Rosemary

Planting rosemary

Plant nursery starts or cuttings in spring after frost. Rosemary is perennial in roughly zone 8 and warmer; elsewhere, grow it in a pot you can bring inside.

Planting details

• Set plants at the same depth they grew in the pot
• Spacing: 24 to 36 inches; plants become small shrubs
• Choose upright types for hedging, trailing types for containers

Growing requirements

Rosemary needs full sun and sharp drainage. Root rot in wet soil kills far more plants than winter cold, so plant high and lean rather than rich and moist.

Harvesting and care

Snip sprigs as needed year round; the plant tolerates regular light trimming. Indoors over winter, give it the brightest, coolest spot available and let the soil dry between waterings.

Common mistakes

• Overwatering, the most common way container and garden plants die
• Rich, moisture-holding soil, which roots cannot tolerate
• Hard pruning into bare woody stems, which often do not regrow

Companion plants

Rosemary suits the dry edges of beds near sage, thyme, and lavender. Keep it out of irrigated vegetable rows where roots stay wet.