How to Grow Rosemary

Rosemary is a delicious herb that is great for growing indoors or outdoors. Rosemary is usually not difficult to grow, and once rooted, this woody perennial will do well for many years. Read on to learn how to grow, care for, and harvest rosemary.

Table of Contents

Planting rosemary

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Find sprigs of rosemary. Rosemary is easier to grow from cuttings than it is to grow from seeds. You can buy rosemary stalks at a nursery or ask someone you know who grows rosemary. Once you find the rosemary plant, cut a few branches about 10 cm long to propagate. The best time to cut branches is late spring, but you can also do this in early fall if you live in a warm climate. Rosemary plants grown from branches will have the same quality as the parent bush. ^{[1] X Research Source}

If you are interested in growing plants that are not available locally, you can order them online or ask a nursery to help you find them. There are many varieties of rosemary, each with slightly different properties. Some grow in tall and dense bushes, some tend to creep, some have purple or blue flowers, others have white flowers.
You can also buy seedlings or small plants from a nursery if you don’t want to propagate from cuttings.

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Remove leaves at the bottom 2.5 cm of the stem. Before planting rosemary, cut off the leaves at the bottom of the stem (about 2.5 cm). This part will be buried in the ground. ^{[2] X Research Source}

These leaves should be removed as they can cause the branches to rot.

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Plant rosemary branches. After removing the leaves, you will plug the branch into a small pot containing a soil mixture of 2/3 coarse sand and 1/3 mud moss. Place the pot in a sunny spot, but not in direct sunlight. Water regularly and leave in a warm place until the branches take root. This takes about 3 weeks. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

To facilitate the growth of the branches, you can place the whole pot in a plastic bag with a few holes punched in the top. This method can regulate the temperature, keep the plant warm and humid. ^{[4] X Research Sources}
You can also dip the cut ends of rosemary stems in rooting powder to give the plant a head start.

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Plant seedlings. Once the roots have formed, you can plant the plant in a pot or in an outdoor garden. Rosemary is adaptable to most soil conditions and has strong vitality. They can grow well in snow, limestone, high temperature, coastal areas and in all types of soil. However, rosemary will grow best in warm to hot and fairly dry climates. Choose a place that is relatively dry and gets full sun. ^{[5] X Trusted Source University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources Go to source}

Decide whether to plant a potted plant or a shrub in the garden. You can also grow rosemary into a pleasingly scented hedge. In cold climates, it’s probably best to grow rosemary in a pot so you can move the plant as needed.
Even if you’re planning to plant rosemary in the ground in your garden, it’s a good idea to plant the stems in a pot at first to help them take root and harden before you plant them outdoors. Choose an area with good drainage, as rosemary can suffer from root rot if grown in waterlogged soil. The more alkaline the soil, the more fragrant the rosemary will be. Add lime if the soil is too acidic. ^{[6] X Research Source}

Rosemary Care

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Water the plant occasionally. Rosemary likes dry soil, so don’t over-water it. The plant will grow well with average garden watering and prefers rainwater. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

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Don’t worry about fertilizing. This herb does not need fertilizer. However, you should make sure there is lime in the soil. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

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Bring potted plants indoors during the winter if you live in a cold area. Despite being a vigorous plant, rosemary can be damaged in extreme cold (-18 degrees Celsius or colder) and branches can be damaged under the weight of heavy snowfall. To make sure the plant survives the winter, it’s best to bring it indoors.

You do not need to do this if the temperature in the winter where you live does not fall below -18 degrees Celsius.

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Prune the tree if necessary. Rosemary does not need pruning to grow well, but rosemary bushes often grow quite large and take up a lot of space in the garden. Each spring, trim the branches to about 10cm shorter to maintain the desired shape. ^{[9] X Research Source}

Harvesting and Using Rosemary

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Harvest rosemary. You can pick the sprigs of rosemary leaves as needed. The rosemary bush will continue to thrive. Rosemary is an evergreen plant, so you can harvest it year-round. ^{[10] X Research Source}

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Store rosemary leaf sprigs in a cool, dry place. You can also freeze rosemary in a food storage bag and keep it in the freezer. Alternatively, you can cut off the leaves on the branches and put them in a sealed glass jar. This storage method will help the rosemary to dry out and keep for many months. ^{[11] X Research Source}

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Use rosemary in cooking. Rosemary is a great spice for both sweet and savory dishes. You can use rosemary to add flavor to meats, breads, butter, and even ice cream. The following delicious dishes use rosemary:

Herbal bread
Seasoned Pork
Rosemary syrup
Rosemary lemon ice cream

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Use rosemary indoors. You can dry rosemary and make scented sachets to keep in your drawer, use rosemary as an ingredient in your home soap, or make it into a scented conditioner to keep your hair soft, shiny, and healthy. much more. Another simple way to enjoy rosemary is to swipe into the bush to enjoy its refreshing scent.

Advice

Rosemary is quite diverse with many colors, shapes and sizes of leaves. Rosemary flowers also vary in color, often varying from light green to white.
Plant rosemary near the clothesline. Your clothes will smell good when brushed against rosemary dust. Rosemary is also a great plant to grow as a hedge along a footpath.
If you plant rosemary in a pot, you can rest assured that the plant will grow well. This is the ideal solution for very cold climates because you can bring the plant indoors during the winter. Rosemary can withstand light snow, but not heavy snow or extreme cold. When growing plants in pots, you should prune them to maintain proper shape. Prune both leaves and roots for healthy growth.
Rosemary is a plant that symbolizes “nostalgia”.
This evergreen shrub can grow up to 2 meters tall. However, it will take a long time for the tree to reach this height. Low rosemary varieties that grow to only about 45 cm tall are suitable for growing in pots.
Due to its ability to withstand salt and wind, rosemary is ideal for growing in coastal areas. However, the plant will grow best in a sheltered area, such as the edge of a wall, so you should cover it up if possible.
Rosemary can be stored by freezing for up to 6 months. You just need to store the rosemary sprigs in a freezer bag and put it in the freezer. However, if the house has rosemary bushes available, the easiest way is still to pick rosemary when needed instead of taking up a lot of space in the freezer.

Warning

Rosemary does not tolerate waterlogged roots and can even die.

Things you need

Rosemary branch
Plant pots or plots in the garden
Scissors or pruning pliers to cut the initial branches
Sand
Mud moss
Plastic bags
Rooting stimulant powder (optional)

Steps