow around or away from rosemary - it's quite funny to watch a plant do a slow-motion about-face; and if you think that following that the idea of the old folk song sounds nice and you plant parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme in a pot, pretty much everything stunts and dies. Start cuttings in the spring thru summer (just snip off the top 30cm of a stem and plant it 15cm deep in-situ) and keep the soil damp/watered (once a day is usually enough) until you see the end of the soft tip of the cutting stand up under it's own wieght, consistently. For a few days-to-a-week after making the cutting, the soft tip will rise and fall with the heat/light of the day and then finally stand up. That's how you know it's taken. It'll shoot away pretty quickly after that.

- Lee

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This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. Gardenate is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
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